Exeter Rugby Club has announced their new Chiefs logo, to be launched in 2022. The new logo is inspired by the United Kingdom’s Celtic history and depicts a Celtic leader in a similar style to the previous logo.
The previous logo was highly controversial, depicting a Native American Tribe Chief, leaving fans questioning the relation to the club. Over the past two years, the club has undergone major internal reviews and looks forward to a fresh image. In an official statement, the club said: “As a Rugby Club we have been willing to listen, we have consulted far and wide, and now we are ready to invoke change”.
The Chiefs played the Glasgow Warriors in January 2022, causing the Warriors to release a statement warning Exeter fans about their behaviour relating to the Chief’s symbolism at the match. Alastair ‘Al’ Kellock, managing director at the Glasgow Warriors said: “Today, Glasgow Warriors are asking visiting fans from Exeter Chiefs not to attend the game on Saturday with faux Native American head dressers or chant the ‘Tomahawk Chop’ during the match… We are making this request out of respect for the Native American community around the world, whose views on the use of their imagery and cultural heritage we support, and the Glasgow supporters who have called for us to act on this matter”
The new logo focuses on the clubs and the Exeter areas history. Since the Celtic Iron Age, there has been Celtic tribes and Kingdoms in the area, with the club citing the Dumnonii Tribe and the Kingdom of Dumnnia which held strong in the area for nearly 500 years.
Many of the Exeter Chief’s star players will be seeing action on the pitch in this years upcoming Six Nations, with fan favourites Stuart Hogg, Jonny Gray and Sam Skinner playing for the Scotland team.
Feature image credit: rugbyworld.com
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