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Olivia Murphy On How Kukri Supports Women In Sport

As we continue to shine a light on the accomplishments of Women in sport this month, we recently sat down with ex-England Netball captain and Loughborough Lightning’s Olivia Murphy.

Now Assistant Coach and Head of Performance Support at Loughborough Lighting, Olivia Murphy enjoyed a stellar playing career with 95 caps across 15 years playing internationally for England and six years spent as senior captain.

As part of the wider elite sport franchises based at Loughborough University, Kukri continues to provide support for five time Grand finalists, Loughborough Lightning Netball, who were crowned Netball Super League champions in 2021 and continue to inspire and develop talent through their pathway.

It’s a special partnership. Kukri have been working with Lightning Netball over multiple seasons now. The beauty of the kit is that the Kukri team are always listening to feedback or ideas from our athletes and staff. We both want to be at the top of our game!

Murphy has also stressed the importance on the Kukri kit being accommodating for Netball players of all shapes and sizes to help facilitate their performance on the court.

Kukri have worked with us around fit and feel of the dresses and sizing in particular. The great thing about Netball is that it’s played by females of all shapes and sizes, and Kukri have fully embraced this challenge so all the athletes can feel amazing in their kit.

Kukri kit is long enough for our taller athletes, so they don’t have to worry about how it looks when they move and the fabric ensures that it’s breathable. Playing in packed arenas and on Sky Sports means look, feel and performance kit are hugely important.

I would recommend Kukri to anyone working with female athletes as the staff will listen and react, as well as research what’s important for their partners.

Kukri Sports have been a proud partner and Official Kit supplier of Loughborough University for over ten years, providing brand-new match apparel, training and leisurewear across the whole of Loughborough’s sporting provision.

To find out more about Loughborough Lightning, click here.

Learn About How Kukri Supports Women in Sport This Month

This month we are proud to launch our Women in Sport campaign to shine a light on the accomplishments of strong, powerful women on the track, in the fields and on the courts, pitches and gyms across the globe. Plus, we will be highlighting the support we offer to these inspirational women to help them achieve their goals.

Through collaborations with our partners, we will be highlighting the hard work and dedication of these inspiring women and the progress they continue to make across a variety of sports. We will be sharing their inspirational stories to motivate and encourage a new generation of female athletes who can now truly believe that anything is possible.

Activities will include interviews with key partners, including a live Instagram takeover with Northern Diamonds star, and leading wicket taker in Women’s County Championship Cricket, Katie Levick plus we are offering a 20% discount off all our Women’s Training & Leisurewear products throughout April.

At Kukri Sports, we are dedicated to breaking down gender barriers in the sporting world and providing contemporary and stylish designs which empower women to feel proud to engage in sporting activities at every level.

We are also committed to ensuring all women have access to sportswear that suits their individual needs, whatever the sport, whilst providing them with the opportunity to participate in sports safely and comfortably.

We offer a wide range of sizes and designs in our Women’s sportswear to promote inclusivity, comfort, and performance for a diverse customer base.

We work with many elite female athletes in their respective sports, including those at England Athletics, British Gymnastics and Severn Stars. We are also championing next generation talent by supporting England Athletics’ Youth Talent Programme with our Kukri Ambassadors scheme, which includes athletes such as Amy Thompson, Annabel Amadin, Grace Wall and Jess Bailey.

At Kukri we understand how important it is that women feel comfortable in what they are wearing when taking part in sporting activities. This is a key focus for the business when we are developing new products, and at the forefront of our minds when we are developing new products.

The features we incorporate into our designs ensure women are provided with the right comfort and support, whether it is the optimum fit or bespoke material properties, to perform at all levels of sport.” – Sarah Clark, Senior Product Developer at Kukri Sports.

Our close relationships with our partner’s make it particularly enjoyable to design and develop sportswear specifically for women as we understand just how important it is to the athletes.

It fills everyone within the business with great pride when we see our designs showcased in high profile global sporting competitions, such as the 2022 Commonwealth Games or the Netball Super League.” – Hayley Yates, Design Manager at Kukri Sports.

Kukri Sports is proud to be at the forefront of designing bespoke sportswear for women, whilst promoting inclusivity in the industry.

