Ireland Rugby Signs Canterbury Partnership

The Irish Rugby Football Union has signed a new six-year partnership with New Zealand-based clothing brand Canterbury to be the national team’s official kit supplier, replacing Puma, in a deal that will include the next two Rugby World Cups. 

The deal, which will officially begin from 1st September, is worth a reported €20million according to the Irish Times.

The news follows the announcement last January that Puma and the IRFU had agreed to cut short their eight-year contract as part of the brand’s exit from European rugby.

Canterbury had previously sponsored the national team until Puma took over ahead of the 2009/10 season, but is now set to return as the official kit supplier for all match day, training and bench wear for the men’s national squad as well as supplying kit to all the IRFU’s junior teams and the women’s national squad.

Chris Stephenson, Canterbury CEO, said of the deal: ‘In the IRFU we have found a partner with shared values, a shared heritage and a shared focus and ambition to succeed at the pinnacle of our disciplines. These mutual traits were paramount in our decision to join forces and share in what we believe will be a truly exciting journey for Irish Rugby, most particularly the supporters, and Canterbury through the next two Rugby World Cups.’

The IRFU will debut the new Canterbury kit in their autumn international against South Africa at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 8th November.

Pat Fitzgerald, the president of the IRFU, added: ‘I’d like to welcome Canterbury into the Irish rugby family as we journey towards the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Having the backing of the world’s top rugby apparel brand is testament to the strength of the Irish Rugby brand and reflects positively on the progressive steps being taken to ensure that we cement our position at the top of world rugby.’

Canterbury adds Ireland to a growing list of nations it supplies official kit for, including England, Russia, Spain, Japan and the USA.