History repeats itself as England take on Wales in traditional jersey

Posted on Jan 6, 2010 in Rugby News

England and their shirt sponsor Nike are rolling back the years, with the squad taking on Wales in Twickenham’s Centenary Match on Saturday February 6 sporting a limited edition, traditional look jersey to commemorate a century since the two nations’ first encounter at HQ.

In the original match on January 15, 1910 England emerged the victors 11-6 and the pearl white shirt was inspired by the one worn by that winning team. The 2010 team will run out in the iconic jersey featuring authentic detailing and a stunning embroidered rose emulating that on the 1910 kit. Nike technology remains at the heart of the jersey with dri fit a feature and gripper patter on the chest to improve performance.

A replica shirt is available from today (January 5) together with a polo shirt, T shirt and limited edition centenary jacket. These are available at the Rugby Store at Twickenham Stadium and York Street, Twickenham and also online at rfu.direct.com.

Said Andy Ward, RFU Head of Retail, “This shirt celebrates 100 years of Twickenham Stadium and takes its inspiration from the shirt worn a century ago, whilst ensuring the players still have the performance they expect from a Nike shirt. The replica shirts are limited in supply and we expect there will be a big demand for them from England fans.”

England: hard and purple! New kit looks “lovely”

Posted on Oct 29, 2009 in Rugby News

England will play in purple for the first time when they pull on their change strip for the Investec Challenge Series against Argentina at Twickenham on November 14.

Nike’s new change kit for 2009/10 is launched today, drawing on inspiration from the iconic purple tracksuit jacket worn by England players in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s.

The RFU and Nike collaborated on the new design and the purple kit has been roundly applauded for the traditions it evokes.

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New England Home Kit

Posted on Sep 17, 2009 in Rugby News

Today sees the launch of England’s new home kit for the 2009/10 season with fans able to pre-order now before general release on October 1.

Produced by Nike, the lightest and most innovative playing jersey yet sees England return to a classic all-white playing strip with the shirt boasting an open neck collar and iconic embroidered rose.

The neck of the jersey carries the motto ‘RUGBEIA FLOREAT UBIQUE’ Latin for ‘RUGBY FLOURISHES EVERYWHERE’, plus a subtle print of the St George’s flag to capture the spirit of the England squad.

At 27% lighter than in previous seasons the new kit is designed to give the team every possible advantage on the pitch.

Tight fitting rugby apparel was introduced by Nike in 2003 in a bid to help reduce the opportunity to be tackled via the shirt, and this season sees further innovations to improve the fit. The ergonomically designed jersey, with underarm sleeve panels, gives players complete freedom of movement, optimised fit and comfort.

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