'We stand for our Muslim brothers & sisters': NZ's Crusaders mull name change after Christchurch

New Zealand rugby union side Canterbury Crusaders are said to be pondering a name change to distance themselves from violence against Muslims in the wake of the Christchurch shootings at two mosques in which 50 people were killed.

The name, adopted 23 years ago when rugby union in the country became a professional sport, is derived from the 'crusades', or medieval wars sanctioned by the Latin church to recover the Holy Land from Muslim rule.

The emblem of the club, the most successful club in Super Rugby, a competition which features teams from Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Japan, depicts a figure in crusader attire and brandishing a sword next to the club name.

In response to last Friday's attacks, which also saw 50 people injured when the shooter entered two Mosques on the east coast of New Zealand’s South Island and slaughtered Muslims attending prayer, “heartbroken” Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge said the attack is “bigger than rugby” and claimed the club stood for “support of our Muslim brothers and sisters”.

Mansbridge said in a statement: “In terms of the Crusaders name, we understand the concerns that have been raised. For us, the Crusaders name is a reflection of the crusading spirit of this community. What we stand for is the opposite of what happened in Christchurch on Friday; our crusade is one for peace, unity, inclusiveness and community spirit.

“In our view, this is a conversation that we should have and we are taking on board all of the feedback that we are receiving, however, we also believe that the time for that is not right now. Emotions are very raw and real at the moment.

“There is the need for this community to wrap our support around those who are most affected by Friday’s events, and that is the immediate focus for the Crusaders team. At an appropriate time, we will thoroughly consider the issues that have been raised and our response to that. That will include conversations with a range of people, including our Muslim community.”

New Zealand Sports Minister Grant Robertson echoed the need for debate on the matter, and on Tuesday said such conversations were appropriate, but that he would not voice his own opinion until dialogue with the local community had taken place.

"I'm aware of the conversations that they're now having with, in particular, the Muslim community in Christchurch,"Robertson said, Al-Jazeera reported. "The Crusaders is a well-established name and brand, but I think it is a responsible action to undertake those conversations now."