Stormers bring back iconic ‘Men in Black’ look for 2026-27 URC away kit

The Stormers will return to black for their away kit in the 2026/2027 United Rugby Championship season, reviving a distinctive look associated with one of the franchise’s earlier eras.

The new design has attracted attention because it recalls the period when the Stormers were widely known as the “Men in Black”. The team wore black between 1999 and 2006, and that colour now features prominently once again in the club’s latest away strip.

The kit is an especially striking departure from the Stormers’ more familiar home colours. While the home shirt retains the traditional blue and white hoops, the away design draws directly on the franchise’s history and its former identity.

The Stormers’ home kit was first seen when they played the All Blacks in the opening match of the Greatest Rivalry Series. Its blue and white hoops maintain the established visual style associated with the team.

By contrast, the away kit provides a clear link with the past. The return of black gives the new strip a strong connection to the years from 1999 to 2006, when the Stormers regularly took to the field in that colour.

The design has been unveiled ahead of the 2026/2027 United Rugby Championship campaign, with the club presenting the home and away shirts as distinct parts of the same release. The home jersey reflects the Stormers’ traditional appearance, while the away version looks back to a former era in the franchise’s history.

That contrast has made the away kit the main talking point. Its black colour is not a new direction for the Stormers, but rather a revival of a look that supporters will associate with the “Men in Black” period.

The new Stormers away kit for the 2026/27 URC season was shown by the club on social media. Its return marks the latest use of a familiar colour in the team’s modern kit designs, linking the forthcoming campaign with the franchise’s past.

For the 2026/2027 United Rugby Championship season, the Stormers will therefore have a home shirt built around blue and white hoops and an away strip that brings black back into focus. The two designs reference different parts of the club’s identity: one preserving its traditional colours and the other recalling the period between 1999 and 2006.

With the new away shirt, the “Men in Black” era is once again represented in the Stormers’ match-day wardrobe.