Shorts: Definitely City, LTA, Irish Rugby
Manchester City and Puma have revealed a new ‘Definitely City’ fourth kit designed in collaboration with Noel Gallagher.
The release marks the 30th anniversary of Oasis’ iconic album Definitely Maybe and takes inspiration from its cover.
The new fourth kit will be worn by the Citizens in select European fixtures during the 2024/25 season.
The design incorporates bold elements that pay tribute to Definitely Maybe and the city of Manchester.
The special-edition jersey features a light straw base colour, bold blue side panels and sleeves, with poppy pink accents on the cuffs. A distinctive marine blue supersonic wave pattern runs through the jersey, a nod to the colour scheme of the Definitely Maybe album cover.
This kit is part of a larger Definitely City collection designed alongside Noel Gallagher, which includes a range of apparel such jackets, trousers, bomber jackets, and shirts.
The campaign video takes place in a room resembling the living room from the Definitely Maybe album cover, and features City stars Kyle Walker, Jess Park, Mateo Kovačić, and Ederson, as well as the team’s manager Pep Guardiola and Gallagher himself.
“I loved City before anything, I was into City before I was into music, I was into City before I knew what music was. Definitely Maybe is what set us on our way, the record lasting as long, you can’t predict that kind of thin,” Gallagher said.
“It’s a great working class, Mancunian record – it’s real.”
Marco Mueller, P’s Senior Head of Product Line Management Teamsport Apparel added, “The 24/25 Definitely City kit is not just a piece of sportswear; it’s a celebration of Manchester City’s ongoing journey and a tribute to a cultural phenomenon that resonates with fans around the world.”
The Definitely City kit will debut on 18th September, when City host Inter Milan at the Etihad Stadium in their first Champions League fixture of the season.
The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has revealed its new strategy for padel across the UK.
As part of its plan to make the sport more accessible over the next five years, the LTA is hoping to further drive participation up to 400,000 by the end of 2029.
The national body, which took over governance of the sport in 2020, is also hoping to increase the number of courts to 1,000 across the UK, and to expand the padel coach and activator workforce from 40 to 700.
The LTA is bidding to diversifying padel’s coaching workforce across the country by incorporating a performance pathway, while increasing visibility and driving participation in the sport.
Since 2020, the LTA and LTA Tennis Foundation have invested £6m into building 75 new padel courts across 40 facility projects.
Padel is widely considered to be one of the world’s fastest-growing sports. In the UK, the number of padel courts has seen a seven-fold increase since 2019, rising from 50 to 350.
Annual participation in the sport meanwhile has increased from just 6,000 to more than 129,000 players.
“The new strategy being unveiled today will help take padel in Britain to the next level,” said Tom Murray, Head of Padel at the LTA.
“The strategy and tactics that we’ve put in place will truly help to open padel up to many more people across the country, with more funding, facilities and coaches ensuring that the sport is accessible, welcoming, enjoyable and inspiring.”
Canterbury and the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) have revealed a special edition Ireland rugby kit to celebrate 150 years of rugby in Ireland.
This kit honours the rich history of Irish rugby, drawing inspiration from the iconic 1875 design. With its large white collar and bold crest, the shirt has a vintage style, blending Canterbury’s signature attention to detail with a nod to the sport’s storied past.
In celebration of the 150th anniversary test match between Ireland and the Wallaroos at Kingspan Stadium, 150 limited edition women’s jerseys will be released on 13th September.
A full release of men’s, women’s, and children’s shirts has been scheduled for 29th November, ahead of Ireland’s Anniversary Test match against Australia at Aviva Stadium on 30th November, with prices starting at £60.
The IRFU has been planning a year-long celebration, which will include a series of events throughout the 2024/25 season. The celebrations will conclude on 20th June 2025, when the British & Irish Lions face Argentina for the first time in Ireland at the Aviva Stadium.
Mick Collopy, Chair of the Commercial & Marketing Committee at IRFU said, “The IRFU 150th is a significant milestone in the story of Irish rugby and we are excited that the Women’s and Men’s international teams will wear this specially produced kit for our fixtures against Australia this autumn.
“The one-off kit beautifully marries the traditional with the modern and we believe that it will be a much sought-after kit for supporters in Ireland and across the world.”
Special Olympics Great Britain (GB) has partnered with sports travel management specialist CTM Sport to optimise its travel arrangements.
The two-year collaboration aims to enhance the travel experiences of athletes, staff, and volunteers as they participate in events both at home and abroad.
The partnership will kick off on 15th September, with CTM Sport overseeing travel for the cycling team competing in the Special Olympics at the UEC Road European Championship 2024 in Belgium.
Debbie Carling, CEO Europe at CTM said, “We have the size and scale to deliver cost effective and reliable travel programmes to sports organisations and their athletes. Most importantly, we understand the impact that an expertly managed travel programme can have on an athlete’s ability to perform, as a team or as an individual.”
AS Monaco have announced a new partnership with UK FinTech firm Ebury for the 2024-2025 season.
As part of this collaboration, which includes fintech partner designation, Ebury’s branding has been featured on the Ligue 1 club’s training kit throughout the season.
In addition to brand exposure, Ebury will also provide its expertise in international transactions to support AS Monaco’s operations.
Peter Brooks, Head of Sports at Ebury said, “It’s an extraordinary opportunity to be involved with a club that boasts such a rich history and has nurtured some of the greatest talents in the game.”
Thibaut Chatelard, Marketing & Revenue Director of AS Monaco added, “While Ebury has made transcending borders its leitmotiv, our Club has always cultivated its international openness. This partnership therefore makes sense.”
Stay up to date with the world of sports business by subscribing to the Sport Industry Daily.