For more information on our 20% discount off all Women’s Training & Leisurewear products, please click here.

Kukri Sports Announce Their Greenest Hong Kong Sevens Yet

Kukri Sports has announced their most sustainable Hong Kong Sevens merchandise range to date, as the world’s premier rugby event, the Hong Kong Sevens returns on 31 March.

Kukri Sports who provide all the Official Merchandise for the event have produced three of the new replica shirts purely from recycled polyester, with all packaging and carrier bags across the full merchandise range also produced from recycled materials.

The fashion forward range of leisure wear and accessories includes T-shirts, hoodies, and polo shirts, as well as a full range of replica home and away shirts for men, women, and kids, enabling everyone to take home a piece of history from the 2023 event and build towards a more sustainable future.

Kukri Sports will operate a name and number printing booth for the first time in the Hong Kong Stadium, where fans can get their products personalised. As well as supplying the official Hong Kong Sevens merchandise range, Kukri Sports are also official suppliers to the Hong Kong Rugby Union teams across men’s, women, and national age grade teams.

The Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is one of the most popular sporting events in Asia and attracts some of the world’s top rugby players and thousands of fans from around the globe.

Clare Millington, General Manager – Asia at Kukri Sports said: “The Hong Kong Sevens event has always been special for Kukri Sports and this year is no different. Our global Product Design Team have made huge efforts in developing the sustainable apparel for the event and we can’t wait to see how it is received.

We have absolutely no doubt it will be another event to remember, and we are proud of our efforts in being able to produce these products for fans and athletes alike.

The online store is now live with merchandise available to purchase ahead of the tournament, or during the event itself from one of the stadium stalls.

The three-day event takes place from March 31 to April 2, with 16 teams competing on rugby’s greatest stage.

UCI Cycling World Championships Partnership

Kukri Sports are proud to announce our partnership with UCI Cycling World Championships, for the upcoming 2023 event in Glasgow.

Kukri are the official provider of workforce and volunteer clothing for the event, which will combine 13 existing UCI World Championships together into one mega event for the first time, making it one of the biggest sporting events on the planet.

For more information on the even visit www.cyclingworldchamps.com

It is fantastic to welcome Kukri Sports as our official provider of workforce and volunteer clothing for the 4,000 plus staff and volunteers working at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. With an exceptional reputation for supplying high quality sport and leisurewear clothing, we can be confident our staff and volunteers will be looking their best as Scotland welcomes athletes and spectators from around the world to the biggest cycling event in history this summer.” – Trudy Lindblade, CEO of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships.

We are extremely excited to be supporting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow and across Scotland this summer. It is such a huge event and the first of its kind in the cycling world. We take great pride in supporting the thousands of staff and volunteers who will be supporting such a monumental event.” – Josh Beal, Sales Director, Kukri Sports

If you are interested in partnering with Kukri Sports, or want to know how we can help with your kit requirements Get In Touch

Kukri Report Another Record Year for the Global Sports Brand

The sports brand has announced a record-breaking year, including successes with international sporting events and key partnership extensions.

Kukri Sports has announced significant global growth for their brand, after another hugely successful year in 2022. Sales figures rose significantly by a record 23%, whilst profits rose by 58%.

After adapting to the easing of pandemic restrictions around the world the business has sustained relationships with premium global sporting events, whilst a number of high-profile partnership announcements and extensions have taken place as the brand continues to be a leading provider for National Governing Bodies, education providers and sporting clubs across the world.

In 2022, Kukri continued to provide high-quality bespoke teamwear and leisure wear for the world stage, delivering an unprecedented service to partnered teams and athletes at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, with teams including Team England and Canada. They also continued their 17th year of sponsorship of the Hong Kong Sevens following its return in November.

As a global business Kukri also experienced exponential growth in various regions, including the Middle East, Ireland and North America, with an increase in custom-made teamwear orders from teams in the regions and an increased demand for their apparel online. To further solidify their presence, Kukri signed multiple sponsorship deals, including an extension with one of their longest serving clients, Dubai College, and a 3-year partnership with Cougar Volley as their official kit supplier.

