Category: News

12/07/202312/07/2023

Kukri Sports is proud to announce that one of its Youth Talent Programme Ambassadors has been chosen to represent Team England at this year’s highly anticipated Commonwealth Youth Games.

Jess Bailey, who will be competing in the 3000m, has been confirmed as one of 31 athletes who will represent Team England on the islands of Trinidad and Tobago from 4-11 August.

The competition will provide a global platform for Jess to showcase her skills and compete against some of the finest, young athletes in athletics.

Reflecting on the news, Jess said, “I am very grateful for the opportunity, and hope to do my country proud.

“It’s been a long road since picking up a stress fracture in my foot last year. I had 6 weeks in a cast and 4 weeks in a boot and I had lost all my confidence after I began cross training again in February.

“I thought it would take at least a year to re-gain full fitness and get back to where I was. Fortunately, I was wrong, I spent several months just focusing on what I could control and on the little things, and now less than five months since my boot was removed, I have been selected to represent my country in Trinidad & Tobago.”

Raised in a sports-oriented family, Jess was exposed to various sports from an early age. Starting with gymnastics and netball, she later discovered a passion for running.

Reflecting on her athletics journey so far, Jess expressed, “I have loved my time in athletics so far, and although there have been ups and downs, overall, it has been such a positive journey. The adrenaline from racing and the feeling of pushing yourself to the limit is unbeatable.

“Through running, I have been fortunate enough to travel to Thailand, Italy, Israel, and Ireland. Those experiences have been amazing, I have made friends around the world and have had opportunities to experience different cultures I never would have had the chance to see otherwise.”

Looking ahead to the future, Jess is determined to let her training do the talking and will continue to stay grounded, “Training and competing in this sport is one of the things I love most in life, and to get to do that every day would be such a privilege.

“I would love to be a professional runner and compete internationally as a senior. For now though, I’m just going to keep training hard, enjoy the process and not take anything for granted.”

Kukri would also like to congratulate its other YTP Ambassadors on their achievements so far this year. Amy Thompson equalled her personal best in the Women’s Under-18s shot put at this year’s Loughborough Pathway International with 7.94m, which is a world paralympic consideration standard.

Amongst other achievements, Kai Barham was crowned Under-20s Hammer Thrower Men’s Champion at the England Athletics Under-23 and Under-20 Championships in Chelmsford.

Gracie Wall was also victorious in the Championships, winning the Women’s Under-20 High Jump gold medal with a winning jump of 1.78 metres, a personal best that pushes her to third place in this year’s UK Under-20 rankings.

Gracie, who has achieved the qualification standard for the British Championships and will now be competing this week in Manchester, reflects on her journey so far with immense pride, “I have always watched athletics on the TV and participated in a few events in PE at my Primary School.

“I joined an athletics club at the age of 7 and tried all the events, but began high jump when I was 10. Since then, I have competed and focused on high jump, continuing to improve and develop my performances, all whilst enjoying the opportunities the sport gives me and loving the journey with my coach and friends.

Looking ahead, Gracie has ambitious goals for her future in high jump, “My main aim and aspiration is for my performances to be recognised and rewarded by being selected for Great Britain. I want to challenge myself and deliver high-quality performances on a bigger stage.

“By having clear goals of the heights and aspirations I want to reach, this gives me an incentive and motivates me. Along with success, challenges also feed motivation – all these factors drive me more to achieve my goals and be the best version of myself.”

Kukri is proud to support all our Youth Talent Programme Ambassadors and would like to congratulate them on their achievements so far this year.

As the countdown to the Commonwealth Youth Games begins, Kukri will continue to support Jess in her preparations, ensuring she has the necessary resources to compete at her best.

With a strong commitment to youth development and whilst empowering the next generation of athletes, Kukri remains dedicated to achieving excellence in sports worldwide.

We would like to wish all our YTP Ambassadors the best of luck in their competitions for the rest of the year.

Click here to read find out more about this year’s Commonwealth Youth Games.

Click here to find out more about our YTP Ambassadors.

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.

06/07/202306/07/2023

Kukri Sports is delighted to launch a new campaign dedicated to showing its support for para-athletes and acknowledging their exceptional accomplishments across a wide range of sports.

This follows on from recent campaigns, which focused on women, men and youth athletes in their chosen sport. They included exclusive interviews with professional Cricket, Netball, Gymnastics & Rugby stars, as well as experiencing a day in the life of Ireland’s rising boxing star, Kieran Molloy, and Northern Diamonds spin bowler Katie Levick.

Throughout July, Kukri will be collaborating with para-athletes from a wide variety of sports. These athletes, who have conquered barriers and overcome obstacles, will provide insightful information for aspiring para-athletes and demonstrate the limitless possibilities that can be achieved through dedication and determination.

We will also be providing a platform for para-athletes from our partners, whilst also showcasing how our products continue to evolve in order to help them perform at their optimum level.

Speaking about the campaign, Kukri Sports’ Sales Director, Josh Beal, stated, “We are honoured to launch this campaign and provide a platform to celebrate para-athletes’ incredible accomplishments. Our aim is to promote diversity and inclusivity by providing sportswear that they feel comfortable, are able to perform and can be proud to wear whilst also helping to foster a society where every individual is recognised for their abilities, regardless of limitations.”

By highlighting the incredible talent and achievements of para-athletes, Kukri hopes to break down barriers and create a more inclusive and equal sporting landscape.

Throughout this campaign and with the support of our partners, Kukri hopes to empower para-athletes, inspire the next generation, and pave the way for a more inclusive and diverse sports industry.

05/07/202304/09/2023

Over the last month, Kukri Sports has been proud to have placed a spotlight on the accomplishments of young, talented athletes across a wide range of sports.

