Canterbury agreed to a four-year extension as the official kit partner with the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU). The renewal runs until 2028 and spans all national teams, including men’s, women’s, underage, and sevens. Canterbury will produce match-day and training wear for Irish teams and a range of gear for supporters.

Canterbury took over as kit partner from Puma in 2014. Since then, Ireland has won four men’s Six Nations titles, including two grand slams, one women’s Six Nations title and three grand slams for the U20s team.

Canterbury also extended its title sponsorship of the IRFU’s “Canterbury Give It A Try” program, a grassroots initiative that gives girls ages 8 through 14 the opportunity to learn how to play rugby safely. Since 2020, “over five thousand girls have participated in the Canterbury Give It A Try program.”

Simon Rowe, VP of global sports marketing at Pentland Brands, the London-based parent of Canterbury, said, “Our focus is on crafting world-class kits for teams, players and supporters. In the IRFU, we’ve discovered genuine partners, and this agreement reflects almost a quarter of a century of teamwork from grassroots to elite levels. At the international level, our partnership with the IRFU exemplifies our deliberate approach to collaboration, underscoring our commitment to selective partnerships and furthering our dedication to nurturing the sport at the grassroots and championing equity on the playing field.”

Padraig Power, chief commercial officer of the IRFU, said, “As Official Kit Partner to the IRFU since 2014, Canterbury shares our ambition to grow the game in Ireland. Canterbury’s consistency in producing unparalleled design and technically excellent kit continues to give our teams an edge on the field and our supporters great choice in leisure wear. We’re very excited to see our men’s team take to the pitch at Rugby World Cup and we are also looking forward to our women’s team participating in the inaugural WXV later in the year.”

In parallel with its partnership renewal, Canterbury and the IRFU have extended their arrangement with Intersport Elverys to be the official retail partner of the IRFU in the U.K. and Ireland and the exclusive operator of the official IRFU online store. Intersport Elverys has over 46 retail stores in Ireland.

Philip Staunton, director of buying Teamsports at Intersport Elverys, said, “As we come to the end of this World Cup cycle, we are excited by the plans of Canterbury and the IRFU for the next four years. It’s a tremendous honor to have the responsibility of kitting out Ireland supporters both in Ireland and around the world. We can trace our relationship with the IRFU back to the early 20th century through old match programs and our Suffolk Street store which is a special place for many Irish Rugby supporters who have memories of buying their first rugby jersey there. We’re proud of our past support and looking forward to our bright future working together.”

Photo courtesy AP