Bedford Blues is the professional rugby union club based in Bedford, England, founded in 1886. The club’s visual identity is built around a crest that incorporates the eagle and castle from the town of Bedford’s coat of arms, rendered in the club’s traditional colours of Oxford blue and Cambridge blue.
Design and History
In June 2000, Bedford Blues unveiled a new crest created by Bluegreen Design Consultants to reflect the club’s recent modernisation. The redesign followed a turbulent period in which the club was saved from relocation by a consortium of local businessmen and supporters in October 1999. The new identity was designed to respect the club’s heritage while signalling a fresh start. A spokesperson for Bluegreen explained: “The club is steeped in tradition, so it was important that we built upon some of the traditional elements of the club crest, namely the eagle, castle and club colours of both Oxford blue and Cambridge blue.” [1]
Bluegreen has remained the club’s brand and design partner for over 20 years, having designed the club logo, matchday programmes and the club’s website. [2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The eagle and castle elements in the Bedford Blues crest derive from the town of Bedford’s coat of arms. The town’s official blazon features an eagle displayed with wings inverted, ducally crowned and surmounted by a castle of three tiers. The castle on the eagle is taken from the oldest known seal of Bedford, dating from the 15th century. [3]
The club’s colours of dark and light blue are believed to reflect the association of Bedford schoolmasters with Oxford and Cambridge universities, whose colours are dark and light blue respectively. [4] The two blues have remained a consistent element of the club’s identity, appearing in both the crest and the team’s playing kit. [5]
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