Author: garethloopdesignagency

19/10/202215/12/2022

Kukri Sports, the market’s leading bespoke teamwear provider, partnered with some of the competition’s top nations, including Team England.

Kukri Sports delivered an unprecedented service to partnered teams and athletes at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022 as the competition’s leading bespoke teamwear provider. 

The games were a major success not just for the participating teams, but also for Kukri, who partnered with Team England, Team Canada, Team Barbados, Team Guernsey, and Team Isle of Man, as well as supporting Northern Ireland Netball, Scottish Bowls, and Scottish Wrestling.

With innovations such as sustainable teamwear ranges, direct collaboration with athletes to create more focused sportswear, and overcoming logistical barriers imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the global sportswear brand hit various milestones in preparation for the competition. 

Josh Beal, Sales Director at Kukri Sports, said: “The Commonwealth Games is a flagship competition in international sport, and we are proud of the partnerships we have had at the Birmingham games this year.

“Whilst the business has partnered with teams in previous games, this year’s had some significant hurdles for us to overcome, due to the Covid pandemic. 

“Our projects started on 17^th March 2020, meaning a lot of work needed to be completed during; various lockdown’s, travel and freight restrictions plus ongoing social distancing – all of which meant the businesses needed to adapt.

“We held up to 90% of meetings virtually, whilst making sure our kits perfectly matched the partner requirements for over 2,500 athletes and staff and over 96,000 individual items of kit – across 19 different sports.

“Having these obstacles to overcome didn’t mean it affected the development and innovations in our offerings. For the first time we introduced a sustainable range of teamwear, made from recycled plastic bottles, whilst ensuring 100% of our packaging was both recycled and recyclable. 

“We also worked directly with Team England athletes to make sure that the bespoke kit they received had their direct input, on fit and fabric, but also crucially the design.

“Throughout the whole project our team provided over 10,000 man-hours and 100% of the kit requested was provided in time for the games – it was some achievement!”. 

Lou Pullan, Head of Kit Operations at Team England, said: “Over the past two and a half years, we have been working with Kukri to design and develop our most Athlete focused kit range ever. 

‘The time, care and attention to detail provided by Kukri across our Delegation and Competition wear has been outstanding and really showed in the final product range in terms of both functionality and design.

“Our kit design was heavily influenced by the city of Birmingham, the rich history, culture and architecture that it has become known for. The opportunity to celebrate the home games through the kit design really underpinned the project, we were delighted to return to the red and white and a design inspired by the St Georges flag.”

Watch our short documentary on the development of the Team England teamwear. 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.

14/10/202230/11/2022

Kukri Sports are delighted to announce our new 3 year partnership with Gresham’s School, who are a leading co-educational school, based in Norfolk, UK.

Founded in 1555, Gresham’s offer fully rounded education to boys and girls from the age of two, through to Sixth Form. The school was recently awarded an ‘Excellent’ rating across all nine categories in an Independent Schools Inspectorate visit. Find out more about Gresham’s School

As part of the partnership Kukri will provide a full range of bespoke school sportswear for both on and off field, for both staff and pupils.

“We made a decision to move to Kukri for school sportswear and team and staff kit early in 2022 based on the design and quality of kit.  We wanted kit to fit and wear well but also look smart and be something the pupils were proud of and pleased to wear.  Pricing needed also to be competitive.  After a challenging selection process, Kukri worked hard with the School to ensure orders were finalised to allow delivery of kit before the new academic year.  Demand for the sportswear was high, reflecting how much the pupils and parents valued it, so we are delighted with the way things have turned out.  Much credit has to go to our Regional Sales Manager, Ali Easton, and his team, particularly our Account Manager, Katie Maddock, to keep on top of detail and remain in close contact with the school during an extremely busy period and deliver great service.” Steven Willis, Bursar, Gresham’s School

“It’s a privilege to partner with Gresham’s. Sport is an integral part of education at the school and we’re proud to be supplying all core PE, First Team and Staff kit to them.  Having worked closely with the school over the past months, we’ve developed a range of designs that respect the heritage of the school whilst utilising the high-performance qualities of our most up-to-date garments.  We’re looking forward to continuing our engagement with Gresham’s as we grow our partnership further in the years to come.” Ali Easton, Regional Sales Manager

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

28/09/202204/10/2022

Kukri sports are delighted to announce a 4-year extension of our partnership with Welsh Gymnastics. As part of the deal Kukri will continue to provide bespoke leisure and podiumwear for all performance programmes, National Teams and squads.

