Author: Karl

10/07/202310/07/2023

Recently, two prestigious educational institutions affiliated with Kukri Sports participated in the annual World School Games Netball Cup, which took place at Loughborough University (another prominent partner of the company).

World School Games Event Series

The World School Games is a series of events each year across a range of different sports, including Netball, Basketball and Swimming.  Competitors are drawn from a variety of leading education providers across the world.

Scott Macfarlane – Director at World School Games

“We are thrilled to welcome more than 30 schools from 5 different countries to the World’s #1 University for sport, Loughborough, for the third edition of the World School’s Netball Cup.

The World School Games event series is a global celebration of competition, diversity and friendship where young athletes represent their schools, countries and families with pride, passion and class.”

Find out more about The World School Games

Two Kukri partner schools taking part in the event were Dubai College (DC) and Dubai English Speaking School (DESC), who both understand the benefits the tournament offers its students.

Dubai College Director of Netball Lucia Sdao

“It’s a fantastic competition! we came last year for the first time and actually won in all 3 age groups. It is really beneficial for us to visit another country and play against different opposition styles. After the COVID-19 restrictions ended it was important for the students to visit different locations and experience other sporting cultures.

Whilst some of our students are British, many aren’t and it’s a great experience to bring them over to the UK and visit Loughborough University and experience the fantastic facilities and see the athletes walking around campus.

We have a robust DC Netball programme, which involves early mornings, lunch times, after school training and competitions at weekends, and lots of the girls compete in the Dubai leagues. We also have full on strength and conditioning programmes, ran by our Head of Performance Justin Walsh.

Whilst it is important to win, the main focus of the team is on their performance and how they compete against the other schools taking part, whilst focusing on long-term development.

At DC with have over 300 girls who take part in netball, and our focus is allowing any netballer being the best player they can be.”

DESC Netball Coach Amanda Newton

“Our students are very excited to participate in The World School Games, especially as they don’t get a lot of opportunity to compete against other schools in Dubai. It’s a great opportunity to travel and play in something that is more than a training environment. They are staying together on the university campus, training together, eating together and competing together, which offers an insight into what their lifestyle may be like if they become a professional athlete.

At DESC we appreciate the benefits of competing at this event and it exposes our students to the English way of playing, whilst competing against other international schools. They also get to visit the fantastic facilities that Loughborough has to offer as a leading sports university in the world and see the athletes walking around, it is just a fantastic experience for them all.

Our goals are to put out good performances when we play, we want to win whenever we play, but we just want to build the experience of the players, to develop them further and potentially prepare them for a future life as an athlete.”

Liv Murphy , Head of Performance Support at Loughborough University

“At Loughborough we see the event as a great opportunity for netballers of the future to experience where the Loughborough Lightning team train and play.

We want to showcase the sport and inspire the next generation. At the event the teams met some of our star players who are heading to the World Cup this summer and held the Super League trophy as Lightning are the current champions.

We look forward to welcoming more generations of players to access our world class facilities and inspire them to strive to be the best they can be. Most of all we want people to continue to love the sport.”

07/07/202306/07/2023

Kukri Sports are proud to announce our multi-year partnership with the University of Leicester. As part of the deal Kukri will provide sportswear for university students and staff.

As part of the partnership, teamwear will be supplied for more than 50 diverse sports, including Rugby, Netball, Cricket, Hockey, and even Ultimate Frisbee, all consolidated within the university’s comprehensive sports programme.

“It is great to enter our new partnership with the University of Leicester. We will look to bring a fresh approach to the university’s sportswear provision and support students with all playing, training and leisurewear products. It will be exciting to see all the teams in their new kit for the 2023/24 BUCS season!” – Josh Beal, Sales Director – Kukri Sports

“We are extremely excited to work with Kukri once again who will be able to provide us with a new range of leisurewear and teamwear ready for the 2023/24 academic year and beyond. We can’t wait to get started!” – Lewis Jones, Sports Experience Manager – University of Leicester

About the University of Leicester

The university offers an extensive range of courses, across a wide range of subjects for undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes. The university is unique as being the only university in Europe founded by its community as a memorial to those who made sacrifices during the First World War – the university motto is: Ut vitam habeant – So that they have life. Find out more about the University of Leicester

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

05/07/202304/07/2023

Kukri Sports are delighted to announce a four-year partnership extension with Scottish Gymnastics, the national governing body for gymnastics in Scotland. As part of the deal Kukri will continue to provide bespoke leisure and podium wear for all performance programmes and national teams.

