EXCLUSIVE
Rebel has withdrawn Kangaroos rugby league jerseys from sale after killer Joel Cauchi wore one of the green and gold jerseys during his stabbing attack at Westfield Bondi Junction in Sydney.
Ghostly images of Cauchi stalking shoppers in the Australian national team rugby shirt began circulating in the aftermath of the April 13 attack and have been widely published in the weeks following the massacre.
Rebel has an outlet on the fifth floor of the Bondi Junction shopping centre, on the same side of the shopping center where five women and one man were murdered by Cauchi.
A Rebel spokesperson confirmed Monday that sales of Kangaroos clothing in that store and all online sales had been temporarily halted, but the company declined to comment further.
Daily Mail Australia understands the decision to withdraw the jerseys was made shortly after the Bondi Junction attack, in recognition of what had happened.
Clicking on the Kangaroos section of Rebel’s online selection of NRL fan merchandise will take customers to the message: ‘Sorry, no products were found for your search’.
Rebel has withdrawn Kangaroos rugby league jerseys from sale, like the one worn by killer Joel Cauchi during his stabbing at Westfield Bondi Junction
Daily Mail Australia understands the decision to withdraw the jerseys was made shortly after the Bondi Junction attack, in recognition of what had happened
In December, the Rebels website advertised a range of 13 Kangaroos products, from jumpers to training shirts, vests and shorts.
Originally from Queensland, Cauchi was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 17 and has had trouble sleeping since moving to Sydney.
He was shot dead by the first police officer on the scene, Inspector Amy Scott, after heroic members of the public tried to restrain him and shop staff locked customers in their stores.
The dead were: new mother Ashlee Good, 28, bride-to-be Dawn Singleton, 25, architect Jade Young, 47, security guard Faraz Tahir, 30, artist Pikria Darchia, 55, and economics student Yixuan Cheng, 27.
A dozen others were seriously injured in the attack, including Ms Good’s nine-month-old daughter.
A photo taken after the massacre showed Inspector Scott crouching over Cauchi and calling for help as he lay dead on the ground.
Westfield Bondi Junction reopened to shoppers on April 19, after management offered those affected the chance to walk through the complex a day earlier.
Images of Cauchi stalking shoppers in an Australian rugby league jersey began circulating in the aftermath of the April 13 attack and have been published around the world
A Rebel spokesperson confirmed Monday that sales of Kangaroos clothing in that store and all online sales had been temporarily halted, but the company declined to comment further.
Obviously it would have been impractical to remove every piece of Kangaroos gear from all Rebel stores nationwide, but many stores outside Bondi Junction did not sell the jerseys.
Visits and phone calls to several of Rebel’s 160 stores asking about the availability of the sweaters last week led to varying responses.
An employee at the store in King Street, Sydney, said there were no Kangaroos jerseys in stock and she wasn’t expecting one to arrive for a ‘moment’.
“They sell out very quickly,” she said, before recommending Mick Simmons Sport around the corner in George Street as the best place to buy one.
Mick Simmons had the jerseys in stock, but they were not available at the nearby Rebel store in the MidCity Shopping Center on Pitt Street.
An employee there initially said Kangaroos jerseys should be displayed alongside other rugby league merchandise and then, after consulting a colleague, said ‘we don’t usually get a lot of stuff from the national team’.
Clicking on the Kangaroos section of Rebel’s online selection of NRL fan merchandise will take customers to the message: ‘Sorry, no products were found for your search’
Stores in Randwick, Eastgardens and on Broadway were out of Kangaroos jerseys and staff there gave several reasons for their absence, including an outlet not stocking any licensed merchandise.
Before Rebel confirmed sales had been halted, the managing director of Classic Sportswear – which produces the Kangaroos kit – said he was not aware of any supplier pulling jerseys from the racks.
“We have not yet had any retailers inform us that they have stopped selling the Kangaroos range,” Michael McDonald told Daily Mail Australia.
Classic Sportswear has an exclusive partnership with the NRL to supply clothing for the Kangaroos, Jillaroos, Prime Ministers XIII, Indigenous All Stars, Maori All Stars and Junior Kangaroos.
Mr McDonald said the last major delivery of Kangaroos products to retailers took place ahead of international competitions in October.
Westfield Bondi Junction reopened to shoppers on April 19, after management offered those affected the chance to walk through the complex a day earlier
“The new 2024 Kangaroos range will not be available at retailers until later this year, around September,” he said.
“If there are retailers not offering Kangaroos products for sale, it is likely because they are currently out of stock.”
NRL sources were also unaware of a retailer ceasing sales of Kangaroos equipment.
The jerseys were still available from nrlshop.com and other retailers including Peter Wynn’s Score at Parramatta.
Rebel was founded in 1985 in Bankstown, south-west Sydney, and describes itself as ‘Australia’s largest sports retailer with the widest range and best global brands’.
It is owned by Super Retail Group, which also includes BCF, Macpac and Supercheap Auto.