SYDNEY, Jan 29 (Reuters) - A vote of Wallabies greats has decided that the shirt worn by the 1991 World Cup winners will form the basis of the future kits for the Australia team, although it only beat out the 1984 Grand Slam kit after a casting vote.
Rugby Australia said talks were already underway with kit manufacturers to incorporate the 1991 shade of gold, rather than the unpopular yellow of some recent designs, into future shirts to be worn by the Wallabies.
With a newspaper poll to guide them, two groups of former Wallabies gathered in hotels in Sydney and Brisbane on Thursday to choose their favourite jersey, with Rugby Australia Chairman Hamish McLennan left to cast the deciding vote after a tie.
"While I had to cast the final vote, it was ultimately the fans who decided the '91 jersey," McLennan said. "More than 13,000 people were polled with the '91 colour the clear favourite – so that made it an easy decision for me.
"The jersey is key to our identity as a team and a nation, and it's important that it has a nod to its heritage and also appeals to our supporters."
McLennan has made engagement with fans a key goal for his stint as chairman after the game went through a period of turmoil off the pitch and weak performances on it.
Australia beat England to win the World Cup for the first time at Twickenham in 1991, while the 1984 side were the first and only Wallabies team to beat England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland in tests on one tour.