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Exeter scrap Native American branding

Ken MaguireAP
Exeter Chiefs (in black shirts) are rebranding to get away from offensive Native American imagery.
Camera IconExeter Chiefs (in black shirts) are rebranding to get away from offensive Native American imagery. Credit: AP

A leading English rugby club has joined the ranks of professional sports teams rebranding themselves to break away from offensive Native American imagery.

Exeter Chiefs are keeping their nickname - inspired by the region's Celtic history - but are replacing their logo after critics complained that head-dresses and "tomahawk chop" chants were dehumanising.

The rebranding is the result of a public campaign that picked up steam amid wider social justice efforts such as the Black Lives Matter movement that has featured the toppling of statues and renaming of schools.

"We decided the time is right to move on and change," club chairman and CEO Tony Rowe said in an announcement on Thursday.

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"We've listened. We've taken on board everything that people said."

Exeter have risen to prominence over the past decade, winning the top domestic and European titles in 2020.

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That's around the time a group of supporters intensified efforts to change the branding, citing also the use of names like "Wigwam" and "Mohawk" at stalls and bars at the club's Sandy Park stadium.

Exeter Chiefs for Change said its "faith in the club has been restored" with the rebranding, which will take effect in July.

The move follows the Washington NFL franchise dropping their name and cartoonish Chief Wahoo logo in 2020 after decades of criticism.

Others, though, have resisted change, with then-President Donald Trump joining Atlanta Braves fans in doing the "tomahawk chop" at a World Series game in 2021.

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