Evolution of the Knights kit over the years
The famous red and blue, the colours that make up the nib Newcastle Knights, have been a staple of the Club since its inception in 1988.
Every single male and female player who's worn the red and blue has done so with pride, from the first jerseys of the late 80's, to the premiership winning years in the late 90's, to the early 2000's, all the way to today.
The 2024 NRL Home and Away jerseys have dropped utilising a modern look on the designs from the early 2000's, so with that in mind, we thought we would take a look back at the evolution of the Knights kit from over the years.
1988-1996
The first jersey worn by the Newcastle Knights will hold a special place in supporters hearts.
With the red and blue separated by horizontal stripes in the middle, the first iteration of the Knights kit was worn for nine seasons.
Players to wear this jersey included Tony Butterfield, Michael Hagan, Mark Sargent, Ash Gordon and many more.
1997-2000
A new design was introduced in 1997, and it would turn out to be a hit right from the start.
In the Club's first premiership winning year, the red and blue vertical stripes were on full display.
Players such as Paul Harragon, the Johns brothers and Robbie O'Davis immortalised this classic jersey.
2001-2004
Another new design was introduced in 2001, and similar to its predecessor, it was an instant success.
The red and blue vertical stripes were replaced with chevrons in the early 2000's with premiership success following in 2001.
Famous for the Grand Final of '01 with Andrew Johns lifting the premiership trophy, this iteration of the jersey heavily influenced this year's design.
2005-2007
A new design was introduced in 2005 with a predominantly dark blue look taking centre stage on the home kit.
This kit was the last one worn by Club legend Andrew Johns, while the year of 2006 was a memorable one for the supporter base as the side qualified for the finals.
Players to wear this kit included Hall of Famer Danny Buderus, cult hero Brian Carney, a young Jarrod Mullen and many more.
2008-2010
The dominant blue design developed a fresh take in the 08-10 years.
Memorable moments in this kit included the run to the finals in 2009, a flying Aquila Uate and James McManus on the wings.
Players like Kurt Gidley, Uate, Adam 'Mad Dog' MacDougall and many more donned this jersey.
2011
Another change-up on the blue design with red stripes at the top was introduced in 2011.
The '11 season saw the Knights finish in eighth spot with a famous win over the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the final round, which saw Aquila Uate score four tries and Adam MacDougall play his last game at home, with the game living long in the memory banks of Knights fans.
2012-2018
The famous red and blue vertical stripes made their return in 2012.
A modern look on the Knights kit from the late 90's, the design would spend seven seasons as the home kit.
Memorable moments include Kurt Gidley's match-winning conversion against Melbourne in 2014, Danny Buderus' final home game and Kalyn Ponga's breakout season in 2018.
2019-2021
The earliest iteration of the Knights jersey was re-introudced in the years from 2019 to 2021.
As the Club moved into a new era, the jersey sported a modern approach on the retro jersey with the red horizontal stripes display on the dominant blue design.
The jersey saw back-to-back finals appearances in '20 and '21, while players such as Kalyn Ponga, Mitchell Pearce and Bradman Best spring to mind when it comes to this kit.
2022-2023
A new design was adopted in the 2022-23 seasons.
The vertical stripes were replaced with a top half red chevron interwoven with the blue below.
This jersey saw back-to-back premierships for the Club's NRLW side, along with a return to the finals series for the men's side in 2023.