This support will assist Scottish Gymnastics in delivering their athlete-centred, coach-led, performance-driven programmes which offer athlete development pathways across gymnastics disciplines.
The extension of the partnership is testament to the shared commitment to create a positive culture and experience centred around wellbeing and protection, allowing gymnasts and coaches to thrive and aspire to world-class performance.

Scottish Gymnastics chief executive officer Doc McKelvey said:
“Our vision is an uplifting gymnastics experience for all and providing appropriate, quality clothing for our national and region teams is an important part of that, ensuring they look and feel comfortable when they step out to represent Scotland. Kukri Sports is an integral part of that experience, and we are delighted to continue our partnership with them. This allows us to have a range of leisure kit which is suitable for gymnasts of all ages, coaches and support staff. We look forward to working together over the next four years.”

Kukri Sports sales director Josh Beal added:
“We are really proud to extend our partnership with Scottish Gymnastics. Having worked together since 2018 we have formed a fantastic relationship which we will grow further until at least 2026. Kukri are working on new ranges and designs, alongside Scottish Gymnastics, and we can’t wait to showcase this to all gymnasts in Scotland.”

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

About Scottish Gymnastics:
Scottish Gymnastics is the national governing body of gymnastics in Scotland. Their vision is an uplifting gymnastics experience for all, with shared values of inclusive, supportive, and aspirational to ensure gymnastics is enjoyable, safe, and open to everyone. The organisation has a membership of around 160 clubs and 30,000 gymnasts, coaches and officials. They are responsible for the governance and development of gymnastics across Scotland, supported by principal funding partner sportscotland and their other partners.

21/06/202319/06/2023

Kukri Sports are delighted to announce our multi-year partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University. As part of the deal Kukri will provide sportswear for Manchester Met students and staff.

The collaboration will cover over 40 different sports, including football, basketball, netball and hockey, that are brought together at Manchester Metropolitan’s Institute of Sport.

The Institute of Sport unites research excellence from across the University to champion every aspect of sport and health, from strengthening communities and building a healthier society, to inspiring the next generation of athletes and pushing the limits of human performance. Find out more

The Institute supports Manchester Met’s Sport Scholars and sports teams, while helping students prepare for a sporting future through a range of undergraduate sporting degrees and opportunities for further study in its Graduate School of Sport – the first of its kind in the UK.

“Kukri Sports are very proud to enter partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University. By capturing student feedback as part of our initial process, we are able to produce a range of designs which students have helped create in order to showcase their association with the university and the city. As alumni myself, I am thrilled that business can support the university with kit provisions and also the wider engagement with students and their university experience.”
Josh Beal, Sales Director, Kukri Sports.

“We are extremely proud and excited to begin a new partnership with Kukri. The high-quality product was clearly a significant part of our decision, but we are also excited to explore other areas of the relationship in order to support the MMU Sport vision and enhance the student experience here at Manchester Met.”
Neil Hurren, Strategic Lead for Sport at Manchester Metropolitan University.

About Manchester Metropolitan University
Based in the city of Manchester the university has over 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It houses four faculties (Arts & Humanities, Business & Law, Health & Education and Science & Engineering) and it is one of the largest universities in the UK. Find out more

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

13/06/202308/06/2023

Kukri Sports are proud to announce our 4-year partnership with the University of Exeter. The deal will see Kukri provide sportswear for Exeter students, staff and members of the athletic union.

This exciting partnership will provide students with market leading, bespoke sportswear to help them perform at their best and represent the university with pride.

“We are looking forward to working with the University of Exeter and their sports teams, students and staff over the next four years. This is a fantastic partnership, and we are excited to be working on a completely bespoke range, designed to encompass the university and it’s history. The new range will aim to support performance, participation and provide a fresh offering to university’s sports kit. Josh Beal, Sales Director at Kukri Sports

“We are very excited to be working with Kukri following a thorough and competitive tender process. Launching our new kit designs in line with the new University branding ready for the upcoming academic year and BUCS season provides us with a great opportunity to develop our partnership with Kukri. We have been working with students and staff to design our uniform and playing kit options. The feedback has been extremely positive, we will continue this engagement throughout the partnership. We look forward to working with Kukri over the next 4 years as our official sportswear partner.”

