Macron has signed on as the Welsh Rugby Union’s official technical partner. The partnership comes after it was announced in April last year that the WRU and Under Armour would end their nine-year agreement four years early.
Under Armour’s deal has been set to run through 2024,
Macron, the Italian sportswear company, will supply the matchday kit as well as full training, travel and leisurewear, including accessories, to its senior men’s, women’s and pathway teams from October. Macron will further make an investment into Welsh rugby’s community game by providing £6 million worth of kits across the 300 community clubs throughout Wales over the duration of the deal.
The new Wales matchday kit will be worn for the first time against France in a warm-up match in Paris on October 24.
“We are proud to announce this prestigious agreement,” said Macron CEO Gianluca Pavanello. “The Welsh Rugby Union has a rich history in world rugby and is a Union that boasts incredible accolades – but, more importantly, plays a fundamental role in Welsh culture and society. Partnerships with the Scarlets and Cardiff Blues have given us an appreciation of the love that Welsh fans have for the sport. That same love and passion grow even stronger every time the national team enters the field. We at Macron will offer the Welsh Rugby Union our technical competence, creative ability and a bit of Italian flair to develop their match day kit, their clothing lines as well as a merchandising collection that will be unique to this great nation and one that we hope will capture the hearts of players and fans alike.”
“We have agreed a unique and progressive partnership with Macron to not only supply team and leisurewear to our national squad, but to also provide an invaluable offer to our community game in their second season with us and beyond,” said WRU CEO Steve Phillips. “Macron understands the importance of the community game in Wales and, together, we are determined to ensure that this end of the game also reaps the benefits of this new commercial alliance.
“Macron is a widely respected and highly regarded multi-sport kit manufacturer who are about to celebrate their 50th year in the business and already work with a host of top teams around the globe. From a base that includes Scottish Rugby and Italian rugby as well as the Scarlets and Cardiff Blues with a further three clubs in the Guinness Pro14 and three teams in the Top14 and English Premiership alike they are a company with pedigree looking to expand in world sport and we are very much looking forward to continuing our own growth alongside them over the next seven years.”
Phillips said of Under Armour: “Under Armour and Welsh rugby grew significantly together in the last 12 years and we would like to thank UA and their employees all around the world for all the support during a genuinely fantastic partnership. But now we look forward to an exciting new partnership with Macron, which comes with a huge amount of potential benefit for both the international and community game.”
Macron is the technical ruby sponsor of Italy, Scotland, Portugal, Canada and Germany, while at a club level in the UK the list includes: Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints, Glasgow Warriors, Edinburgh Rugby, and the Welsh teams Scarlets and Cardiff Blues. In France: Section Paloise, LOU Rugby, Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque. Macron is also the technical sponsor of the Guinness Pro14 referees.
