Canterbury replaces Nike as English Rugby kit partner

Sportswear brand Canterbury will replace Nike as the kit partner of the England Rugby team in September, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) announced today.

Rugby specialists Canterbury, which was outbid for the England contract when Nike renewed its partnership four years ago, will supply kit to all England Rugby teams for the next four years through the Rugby World Cup in England in 2015.

Highlighted in the official press release, Canterbury will be paying more than Nike’s £4m per year agreement: “For the RFU it [the deal] represents the largest kit partnership in the Union’s history, allowing continued investment into all levels of the game.”

Frontloaded estimates Canterbury’s contribution will be around £5m per year.

It had been suggested Nike would dissociate from the RFU when its contract expires in August but Sophie Goldschmidt, chief commercial officer of the RFU, confirmed to Frontloaded on a conference call that Nike wanted to renew the partnership.

“We had very in depth discussions with Nike and they were keen to continue,” she said. “They have been a great partner to English rugby for over twenty years and I would like to thank them for their contribution. But we are now very pleased to continue with Canterbury.”

There had also been calls for the RFU to drop Nike as a supplier after the controversy around the quality of English shirts at the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Also speaking on the conference call, Canterbury CEO Chris Stephenson confirmed that a Canterbury rugby shirt has not ripped during a professional game since 1976.

Securing a new sponsor which is prepared to pay an increased premium represents good business for the RFU, and is the latest example of English Rugby making commercial progress despite troubled waters in the higher echelons of RFU governance and patchy performances on the field of play.

Last month the RFU announced a renewed deal with principal partner O2, which extended its association for a further four years, again paying an inflated premium. The RFU also unveiled GlaxoSmithKline as an official sponsor in January.

England will join Scotland, South Africa, Japan and USA on the list of national teams that Canterbury has kit partnerships with, as well as European club rugby sides London Wasps, Cardiff Blues, Glasgow Warriors and Leinster.