Alison Davidson, Director of Sport, University of Exeter

About the University of Exeter

Established in 1851, the University of Exeter is a world-class education provider in the south west of England. They have established an international reputation for both teaching and research – Find out more

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

02/06/202301/06/2023

Kukri Sports are proud to announce our new partnership with Special Olympics GB, ahead of this summer’s Special Olympics World Games.

As the new Official Kit Partner of Team Special Olympics GB for the next two years, Kukri will ensure that all 82 athletes (and unified partners), 35 coaches and eight support staff are supplied with its range of sportswear for the Special Olympics World Games.

As the biggest inclusive sporting event of 2023, Berlin 2023 opens at the Olympiastadion Berlin on 17 June and will see more than 7,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities compete in 26 sports over nine days of competition.

Colin Dyer, Chief Executive of Special Olympics GB, said: “Team Special Olympics GB athletes are participating in 17 sports at Berlin 2023, so it’s great to know that they will be kitted out to perform in the best possible way.

Kukri Sports is one of the world’s most respected performance sportswear brands and it works with multiple teams and athletes at elite and grassroots level. We’re very excited to secure this new partnership and to work with the Kukri team on at least three major events in the Special Olympics GB major events calendar.”

Kukri Sports, which has released three items for Team Special Olympics GB supporters in its online store, will also supply for the 2024 National Winter Games and the 2025 World Winter Games through the partnership.

Josh Beal, Sales Director at Kukri Sports, said: “We are incredibly proud to have been chosen as the sportswear partner of Team Special Olympics GB at the Berlin 2023 Special Olympics World Games.

“It’s an honour to see our products worn by such talented athletes on a world stage. We believe that our high-performance sportswear will help the team achieve their best results and are delighted to be part of the event. We will be cheering the team on every step of the way.”

Team Special Olympics GB athletes participating at Berlin 2023 are part of the 6,500 athletes who regularly engage in sporting opportunities across England, Scotland and Wales.

Across the United Kingdom, Special Olympics GB is the largest provider of year-round sports training and competition for children and adults of all abilities with intellectual disabilities. Its registered athletes participate at one of the 95 accredited programmes, which are delivered by a devoted team of around 3,500 volunteers.

About Special Olympics GB

• Special Olympics Great Britain (GB), set up in 1978, is a non-profit charity which provides year-round sports coaching and athletic competition in summer and winter sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

• Special Olympics GB currently has 95 accredited programmes in England, Scotland and Wales and provides coaching and competition opportunities in 27 sports. These programmes are run by over 3,500 volunteers who support more than 6,500 athletes with intellectual disabilities to take part.

• Special Olympics GB is more than just an opportunity to take part in sport – it transforms lives.  It provides opportunities to increase confidence, realise potential, develop physical fitness and mental well-being, demonstrate courage and experience new friendships.  And above all for both athletes and their families – to have some FUN.

• The work of Special Olympics GB is currently funded by individuals, trust and corporate donations and financial support is crucial to enable us to continue our work.

• Over a quarter of British adults (27%) have had heard of Special Olympics GB and 98% think that it is an inspirational organisation. (Two Circles, National Representative Omnibus Survey for Special Olympics GB) 

About Special Olympics

• Special Olympics is a global, IOC (International Olympic Committee) recognised organization.

• Founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities, Special Olympics now reaches more than five million athletes in over 190 countries.

• Unlike the Olympics and Paralympics which focuses on elite sport with events every four years, Special Olympics aims to offer opportunities for athletes of ALL abilities to take part in a range of sport every day of the week, every week of the year.

About Intellectual Disability

• An intellectual disability (ID) is: ‘A significantly reduced ability to understand new or complex information, to learn new skills (impaired intelligence) with a reduced ability to cope independently (impaired social functioning) which started before adulthood, with a lasting effect on development’ Source: Department of Health (2001) Valuing People.

• There are an estimated 1.5 million people with intellectual disabilities in Great Britain (Source: Papworth Trust 2010).

• Two hundred babies are born each week with intellectual disabilities in the UK (Source: Papworth Trust 2010).

• Eight out of ten children with intellectual disabilities are bullied and ALL are socially excluded. (Source: Mencap 2007).

• Changing social activities and a changing environment mean that younger generations* have more of a connection to or are aware of people with ID (*under 45 years old). (Two Circles, National Representative Omnibus Survey for Special Olympics GB)