Canterbury and England rugby have unveiled the new England home kit, which will be worn by the squad during all of the QBE internationals, as well as next year’s RBS 6 Nations.
The launch was held at Bruntcliffe School in Leeds, which was selected to host the event due to its participation in ‘All Schools’, the RFU’s programme to get more state secondary schools playing rugby.
Combining the heritage and traditions of England rugby dating back to 1871 with a modern design aesthetic, the new kit retains the classic colour combination of white shirts, white shorts and midnight blue socks.
Canterbury has introduced midnight blue detailing to the cuffs, with the iconic England rose on the chest completing a patriotic red, white and blue colour combination synonymous with England rugby.
Speaking about the launch of the new shirt, Canterbury CEO Chris Stephenson said: “Canterbury is passionate about the sport of rugby and the launch of the new kit reflects our joint commitment, along with the RFU, to supporting the game from grass roots to elite level and further emphasises the ‘England Is All’ message.
“The new shirt continues to honour the proud traditions of England rugby while featuring a new and contemporary design and is of course engineered to meet the rigours of the game at the elite level.
“We’re sure players and fans alike will be proud to wear it.”
Designed using the benefit of over 100 years of Canterbury rugby expertise, the shirt has been engineered by the company’s innovation team, who have worked closely with expert partners and rugby players to create a highly technical shirt built to withstand all the rigours of the modern game.
The ‘TEST’ edition of the shirt, which will be worn by the likes of Chris Robshaw and Geoff Parling, is produced using Canterbury’s high performance fabric, which delivers optimum strength and moisture management for a lightweight and comfortable feel.
The fabric also delivers stretch, allowing a tight fit to help players evade tackles without restricting movement, while the Canterbury signature loop 21 neckline and triple-bar tacks are configured to increase the strength of the shirt at the usual vulnerable areas, vastly reducing the risk of rips and tears.
The shirt’s ball deadening grip area gives a further nod to the heritage of England rugby through its arrangement as a series of tone on tone hooped stripes, subtly reflecting the red and white striped theme of Canterbury’s ‘alternate’ kit and ‘1871’ premium leisurewear collection.
For fans, the shirt is also available in a ‘PRO’ version, styled in the same way as the TEST edition, but with a looser fit, while a ‘CLASSIC’ edition will allow fans to get the look of the new shirt in a more traditional collared rugby style.