The campaign aimed to provide a platform for these rising stars to showcase their skills, dedication to their sport, inspire others, and pave the way for their future success.

Among the remarkable stories during the campaign was the inspirational journey of Connie Clarke, an upcoming rugby star. Connie, who plays for one of Kukri’s rugby partners, Preston Grasshoppers, revealed how she went from nearly walking away from the sport to scoring two tries on her England Under-18s debut.

Click here to read more of our interview with Connie Clarke.

We also collaborated with British Gymnastics to speak with talented Rhythmic Gymnasts, Marfa Ekimova and Louise Christie. The pair outlined their dedication to the sport, how gymnastics has shaped their life so far and their goals for the future.

Click here to watch the full interview.

Reflecting on the campaign, Josh Beal, Sales Director at Kukri Sports, said, “Our commitment to nurturing young talent goes beyond just providing sportswear. We believe the power of sport to transform lives and communities. It has been fantastic to witness the dedication and talent of these young athletes across a wide range of sports, and we are excited to continue to play a role in their journey towards achieving success.”

Kukri Sports remains committed to its mission of empowering youth in sport beyond the campaign’s conclusion. We will continue to support young athletes through sponsorships, partnerships, and ongoing initiatives aimed at nurturing talent, fostering inclusivity, and creating opportunities for aspiring athletes to succeed.

Keep an eye out for our next campaign coming soon, which will aim to demonstrate how we provide support for para-athletes across different sports.

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.

30/06/202329/06/2023

As part of our ongoing campaign on supporting youth in sport, we spoke with upcoming rugby star, Connie Clarke, on her journey from nearly quitting the sport to scoring two tries on her England Under-18s debut, as well as her hopes for the future.

Clarke, who has the potential to be a future rugby union star, first joined Preston Grasshoppers at the age of 7. The youngster discovered her passion for the game at a young age after being influenced by her family’s connection to the sport.

After learning about her Grandfather’s impressive career with England School Boys in the 1950’s, she and her brother embarked on a rugby journey that has led her onto some incredible achievements.

Reflecting on her early years, Clarke shared, “I first went down to a local rugby team aged 5. I went down with my older brother and sister at the time, and since then me and my brother kept playing all the way through.

“Me and my brother have got our Grandfather as an end point of what we want to achieve in our careers, we want to do it for him and build on his legacy. At the same time, we really enjoy playing and get such a buzz from it which ignited our drive to keep playing as we got older.”

Throughout her journey up to this point, Clarke has faced challenges as a female player in what was a historically male-dominated sport. However, the youngster admits she has witnessed a positive transformation in the acceptance and inclusivity of girls in rugby. “If you go to any rugby club in the country now, they accept girls and boys of all abilities, which is a big positive,” Clarke said.

“I was lucky to be part of a club who accepted me and allowed me to play, but when I played for other clubs they had never seen a girl play rugby. If a girl was to join a team it was quite difficult for them to fit in as they would feel too uncomfortable.”

One of the significant milestones in Clarke’s career up to this point was her England Under-18s debut, which came in their bicentennial anniversary game with Wales at Rugby School back in March. Overwhelmed with joy, she shared, “Once the email came through, I searched for my name, and once I found it, I was just over the moon.

“As it sunk in I told my family and then realised I would be playing in front of a bigger crowd than I was used to, which was initially daunting, but I managed to push that aside and just focused on the excitement of getting to play and represent my country.”

Clarke’s dedication and talent were evident as she scored two superb tries in a convincing 48-5 victory for England. Reflecting on the moment, she said, “At that point, it just felt like I was doing my job and scoring a try for the team I was playing for. But when I was running back to the halfway line, I heard the stadium announcer mention my name, ‘The scorer for England is Connie Clarke.’

“Then I heard all my family cheering from the distance, and that just boosted my energy even more – it was an amazing feeling.”

Balancing rugby with academic studies has been a priority for Clarke, who emphasizes the importance of maintaining an even playing field. “When I need to focus on my studies, that comes first,” she said.

“Sometimes, if I’ve been at an England training camp over the weekend, I’ll ask Preston Grasshoppers if I can miss a week’s training as I have to focus on work, and they are really understanding of that.”

Clarke’s journey has been marked by memorable experiences, particularly her involvement with Preston Grasshoppers. Recalling her early days with the girls’ team, she faced initial challenges due to the limited number of players.

“It was quite hard for me because I was used to turning up to training and doing something that was valuable, but there wasn’t much you could do with five girls.

“At that point, I had lost the motivation to keep playing. I was close to giving up and fell out of love with it because I wasn’t playing or developing, but my coach at Hoppers, Steve Tiernan, said it would only get better and I trusted him that it would.”

Clarke credits her coaches and mentors for her development as a player. Their belief in her abilities and constant guidance have propelled her to new heights. From her coach at Preston Grasshoppers to the trainers at Sale, they have played an instrumental role in shaping her skills and preparing her for higher levels of competition.

“I trained really hard and eventually got into the centre of excellence at Sale. All the coaches there then prepare all the girls for the next steps, and they focused not only my performance on the field, but also everything else off it that helps to shape you as a player.

“Eventually, I got picked up by England, which was an amazing feeling, and that wouldn’t have happened without the support of my coaches at ‘Hoppers’ and Sale.”

Looking ahead, Clarke’s ambitions include playing for the Senior Red Roses, the pinnacle of achievement in English women’s rugby.

“That’s always been the dream for me and I will do what it takes to make it happen. I’m moving down to Exeter next year, so hopefully if I keep training hard I can get into the Allianz Premier 15s and play for a team in that competition.”

Everyone at Kukri Sports wishes Connie success in her future career!

Kukri Sports are proud partners of Preston Grasshoppers – click here to find out more about the team.

Keep an eye out for more youth in sport content coming soon.

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