Sacramento, Calif – Republic FC will debut a new alternate kit for the 2022 season on Saturday night. The City of Trees kit pays homage to an icon that welcomed visitors to the Capital City, as well as the urban forest that is an element of the character of the region. The kit is the fifth alternate jersey in club history, with each connecting back to the legend and lore of the city and team. With an estimated 7 million trees throughout the region, Sacramento’s urban forest is one of the largest in the world. The tree canopy of the region has shaped our civic identity throughout the history of Sacramento.
With the launch of the City of Trees Kit, Republic FC and Save Our Water are partnering to emphasize the importance of saving water– especially as the state is experiencing a severe drought, and encourage soccer fans and beyond to do their part. A core element of the partnership will include highlighting helpful ways the community can care for trees and support the region’s urban forest during the drought. Beginning with Saturday’s match and the six additional matches Republic FC will wear the City of Trees kit, the two organizations are working to create public service announcements, informational campaigns, and more to help encourage water conservation efforts.
Inspired by the welcoming green City of Trees slogan that adorned the Freeport Water Tower next to Interstate 5, the kit design features green wood-grain pattern across a black background symbolic of the shade from Sacramento’s dense tree canopy and urban forest. The wood grain pattern ebbing and flowing is emblematic of how a tree’s trunk adapts over time, growing year-over-year and through adversity, becoming stronger – much like the indomitable spirit of the region.
The City of Trees links the city’s slogan with the colors of Republic FC’s crest. Above the player’s name, the City of Trees is marked by Sacramento’s coordinates on a map 38.5816 N / 121.4944 W. The Nike VaporKnit kit in bold black reflects the “Welcome to Sacramento” from the water tower and a textured fabric reaching from the shoulders to the waist is emblematic of the cover of Sacramento’s tree canopy.
A limited-edition apparel capsule complements the kit launch with items that utilize elements from the kit’s design and reflect the slogan. A vintage t-shirt and classic corduroy hat flashback to the era when “City of Trees” welcomed visitors along I-5. To complete the capsule, the club has also created a scarf, flag, and wood-grain bottle opener. All of the items are available at Shop.SacRepublicFC.com.
Throughout the season, Republic FC will highlight the Sacramento Tree Foundation to share how the community can create an urban forest canopy that benefits every neighborhood. The Sacramento Tree Foundation will be present at each match the jersey is worn to share how residents can be part of stewarding the urban forest from seed to slab by signing up for free shade trees in partnership with SMUD, learning how to water and care for trees, or repurposing salvaged urban wood for DIYprojects. At the end of the season, SRFC and Sacramento Tree Foundation will team up in South Sacramento to plant native trees at a refurbished futsal court to promote canopy equity.
On Saturday night, the club will wear the City of Trees kit for the first of 7 matches this season. The Indomitable Club will face off against LA Galaxy II at Heart Health Park at 8:00 p.m. Tickets are available at SacRepublicFC.com/single-match-tickets. The match will be broadcast on FOX40 and Antenna TV 40.2 in English and Spanish – as well as online at FOX40.com, the FOX40 News mobile app and streaming on ESPN+.
