The best and worst Brands of the NARL

One of the most exciting parts of the North American Rugby League (NARL) is all the shiny new logos. As a marketing professional I couldn't wait to critique all of them. So I sat down recently with Rugby League logo and jersey designer Matt Haines to collaborate on our opinions, advice and a score out of 10 for each club.

 

Atlanta Rhinos

Great colour scheme, bold font, Rhino image could be recognisable and iconic in the sport, but the black outline is unnecessary.

 

Professional Advice: Simplify by removing the black outline.

Score: 7/10

 

Austin Armadillos

Interesting choice of mascot – very unique to the market, but seems like alliteration for the sake of it. Nice to see the red and black colour scheme (North Sydney Bears fans might like it.) Modern logo, but could date quickly.

 

Professional Advice: Elements in the logo do not blend well together. Consider simplifying by flattening 3D aspects and shadows.

Score: 5/10

 

 

Boston Thirteens

Strong Boston vibes with Font, colours and clover symbol all speaking to the Irish influence and heritage of the city. B/13 icon is very clever. Perhaps a little busy to be truly marketable. Remember, less is more!

 

Professional Advice: Consider adopting the B/13 icon as the primary logo. Think NY Yankees or Boston Red Sox.

Score: 8/10

 

 

Brooklyn Kings

Navy and gold colours look smart and fonts are bold and clean. The shield and separate elements blend well.  

 

Professional Advice: The logo is very “safe”. Not necessarily a bad thing, but would try and push some boundaries in any future rebrand.

Score: 8/10

 

 

Cleveland Rugby League

Pays homage to the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. It breaks all the Rugby League rules… but it works. Colours -  on point, iconography - on point, odd emblem shape - on point, no “mascot” – still works!

 

Professional Advice: Designed by Matt Haines Sport… therefore its perfect :P

Score: 10/10

 

 

Las Vegas Blackjacks

Black and blue looks ok, but really a missed opportunity to go with red, black and white colour scheme. Seems a little rushed and clique. Sorry Las Vegas, we’d love to attend a game but this is our least favourite NARL brand.

 

Professional Advice: Start again.

Score: 2/10

 

 

New York City Rugby League

Good use of recognised New York sporting colours, but feels like a placeholder logo. Expect a rebrand early.

 

Professional Advice: Be bold. You could become one of the biggest brands in the sport.

Score: 5/10

 

 

Ottawa Aces

Aiming for a more Traditional North American vibe and will stand the test of time. The monogram with the iconic maple leaf is a solid and makes it not only one of the better NARL brands, but one of the best LOGOS IN THE Rugby League world full stop.

 

Professional Advice: You nailed it!

Score: 11/10

 

 

Phoenix Venom

Our favourite of the new Western conference brands. Black and yellow is a colour scheme we do not see enough of in Rugby League. Scorpion icon is cool. The whole structure of the shield works well.

 

Professional Advice: Would love to see a logo option without the shield and the Scorpion as the key element.

Score: 8/10

 

 

Portland Loggers

Sorry Portland, a little too clip art for our liking. Already looks out dated.

 

Professional Advice: Ditch the shield and incorporate a better monogram between the axes and you have a solid brand.

4/10

 

 

San Diego Swell

Fail.

 

Professional Advice: Contact Matt Haines Sport immediately.

Score: 2/10

 

San Francisco Rush

A Golden State Warriors/ San Francisco Giants hybrid. Rugby ball looks last minute. Very generic.

 

Professional Advice: Consider a mining emblem or theme.

Score: 5/10

 

 

Toronto Wolfpack

Classy black and white. Strong iconography and line work. Clean bold font. This one is simple, effective and recognisable.

 

Professional Advice: Give your graphic designer a pay rise.

Score: 9/10

 

 

Washington D.C Cavalry

Colours are smart. Medieval design style is an interesting design choice, but hthe horse is a little too “clip-arty” to inspire any fear.

 

Professional Advice: Incorporate some white so the emblem is not so dark and improve visibility. Consider dropping “Washington” from the name. DC Cavalry is more marketable.

Score: 5/10