Additionally, the sports brand also signed and extended agreements with a host of other partners such as Loughborough University, Welsh Gymnastics, British Wrestling, England Lacrosse, British Wheelchair Basketball, Rugby School and a number of other well renowned educational institutions.

Last year, the brand’s initiative to reduce their environmental effect while also caring for individuals who create and wear their products throughout the world, continued to excel.

Andrew Ronnie, Group Chief Executive at Kukri Sports, said: “This year has once again seen an exponential rise in sales numbers while we have also continued to ensure we are delivering excellent levels of customer service and satisfaction, despite some of the most challenging trading times.

Another focus for us has been our ambition to continue to improve our products and develop our sustainability ambitions, giving our partners across the world the choice of a more environmentally friendly kit provision – something you will see at our events this year.

The year ahead promises to be no less of a success for us and we have some exciting events to look forward to, including the bi-centential celebrations with our partner Rugby School amongst others. We continue to put a huge focus on supporting athletes across the board – be that youth, female, or male athletes.”

England Lacrosse Partnership Extension

Kukri Sports are excited to announce an extension to our successful partnership with England Lacrosse, until 2027.

England Lacrosse are the National Governing Body for the sport in England. As part of the deal Kukri will continue as the official kit supplier and will provide sponsorship as well as bespoke playing and training wear for all England national squads, academies and staff.

“England Lacrosse (EL) are delighted to re-sign with Kukri as our official kit supplier across all major EL properties. Kukri have proved to be a committed, reliable and dynamic partner since we first signed with them in 2018.

Kukri are continually working to refine and redesign their lacrosse products, delivering sport specific performance sportswear to our athletes. 

Kurki will also partner The Fly, Europe’s first ever national 6s lacrosse league.

We look forward to working with Kukri over the coming years.” – Caroline Royle, Marketing Manager, England Lacrosse.

“Everyone at Kukri is delighted to extend our long-term partnership with England Lacrosse. The partnership, starting in 2018 and with the extension, takes us through to 2027. The long-term nature of the partnership means that we can develop products specifically around England Lacrosse, which in turn can be uniquely designed for optimum performance of the teams. It is exciting to work directly with the England Lacrosse players, producing new lacrosse sportswear.

The partnership extension will also see us develop further merchandise ranges for England Lacrosse supporters, as well as working with The Fly tournament to produce all kit alongside specific fan ranges.

It is an exciting time for both organisations and we can’t wait to grow the lacrosse offering across the country further!”Josh Beal, Sales Director, Kukri Sports

Kukri Sports are a global sportswear supplier, offering superior quality bespoke garments, across multiple sports, from grassroots to elite level.

To find out how we can support your sportswear needs Contact Us

THE GOAL IS TO BECOME A WORLD CHAMPION

As he approaches his first year as a professional boxer, Kukri Sports sat down with sporting ambassador Kieran Molloy to look back on his career so far, from his incredible amateur career to signing with the sports brand, and his ambitions for the future.

“I only spoke to my girlfriend about it last week,” Kieran Molloy says, astonished, when asked if he realises the enormity of what he has accomplished since going pro earlier this year.

“We were on the way back to the airport to come back to England, and I was just sitting there and thought to myself if you told me this three years ago that I was going to sign as a professional, having Kukri Sports as a kit sponsor and training in England with a world class coach, I would be so happy.”

For Molloy, becoming a professional boxer has been his dream since he was five years old. He followed his two brothers, Connor and Stephen, to the local Boxing club in Galway and, as he puts it, has “never looked back since.”

The Irish boxer rose to prominence in the amateur scene with 202 wins in 221 fights, including 11x National Champion, 3x Irish Elite Champion, EU bronze medallist, as well as a Youth European and World medallist, all by the age of 23.

“I started having my first few fights when I was 9,” said Molloy. “Every guy that I would spar at my own age, I was far too advanced for them.

“Then I started sparring with kids three or four years older and I would hold my own against them. So we travelled around the country for sparring matches and I started winning national titles, so it was all good for my confidence.”

But there is one moment that stands out for him the most: winning his first league title. “To have my grandad there, who sadly passed away last year, and the people who were with me from the start, who supported me, it was just class to have everyone with me on the night.”

