The Crusaders could ditch the sword-wielding knights from their match-day entertainment for their home game against the Brumbies Saturday week, Crusaders chief executive Colin Mansbridge said.
While no changes have been rubber-stamped, Mansbridge told Stuff knights on horseback were "unlikely" to make an appearance for the Crusaders first home game since the Christchurch terrorist attack.
"For this particular game, given it's the first game since the terrorist attack, the horses are unlikely to be there. It's not unequivocal yet, but they're unlikely to be there and the game will reflect the occasion," he said.
The horses, which have featured since the team's inception in 1996, alongside the team name have come under fire since the March 15 mosque attack, with many people calling for a name and emblem change.
"We are getting a lot of feedback. You don't have to be too well connected to anything to see how much feedback we're getting," Mansbridge told Stuff.
Mansbridge wouldn't reveal any details for the delivery of their next home game, but it's understood they have multiple plans and he confirmed they would honour the victims of the attack.
While the horses are likely to be absent for their Brumbies clash, there's been no further decision if they will be ditched completely.
"This game will be different than our last game . . . what we're not sure about is going forward," Mansbridge said.
The Crusaders said they're open to a name change and it's understood they have already taken the first step in the consultation process. They have already began working through a draft process with New Zealand Rugby and their board, but have not yet consulted the Muslim community.
"We will probably be into that stage next week," Mansbridge said.
"We are working hard on it. We've started early engagement with various groups and we expect within the next short period - probably a week to 10 days - to be able to communicate a more broad process."
Last weekend, the Crusaders returned to the pitch for the first time since the shootings, and honoured the victims before kickoff, and donned white "united" armbands. They lost 20-12 to the Waratahs in Sydney, their first loss in more than a year.