Umbro has revealed new England Rugby home kits to be worn by the England men’s and women’s teams for the 2021/22 season.
For the first time in the professional women’s game, a bespoke kit has been developed for the Red Roses. Made in collaboration with the team, the process took inspiration from the players’ ‘pride in the jersey, collective aspirations, and the personalities within the squad’.
Simon Massie-Taylor, RFU Chief Commercial Officer, commented: “We’re delighted to extend with Umbro for a further four years. Umbro is a great fit for England Rugby, sharing our dedication to high performance and innovation.
“It is great to see the kits unveiled today, particularly for the Red Roses with their own bespoke design. We look forward to working with Umbro on even more exciting kit launches over the coming years.”
The company was announced as the official technical kit partner to England Rugby in 2020, and has this week agreed an extension to its partnership with England Rugby until 2028.
The Daily Mail had previously reported that the original deal was worth around £5 million annually.
“The new England Rugby home kits, for the women’s and men’s teams are the next stage of the exciting partnership between Umbro and England Rugby,” noted Sam Lucas, Director of Sports Marketing at Umbro UK.
“Working with the Red Roses to develop their kit, we set out to produce a kit they can wear with pride. For the men’s kit we wanted to bring a new look to the iconic white shirt.
“In both cases, performance has been the foundation of the kit Umbro has produced that will match the level of both teams’ performances.”
The partnership aims to ‘give the players an identity’ in their sport, as Sara Bern, Red Roses player, explained that her team now have their voices heard in what they wear. She added: Umbro ensures a comfortable fit for playing which makes us feel valued and respected.”
Umbro’s further sports partnerships include kit supply deals with a number of football clubs, including West Ham United, Brentford and FC Schalke 04, to name a few.