First team captain Mike Blair welcomed the news that Rhino Rugby have become Edinburgh Rugby Club’s official teamwear supplier for the 2008/2009 season and says the players feel like winners in the new training kit.
Rhino Rugby, the leading rugby equipment manufacturer, announced today that it has secured the contract to become the official teamwear supplier to established Magners League and Heineken Cup club, Edinburgh Rugby. The deal comes hot on the heels of the recent announcement that Rhino had already agreed a similar contract with Guinness Premiership club Northampton Saints.
Under the terms of the deal, Rhino will supply Edinburgh with all official on-field playing kit for Magners League and Heineken Cup matches as well as an extensive training collection of tracksuits, bench coats and other off-field apparel which will be made available to the clubs supporters.
Scrum half Blair, recently named Edinburgh captain for the forthcoming season, welcomed the deal and revealed the squad were pleased with the new kit.
Blair said: “It is great news that Rhino Pure Rugby are now a part of the Edinburgh team. The players had an input in the design of the training kit and we are all really pleased with the results.
“It is important that rugby kit is both comfortable and durable and our kit ticks all of those boxes; plus it looks good which will hopefully win the approval of our supporters.”
Already highly regarded as the world’s number one supplier of rugby technical equipment and Official Suppliers to the British & Irish Lions Tour to South Africa in 2009, England Rugby, the Welsh Rugby Union and several professional clubs, the past twelve months has seen a great deal of activity and development of Rhino as a performance apparel brand.
Rhino’s experience and expertise in global product sourcing has been strengthened through a major licensing partnership with Tri Merchandise Limited who have supplied official merchandise to the three previous IRB Rugby World Cups. This has provided the perfect opportunity to offer an extended range of performance apparel, delivering superior quality, outstanding value and backed up with the highest levels of service and support.
Rhino Rugby underwent a management buy-in in late 2006 in which current England Team Manager Martin Johnson became a director and significant shareholder in the business. Johnson, who captained England to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, is the only person ever to captain two British & Irish Lions Tours - to South Africa in 1997 and Australia in 2001.
Before stepping down as a Rhino director to take up the role of England Team Manager from July 1, Martin Johnson CBE said: "Rhino sees its future very firmly as a playing kit and apparel, as well as a technical equipment brand, and the major deals with Edinburgh and Northampton are a clear indication of the seriousness of the company's intent in this respect."
Nic Cartwright, Edinburgh Rugby Club’s chief executive, said: “We are really pleased to have Rhino Pure Rugby on board. We feel that Rhino Pure Rugby is a brand that shares our ambition and enthusiasm to become a major player in the game.
“We are sure that our supporters will like the new-look Edinburgh kit.
“The kit looks stylish, practical and professional; the hallmark of any good rugby team.”
Reg Clark, Chief Executive of Rhino Rugby, commented: “This is a significant deal for Rhino and to be awarded Official Supplier status to a high profile club like Edinburgh is a strong endorsement of the Rhino brand and the quality of the new teamwear product range.
“This deal will help to consolidate Rhino’s already strong market position in a number of new core product areas and is indicative of our ambitions to build a market leading business, not just in the UK but internationally.”
Steve Chapman, Director of Rhino Pure Rugby: “We are delighted to announce our deal with Edinburgh Rugby so early in our teamwear business.
“By landing two top flight rugby union teams in two of the most competitive and high profile leagues in the world, we have proved that the intrinsic stature of the Rhino brand provides a great opportunity to offer clubs an extended product range which now includes a performance apparel collection befitting of a world class brand.”
