Knock-on effect

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By: Jeff James

Listed Under: Top Story

Published: Friday, October 21, 2011

This year’s Rugby World Cup looks set to boost sales of replica kit across Europe, with brands such as Canterbury, Nike, Puma, Kappa, KooGa, Under Armour and adidas hoping to benefit from what has been a declining market during the past few years.

Replica shirts generated close to £30 million worth of sales in the big five European countries in 2010 (Great Britain, France, Germany, Spain and Italy), a figure that’s been on the slide since 2008. Nearly three out of four replica shirts were sold in Great Britain, making it by far the biggest European market ahead of France.

CONTROVERSIAL
adidas’ controversial pricing of the All Blacks shirt in New Zealand might increase online sales of the jersey in Great Britain, after fans discovered it was cheaper to purchase it from a UK or US-based e-retailer and have it shipped to them, instead of buying locally.

England’s black away kit, unveiled before the Rugby World Cup, launched the battle between adidas and Nike. The strip looks similar to New Zealand’s iconic 127-year-old All Blacks jersey, and although it has generated anger among All Blacks’ fans, it could turn out to be a clever marketing ploy by Nike.

Four years ago the Rugby World Cup - hosted by France, with Wales and Scotland staging some of the games - saw England reach the final, a feat that significantly impacted replica sales.

According to NPD’s Online Consumer Panel, £9 million was spent on the England shirt in the 12 months following the tournament, while total sales of the French equivalent (the team reached the semi-finals of the tournament) topped £7 million. Defeated in the quarter-finals by the unpredictable French, the All Blacks shirt was the third most popular purchase during the period. Buying patterns show that the further teams went in the tournament the more replica product was sold.

NON-REPLICA
When it comes to rugby, non-replica shirts represent a lucrative market. Looking at Great Britain alone, NPD estimates that among the 1.2 million rugby shirts sold in 2010, nearly 50 per cent of them were non-replica.

One of the main drivers of non-replica sales is price, as in 2010 consumers were able to save an average £9 on each purchase, compared to replica. Cotton Traders, a company that supplies kits to clubs in the Aviva Premiership, registered significant sales of non-replicas shirts, which tend to be more colourful and extravagant.

England’s excellent recent record on the world stage partly explains why the Aviva Premiership is the third best attended club competition in England behind football’s Premier League and Championship. During the 2010-11 season the average attendance in the Aviva Premiership was 13,003, compared to 17,457 in the Championship.

750,000 people were on the streets of London to welcome the England team after their World Cup victory in Australia in 2003, which shows the passion and enthusiasm for rugby in Great Britain.

New Zealand is currently under pressure to put on a successful Rugby World Cup, but in 2015 the focus switches to these shores, with England the hosts, having fought off rival bids from South Africa and Italy.

The NPD Group monitors the sales of sports footwear and apparel in many countries around the world. For more information contact The NPD Group sports team on 01932 355580.