David Leggat: Initials fine, but it's a numbers game

If it's February, it must be the rugby season.

How things change. Once upon a time, you knew the winter sports season began when the calendar flipped over to April 1.

Life was ordered and there was a certain comfort in knowing exactly where you stood, when the whites were to be stowed away in the cupboard and the shorts, thick socks and boots dusted off.

Not only are the international sevens on in Wellington this weekend, but Super 14 squads have had a couple of warmup games - warmup being the operative word in the clammy north - and are hunkering down for round one of 14 next week.

Remember the West Indies arrive in a few days in what is supposed to be the premier summer event in New Zealand. But then the days of a roughly equal cricket-rugby split have gone the way of curved cricket bats, lace-up footballs and the 6 o'clock swill (younger readers, ask Dad).

So we should stop our collective moaning, pull on our replica Blues/Chiefs/Hurricanes etc shirts, paint our faces and hook into it. Yeah right.

Thanks, then, to the Waratahs for doing their Monty Python "and now for something completely different" bit by announcing they're putting players' initials on their shirts instead of numbers.

They'll launch them against the Crusaders in Sydney today. The numbers will remain on their shorts, but we're set to see PW snaffling the ball at a maul, CW slinging it out to TD, MT cutting through on the angle for either LT or WS to score in the corner.

Not so long ago English clubs Leicester and Bristol wore letters on their jerseys. They were proud of their individuality. At Leicester, A, B and C were the front rowers, D and E the locks and so on.

There has been the predictable spluttering at the Waratahs move, and inevitably the Fox television people have been loudest. They are grumpy because they weren't consulted over the plan.

They plough big bucks into the game and in return expect a certain say in what happens. It's a reasonable gripe but at times like this TV types can't help sounding a bit precious.

"We've launched an official complaint to Sanzar," a Fox Sports executive producer harrumphed, with what sounded like a spluttering noise in the background.

There's no rule preventing the Waratahs doing it but be absolutely certain there will be a regulation brought in before next year, so enjoy the novelty while it's here.

(Actually, sit tight for the sound of a big hammer with the letters Sanzar falling from a great height on Waratahs HQ in the next seven days).

Okay, it's a bit silly and it won't help spectators identify players - what happens when Stephen Hoiles, Josh Holmes, Peter Hewat and Leroy Houston are running round at the same time - but applaud the initiative.

Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie said he didn't want his players "typecast by the positional number".

"If I put numbers on their back then players are inhibited by the history of that position." That makes them sound the biggest bunch of head cases the game has known.

He added some mumbo-jumbo about having numbers one to 22 on the shorts "but that doesn't define the Waratahs game", whatever that means.

If the Waratahs happen to win the Super 14, the jerseys will become collectors' items, available in five years' time on eBay.

And for the kids wanting a replica, better by far a shirt with their favourite players' initials - or even their own - emblazoned on the back rather than a ho-hum number.

Here's an option: let players choose their own number. The traditionalists will gasp but sport mirrors life in that change is inevitable.

As I say, smart thinking, nice march stolen in the PR stakes, the marketing folk have earned their money, but don't expect it to last.