After making the decision to turn over to the pro ranks nine months ago, Molloy was signed by one of the best promotional companies in the business. His link up with world-class coach Angel Fernandez has seen him go from strength to strength, with three professional wins under his belt so far. However, his life has changed in more ways than one, in and out of the ring.

“I have to do a lot by myself now. I live by myself which has been a big change. On the weekends I have to stay disciplined and recover properly so I’m fresh for training on Monday. Even if I’m just going out visiting people, it still makes you tired when Monday comes, so I’ve been trying to get as much out of training as possible and my recovery, as well.

“I’m training extremely hard. I think I’ve upped my work ethic again since I’ve turned pro. I’m studying a lot about boxing this year, compared to before when training was done I would just forget about boxing for the rest of the day.

“Most days now, I’m going back and writing down what worked well. I’m studying, always, just to try and improve.”

When the subject turns to Kukri Sports, it is evident how much the support means to Molloy. The sports brand partnered with him ahead of his pro debut and now supply him with sportswear for his bouts, something the young boxer is grateful for, and believes has had a significant impact on his confidence in the squared circle.

“We’re on an exciting journey together,” Molloy gleamed. “I have a three-year goal for myself to become a world champion and to top that with the support from Kukri Sports, it’s amazing.

“They’re great at keeping contact and always have me kitted out properly for training, with not just me but my whole team. It’s good to look slick as a team together, going to weigh-ins or press conferences. They’re great people to work with.”

Molloy’s commitment and knowledge of the sport in which he operates is compelling, and with his fourth pro-bout scheduled for next month in Belfast, he is determined to keep his unbeaten record.

“I fought in Belfast in August in front of 11,000 people in a massive stadium with a great atmosphere. There’s always a good atmosphere in Belfast for fight nights.

“We’re looking to move to 4-0 that night so I’m looking forward to it. We’re in a heavy faze of camp at the moment so by the time fight night comes, we will be well prepared.”

Despite being heavily focused on his next fight, Molloy does have a long term vision. His approach has always been that he is better than his opponents and feels he can reach the pinnacle of the sport, but he remains humble and is determined for his performances to speak for themselves

“I’ve got a lot of dreams in my head, and I don’t want to share all of them, but the ultimate goal is to make sure I become a world champion”. Molloy’s boxing journey is not one to be missed.

10-YEAR CONTRACT WITH RUGBY SCHOOL

Kukri Sports are proud to announce a new 10-year partnership extension with Rugby School, which will run until 2033.

The deal reconfirms Kukri as Rugby School’s official sportswear provider, offering a full range of bespoke sportswear for staff and pupils, both on and off field.

Located in Warwickshire, England, Rugby School are one of the most prestigious education establishments in the world and is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain (founded in 1567). To learn more about Rugby School visit www.rugbyschool.co.uk

“We are pleased to be extending our relationship with Kukri Sports. Rugby School has created a functional and inclusive range of sports kit with the help and support of Kukri – students and staff all look and feel part of our sports teams. We take great pride in our ‘nobody on the bench’ approach and this kit embodies our ‘whole person whole point’ ethos. We are delighted to be associated with Kukri, a leading brand in the sportswear industry as demonstrated by their appointment as this year’s Commonwealth Games kit supplier for Team England.” – Debbie Skene, Rugby School.

“We are very proud to be extending our partnership with Rugby School, a powerhouse in school sports with enormous heritage. The school’s history speaks for itself, being the home of Rugby, but the school’s modern sports offering has unbelievable breadth and depth, this year showcasing 57 teams, playing 8 different sports, with over 550 pupils playing a competitive game on a single day. The partnership extension allows for us to plan for the pupils and parents of tomorrow, developing school sportswear specifically for the school and its pupils. We aim to deliver continuity and consistency but continually adapt to the next school’s sportswear offering.” – Josh Beal, Sales Director at Kukri Sports.

2023 – Rugby’s 200th anniversary at the game’s historic birthplace – Rugby School

Celebrations will take place throughout 2023 at Rugby School to celebrate the bicentennial of the game of Rugby itself.

Rugby School is the home of the sport, which was first played on the school pitch back in 1823.

Find out more about the celebrations

If you are interested in partnering with Kukri Sports, or want to know how we can help, Get in touch