Crusaders name debate rages on
Crusaders fans will have to wait at least another day for word regarding any potential change to their team’s brand.
The Christchurch-based franchise is feeling the heat in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque shootings which have claimed 50 lives and injured dozens, with some people calling for the Crusaders to change their name.
After releasing statements on Saturday and Sunday, the Crusaders did not hold their usual Monday media opportunity and are yet to announce when they will next invite media to their Rugby Park headquarters in St Albans.
The crusades, a series of conflicts between Christians and Muslims in the Mediterranean which started about a thousand years ago, are behind the calls for change.
In a statement released on Sunday, Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge acknowledged the franchise would ‘‘thoroughly consider’’ the issues that have been raised in time, and the review would include conversations with the Muslim community.
The franchise also said it stood for the opposite to the ghastly events which unfolded in their city.
‘‘In terms of the Crusaders name, we acknowledge and understand the concerns that have been raised. For us, the Crusaders name is a reflection of the crusading spirit of this community, and certainly not a religious statement. What we stand for is the opposite of what happened in Christchurch yesterday; our crusade is one for peace, unity, inclusiveness and community spirit,’’ it read.
Online debate has been plentiful since Friday afternoon, while The Press has received a bunch of letters to the editor.
There is no shortage of people both for and against the name change. There are also some fine with the name, but keen for the emblem to lose the sword, and for the horses which rally fans prematch at Christchurch Stadium to be scrapped.
The Crusaders, who had their away game against the Highlanders cancelled on Saturday, are not scheduled to play at home again until April 6, when they host the Brumbies.
It’s apparent they have plenty to discuss before then, and you can bet management and the board have been doing just that the past couple of days.
Stuff launched a poll on Saturday night, with 65 per cent saying a name change was political correctness gone mad. Another 16 per cent said maybe it should be looked at, while 19 per cent said they should change their name.
The Crusaders posted their latest statement on their social media channels on Sunday night, and the overwhelming majority of the more than 1100 comments it received were against any change. Many also pointed out the team was paramount in bringing the city together after the Christchurch earthquakes.
‘‘The Crusaders is the one thing that people clung to in 2011. Our team didn’t have one home game and yet made the final. The players played their hearts out that season. That is the definition of Crusaders,’’ one commenter wrote.
‘‘You’re letting a completely unrelated historical event compound everyone’s grief and anger with what took place on Friday in our hometown. Whilst simultaneously aggravating a rather large community of supporters of Crusaders who can clearly differentiate the past from the present,’’ another wrote.
Christchurch resident Martin London, a self-proclaimed ‘‘avid supporter’’ of the Crusaders, offered alternative names for the team, including ‘‘The Reformers’’ and ‘‘Infernos’’.
Neil Cervin wrote to the Crusaders and copied in The Press: ‘‘I never considered the name Crusaders to be an issue, but in light of the recent tragedy in Christchurch I have come to realise that it was always an inappropriate name and especially so now. A name that always would have been difficult for our Muslim brothers and sisters to get in behind.
‘‘Cantabrians would not support the ideology of the ancient Crusaders. The ancient Crusaders values are not yours. It was just a catchy name. The team representing the province can be renamed something better.’’