Welsh Gymnastics is the governing body of gymnastics in Wales, responsible for the governance and development of gymnastics across the country. Their mission is ‘For Wales to be recognised as a leading gymnastics nation, producing world-class champions and creating vibrant, inclusive communities where every gymnast has a high-quality experience’. Find out more about Welsh Gymnastics

“It is brilliant to extend our partnership with Welsh Gymnastics. A long-standing partnership which will now extend to over a decade. It is an exciting time where we will be launching new ranges across the organisation, advancing the style, fit and performance of the kit range. We can’t wait to see all the gymnasts showcasing it!” – Josh Beal, Sales Director, Kukri Sports

“I am delighted that we have been able to renew our partnership with Kukri Sports for four more years. We have worked with Kukri for a number of years now and to continue alongside them is exciting; we want to continue to bring our brand to life and they are able to make this happen through designs and our teamwear.” – Victoria Ward, CEO, Welsh Gymnastics

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

13/09/202204/10/2022

Kukri Sports are proud to announce our new 5-year partnership with British Wrestling. As part of the deal Kukri will provide a full range of bespoke off mat sportswear for competitors and coaches, whilst offering support to grassroots clubs.

British Wrestling is the National Governing Body for wrestling in the UK, including the Olympic and Commonwealth styles of wrestling and other styles within the remit of United World Wrestling, as well as other indigenous forms of wrestling.

Find out more about British Wrestling

“I’m delighted with our new 5-year partnership with Kukri. After working with them as the Team England kit supplier for the past two Commonwealth Games the athletes have provided consistently strong feedback and working with a UK-based supplier means reduced costs and logistics for all. We’ve worked closely with Kukri’s design team to develop a British look that I’m sure will help to instil pride in all representatives across the talent and performance pathways.” – Craig Anthony, Chief Executive – British Wrestling

“We are delighted to partner with British Wrestling for the next 5 years. The performance and quality of the wrestling suits has gone down extremely well throughout Commonwealth Games and we are ecstatic to continue to supply the top wrestlers with Kukri singlets, a bespoke off mat range and support wrestling clubs around the country in this exciting partnership.” – 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

30/08/202204/10/2022

Kukri Sports are delighted to announce our 5-year partnership with Merchiston Castle, an all-boys school, who are one of the finest in Scotland.

The school has an enviable history, being founded in 1833 and boasts the world’s longest continuous annual rugby fixture in the world (Merchiston v Edinburgh Academy). Today the school continues to put high-quality learning and teaching at the centre of the boy’s experience.

Learn more about Merchiston Castle

As part of the deal Kukri will provide a full range of bespoke school sportswear for both on and off field, for both staff and pupils.

“We are excited to announce our new partnership with Kukri Sports for the next 5 years. Sport is a huge part of our school, and it is important to have sportswear that not only looks modern, but also performs, to allow our young athletes to reach their potential.

We appreciate the multi-sport expertise Kukri have acquired over the years, with high profile partners; including Ulster Rugby, Yorkshire CCC, British Gymnastic and many more, and are really looking forward to seeing our pupils and staff reap the rewards.”- Pippa Axon, Bursar, Merchiston Castle School.

“It is a privilege to partner with Merchiston Castle School for the next five years. Merchiston is a school founded on tradition and sporting culture and we aim to provide sportswear that showcases this tradition within the designs, whilst bringing modern day performance qualities to the kit.

We look forward to providing more than just PE and performance kit, as we look to delve ourselves into the sporting events that take place at the school, throughout the year. We can’t wait to deliver the first batch of kit to the school in September and also provide an online shop, for the school, in the near future too.” – Josh Beal, Sales Director, Kukri Sports.

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

09/08/202204/10/2022

Kukri Sports are proud to announce a 5-year extension of our partnership with British Wheelchair Basketball, the governing body for the sport in the UK.

