Wallabies players are considering taking a knee during the national anthem before the third Bledisloe Cup test to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
On Wednesday, the Wallabies revealed their new indigenous-design jersey, which will be worn during the October 31 test against the All Blacks at ANZ Stadium, and utility Dane Haylett-Petty says it would be the perfect time to join the movement that has gripped the world.
Athletes around the globe have knelt - including teams in the NBA and English Premier League - before games, after the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis in May.
The protest against racial injustice was popularised by former NFL star Colin Kaepernick in 2016 and met with criticism until Floyd's death.
If the Wallabies kneel before the third test, they'd become the first Australian team to observe the protest.
"It's great that sport has an amazing opportunity to have a say and join conversations," says Haylett-Petty. "A lot of sports have done that and it would be a great thing for us to do.
"I obviously can't speak for everyone, but definitely I think it'd be a great show of support. I think that's probably a discussion to have as a group and we'd consider it."
The new jersey, designed by indigenous Sydney artist Dennis Golding, pays tribute to the 14 indigenous Australians who have played test rugby for the Wallabies - including Wendell Sailor and most recently Kurtley Beale.
The current Wallabies squad contains no indigenous players, but Haylett-Petty says new coach Dave Rennie has helped bring the squad closer together by embracing different cultures.
Rennie is a Kiwi of Cook Islands heritage, while players of Fijian, Tongan and South African heritage also feature in the Wallabies squad.
"We've got a very diverse group," says Haylett-Petty. "That's a strength of ours, being able to represent all Australians, especially first-nation peoples, by wearing this shirt.
"We need more Kurtley Beales and hopefully by wearing this jersey, it will inspire more indigenous kids to aspire to wear the Wallabies shirt in future.
"So many talented athletes, we see them dominating AFL and NRL... I think it would be great to see more and more come through and wearing Wallabies jerseys."
The Wallabies trail their Bledisloe Cup series, after Sunday's 27-7 defeat to the All Blacks. The two sides played out a 16-16 draw in the series opener.
Join us on October 31 for live updates of the third All Blacks v Wallabies Bledisloe test
