High art, or high farce? You be the judge as the always colourful Stade Français club in Paris launches its latest rugby jersey on the world.

The trendy Parisian club has come up with a garish new design, launched to coincide with the start of this year's Heineken Cup competition, that is either brilliantly chic, or downright sick, depending on your point of view.

This year's design depicts the face of Parisienne 13th-century heroine Blanche de Castille, the wife of Louis VIII, in a multi-coloured design described by club publicists as "in the fashion of Andy Warhol".
Well, they're certainly getting their 15 minutes of fame, and then some.

The shirts made their debut in the weekend's 34-16 victory over Montauban that took the Ewen McKenzie-coached Stade Français eight points clear of Toulouse at the top of the French Top 14.
As usual, the latest designs under the always colourful ownership of the eccentric Max Guazzini have created plenty of chatter.

Some critics have described it as the worst rugby jersey in the game's history? Others love it.
One thing you have to give the club credit for, though, is consistency. Having started the trend with a fluorescent pink jersey that has become their signature look, they have continued to defy critics and fashionistas alike.

Last season saw a light brown number with turquoise stripes and pink flowers and was described by one critic as "reminiscent of an Hawaiian shirt fashioned from some 1970s caravan curtains".
There was also a pink, green and blue effort with tie-dyed blurred lines that drew unflattering appraisals.

Still, the club gets full marks for originality, and, who knows, maybe their persistence will finally see other rugby clubs join the trend.

(Dis-)honourable mentions:

The Welsh kit from autumn 2008. Its rumoured that 40 ex-coalmining canaries were killed to make each jersey
Stade Francais jersey from last season - not much better than their new one.

Source: Stuff (NZ)