As part of the deal Kukri will design and manufacture all GB apparel for the national squads, as well as providing a full sport-clothing offering for British Wheelchair Basketball clubs.

Kukri will also be the title sponsor of the Junio League, Junior National Championships and Elite 8’s.

British Wheelchair Basketball is the governing body for wheelchair basketball in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales – find out more

“We are delighted to welcome Kukri Sports to the wheelchair basketball family as headline sponsors of our Junior Programme. British Wheelchair Basketball already enjoys an established relationship with Kukri, who have been the sports official clothing partner since November 2020, and today’s announcement reinforces their commitment to the development and growth of the sport through their investment in the Junior Programme.” Lisa Pearce, Chief Executive, British Wheelchair Basketball

“We are ecstatic to extend our partnership with British Wheelchair Basketball, for the next 5 years. It is a truly unique relationship where we are looking to drive the sport in the country to achieve so much, it is so exciting where BWB are taking it and we are so proud to support this! The product is so important to this partnership too, we are continually looking to develop our offering to ensure we are delivering kit that performs for the athletes, made specifically for wheelchair basketball players, and can’t wait to see these products out on court.” 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 visit www.kukrisports.com

04/07/202204/10/2022

Kukri Sports are the proud partner of Ulster Rugby and have been the official kit, training, and leisurewear supplier since 2008. We supply kit for the men’s and women’s senior teams, the Ulster Academy and age grade teams as well as coaches, referees and staff working across the province of Ulster. This includes competition and training wear for the teams. We also have with an on-site shop and a retail range which recently included the launch of limited-edition collections. Visit the online shop.

We spoke to Stuart Martin, Head of Marketing and Communications at Ulster Rugby.

How important is it the get the right kit for the Ulster Team?

“It’s fundamental to the performance of our Men’s and Women’s teams that they have the right kit for success – whether that’s for training, in the gym, for travel or the kit they take to the field in under the Friday night lights. It’s also essential that we kit out our Academy, Age-Grade and representative teams – as well as our off-field and rugby development staff – to ensure they can carry out their roles on a day to day basis all across the province.”

What has it been like working with Kukri as a kit supplier?

“Kukri have been a very proactive partner with us, working together to create bespoke items across our playing and training ranges that better express our provincial colours in particular. Kukri also supported our vision to see our Women’s team play in the same kit design as the men from season 2020/21 and make this available for sale. So regardless of whether it’s the men’s team or women’s team that our next generation of fans have an affinity with, then they can walk into our store – or jump online – and pick the same jersey worn by their heroes.”

Hopes for the future of Kukri’s partnership with Ulster Rugby?

Neil Patterson, Country Manager, NI and ROI at Kukri, said “We have been the proud kit supplier of Ulster Rugby since 2008. The team at Kukri Sports have gone above and beyond to support the club’s kit requirements and ensure that we are constantly evolving the kit’s design and performance. We look forward to continuing our longstanding partnership with Ulster and are excited for our future with them.”

Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from Ireland.

The team compete in the United Rugby Championship and the Heineken Champions Cup. The team represents the IRFU Ulster Branch, which is one of the four primary branches of the IRFU and is responsible for rugby union throughout the geographical Irish province of Ulster, comprising six counties in Northern Ireland and three in the Republic of Ireland.

Ulster play their home games at the Kingspan Stadium in Belfast which has a capacity of 18,000. The province plays primarily in white and the team crest features a red hand within two rugby balls, the red hand being taken from the provincial flag of Ulster.

Ulster turned professional along with its fellow Irish provinces in 1995 and has competed in the PRO14 (previously Celtic League / PRO12) since it was founded in 2001, having previously competed in the annual interprovincial championship. Ulster A team compete in the British and Irish Cup. Ulster won the Heineken Cup in 1999, the Celtic Cup in 2003 and the Celtic League in 2006.

Find out more about Ulster Rugby: https://ulster.rugby/

To find out more about the benefits of partnering with Kukri Sports, get in touch: https://www.kukrisports.co.uk/contact/

17/06/202230/11/2022

Grassroots sports offer a range of benefits for those who take part. Whilst improving fitness levels it provides many transferable skills and experiences.

