Canterbury new kit supplier of England Rugby

Thanks to our friends at Sport Business for providing the following post.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU), the governing body of rugby union in England, has recruited sportswear company Canterbury as its new official kit partner in a four-year deal.

Canterbury, now based in Manchester, will replace long-term RFU partner Nike in September 2012 in an agreement that will run until beyond the conclusion of the 2015 Rugby World Cup, which will take place in England. Nike’s partnership with the RFU began in 1997.

Canterbury already has a bulging portfolio of national rugby union partnerships in place. The company currently supplies kit to leading rugby nations such as South Africa and Scotland, as well as a host of other smaller national teams and club sides across the globe. Under the terms of the contract, Canterbury will supply kit to the England Senior, Saxons, Sevens, Women’s and age grade representative teams.

Although financial details were not disclosed, the RFU stated that the deal represents the “largest kit partnership in the union’s history, allowing continued investment into all levels of the game which is at the heart of the strategic focus for both organisations”. The previous deal with Nike was reported to be worth £4 million per year and the new deal is believed to be worth somewhere in the region of £5 million per year.

“The partnership with the Rugby Football Union is the perfect combination of two brands steeped in rugby history that rugby fans know and respect,” Canterbury CEO Chris Stephenson said. “We are excited at the prospect of developing this relationship and enhancing the awareness of rugby to a wider audience with the aim of increasing participation levels. With over a century of experience in producing the highest quality playing apparel, designed specifically to maximise performance, we pride ourselves on producing the strongest, most technologically advanced kits available.”

RFU chief commercial officer Sophie Goldschmidt said: “We are delighted about this new partnership with Canterbury. The brand is recognised by players and fans alike and its heritage in rugby is unrivalled. The excellent quality of playing apparel Canterbury is famed for will also ensure the England teams have the best technical kit available to assist them on and off the pitch. This new exciting partnership will allow the Rugby Football Union to further invest in the game.”