Team England has announced that Kukri Sports will be the nation’s official kit supplier for the third consecutive Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
As part of the deal, Kukri will produce kits for over 600 athletes and staff at Birmingham 2022 continuing its relationship that started at Glasgow’s 2014 Games.
Paul Blanchard, CEO of Commonwealth Games England, stated: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Kukri Sports again for Birmingham 2022. With a home Games, we know our kit has to be impactful and create a strong image of our Team England values but most importantly the athletes need to feel comfortable in what they perform in. The process we’ve been through with Kukri over the last two cycles has worked to refine our kit with a focus on performance and we will build on that to show off our best in Birmingham.
“It’s been incredible, given the unprecedented impact of Covid-19 that we have been able to engage with so many athletes in an innovative way and I would like to thank our partner Governing Bodies for their support in this process.”
Kukri and Team England also hosted a virtual athlete panel in which two athletes from representing National Governing Bodies were involved in the design process of the kit.
Moreover, the process, which was originally meant to be done face-to-face, saw athletes being sent a package consisting of a design book with blank sketch pages and coloured pencils which they filled in to be sent back to Kukri.
Commonwealth Games England’s president, Denise Lewis OBE, said: “It’s fantastic that athletes have agreed to give up their time and contribute to such an integral part of Team England’s identity.
“The look, feel and the general WOW factor of the team kit for our home Games in 2022 is so important. When it comes to kit, each sport has specific requirements and needs, therefore the functionality of the apparel produced has to be right. It’s also important that we look and feel like ‘One Team’.”
Team England’s new kit will be featured across all of the nation’s competing sports in the Commonwealth Games, encompassing 19 different sports, including eight para sports.
Chris Marshall, Director of Sales at Kukri Sports, concluded: “Our renewed partnership has been the culmination of a project undertaken after the Gold Coast Games in 2018. We have always been proud of our heritage in providing truly bespoke apparel, however in 2018 we knew we had to be innovative and bold in developing a new capability and product range to work with Team England again, as they prepare for Birmingham.”