As well as developing the skills needed to succeed in the sport, participants learn about the importance of teamwork and supporting each other to achieve something greater than individual successes. It also highlights the importance of adhering to rules and fairness, whilst exposing them to diversity within their community.

At Kukri we are proud to support grassroots sports by offering a wide selection of bespoke teamwear. As the official sportswear provider for many elite partners, including Ulster Rugby Club, we offer products developed for professionals, which can be worn and designed by you for your team.

Kukri Sports have been the proud sportswear provider for Preston Grasshoppers Rugby Football Club for over 10 years. We provide a competitive and training wear range for the mini and juniors as well as the Women’s and Men’s team.

Founded in 1869, the club is one of the oldest ‘Northern’ rugby union teams. The following resolution was passed: ‘That a club be at once formed in Preston to play football with the rugby rules of the game but without hacking. That the club be called ‘The Preston Grasshoppers’.

To find out more about Preston Grasshoppers visit www.pgrfc.co.uk

 “Over the last 9 years our partnership between Hoppers and Kukri has come on leaps and bounds. They have done a fantastic job catering for all in our Clothing Apparel needs all the way from our Mini and Juniors to our Colts and Senior Teams. Kit is of the highest quality and is ever evolving to ensure that we are always in the best kit possible. We look forward to continual partnership leading into the 2022/2023 season.” Gareth Dyer – Head of Rugby Operations at Preston Grasshoppers

 “We have a longstanding partnership with Preston Grasshoppers. We are proud to provide our grassroots clubs with the same standard of kit we provide our elite level team Ulster Rugby with. We work closely with the teams to ensure we provide a perfectly designed kit that performs and fits well. We look forward to our future together with the club.” Iain Wright – Sales Manager at Kukri Sports.

If you are looking for a professional standard bespoke kit for your grassroots club get in touch and see how Kukri Sports can help. Contact us

15/06/202230/11/2022

Since 2019 Kukri Sports have been the official kit supplier for England’s representative teams and England Athletics Masters, whilst offering a range for coaches, staff and technical officials, plus an extensive range of branded merchandise.

Kukri also provide support for the innovative Youth Talent programme, helping inspire a new wave of athletes. As part of the initiative a select few athletes have been chosen to be Kukri brand ambassadors. We are supporting the success of these future stars by providing them with their kit requirements, brand development and professional support – Learn more about the initiative

Who are England Athletics?

England Athletics is the governing body for the sport of athletics in England. They are a not for profit membership and development body for grassroots athletics and running in England.

England Athletics currently support 1,650 affiliated clubs and organizations covering track, field, road running, fell, hill, trail, and cross-country clubs. With over 140,000 registered athletes, 30,000 licensed coaches and 5,450 officials.

RunTogether

Part of England Athletics is RunTogether, which is a community of running clubs who come together to run or jog no matter what ability you have. It is a social running programme that is designed to provide friendly, fun, supportive and inclusive running opportunities for everyone locally. Kukri support RunTogether by enabling clubs to have a bespoke team kit – Learn more about RunTogether

“I have had the pleasure of leading the team managing our relationship with Kukri for the last 3 years. The Kukri team has consistently been exceptional in supporting our evolving and expanding clothing needs across the whole of the England Athletics family, including England teams, talent programmes, coaches, officials, staff, clubs and most recently RunTogether groups. They have always been receptive to new ideas and ways of working whilst maintaining superb attention to detail and account management” Andy Anstey, Head of Business development at England Athletics.

“Kukri Sports are extremely honoured to be working with England Athletics. It a great testament to what we can do as a business, by working in all areas of the organisation and developing the kit requirements specific to each arm. An exciting aspect has been to be able to work with athletes of all abilities and ages, being able to provide athletics kit to a beginner, whether a part of Run Together or an affiliated club, or an elite athlete competing internationally. It is great to see Kukri providing that opportunity to performance and represent!” Josh Beal, Sales Director at Kukri Sports.

Learn more about England Athletics

To find out more about the benefits of partnering with Kukri Sports Get In Touch