Taking another definitive step toward becoming a fully homegrown football institution, six-time Singapore Premier League (SPL) champions Albirex Niigata Singapore announced on November 27 that they will officially rebrand as Albirex Jurong beginning in 2026.
The transformation will begin on January 1, when the club’s youth and women’s teams adopt the new name and crest. The men’s first team—currently competing in the 2025/26 SPL season—will follow suit on July 1. The announcement was made by chairman Daisuke Korenaga during a press conference at the club’s Jurong East Stadium office.
The move also marks the long-awaited return of the Jurong identity to Singapore’s top-flight football landscape, more than two decades after Jurong FC folded in 2003.
Korenaga emphasised that the decision was made with thoughtful deliberation.
“Since our inception in 2004, we’ve grown hand-in-hand with the Jurong community,” he said, as quoted by The Straits Times. “The 2026 season will be our 23rd year, and throughout this journey we’ve strengthened our ties through initiatives such as the Yuhua Albirex Football Academy and the Prosperity Rice Distribution for Seniors.”
He added that the rebrand is intended not as a superficial change, but as a renewed commitment to the club’s community-first mission.
“With this new identity, we want to deepen our involvement, broaden our collaborations with Jurong residents and local authorities, and embed ourselves as part of the region’s social fabric. Our vision is simple: to be as essential to the community as water, electricity, gas—and Albirex.”
In the immediate term, Albirex Jurong will focus on partnerships in football development, sports participation, and health promotion. Over time, Korenaga said, the club hopes to work hand-in-hand with residents to address broader social challenges facing Jurong.
From their early days as an all-Japanese invited side—an overseas satellite of J.League club Albirex Niigata—the White Swans played a pivotal role in raising the professional standards of Singapore’s football scene. Their trademark discipline, strong organisational culture, and recruitment of young, ambitious talent set them apart in both the S.League and the SPL.
Localization began in earnest in 2018 with the signings of Adam Swandi and Shahul Rayyan, the first Singaporeans to don Albirex colours. This shift expanded with the launch of local Under-15 and Under-17 teams in 2019 and 2020.
Their transformation accelerated during the 2024–25 season, when Albirex became a fully local club, adhering to domestic regulations—including the foreign player quota—while simultaneously positioning themselves for future AFC competition eligibility.
The benefits of this shift are already evident: in September, the women’s team captured their first Women’s Premier League title and secured a place in the AFC Women’s Champions League preliminary stages.
Albirex vice-chairman Koh Mui Tee reiterated the club’s ambition to grow its fan base and deepen its Jurong roots through grassroots programmes, school outreach, and improved match-day experiences.
“It’s a two-way relationship,” Koh said. “We must show genuine care for the Jurong community before expecting support in return. With commitment and sincerity, we believe more residents will embrace our football. And when that happens, the players will certainly feel it—they’ll run harder, fight more, and play better.”
The club’s new emblem reflects its evolving identity: a modern, simplified crest featuring a blue circle with clean white lettering wrapped around a stylised orange swan, symbolising Albirex’s renewed grounding in Jurong.
For their supporters, the rebrand feels like a natural progression rather than a radical shift.
Swan Army fan club founder Amir Hamizan, 28, said the change has been years in the making.
“People in Jurong already know Albirex. The club has become a point of pride for the west,” he said. “Kids here who dream of playing professionally now have a pathway because of them.
“The new logo is great—cleaner, more modern. Big clubs everywhere are simplifying their crests. This one fits the times, and it’s something the kids can easily draw and connect with.”
Despite their transition into a fully Singaporean club, Albirex will continue carrying the legacy of their Niigata origins. Beyond the swan motif, they will retain their signature orange, white, and blue colours—an enduring link to their past as they step boldly into a new era.