Source: USA Rugby
International athletic apparel leader to become official outfitter of USA Rugby National Teams and representative sides
LAFAYETTE, Colo. – USA Rugby, the national governing body for rugby in the United States, and adidas today announced a multi-year partnership in which the Portland, Oregon based company will be the official kit supplier for USA National Teams and representative teams.
“We are extremely proud to partner with adidas and offer our athletes the best athletic apparel possible,” said David Sternberg, CEO of USA Rugby’s commercial arm Rugby International Marketing. “adidas is a world-renowned brand that supplies kits to some of the most successful athletes and teams in the world. Adding a partner of their stature is further proof of rugby’s growth in the United States and around the world.”
With the new multi-year deal, adidas will be the primary creator and outfitter of all team training and competition apparel for USA Rugby. Additionally, Age-grade teams and representative sides such as the Collegiate All-Americans and Falcons, respectively, will also be outfitted with adidas branded kits.
“adidas has a ton of momentum and as we continue to inspire athletes as the sports brand for creators, this new partnership provides a tremendous opportunity to showcase some of our most innovative apparel and footwear,” said Jeff McGillis, Senior Director of U.S. Sports at adidas. “Our mission is to help athletes perform better and we’re honored to play a part in one of the fastest growing sports in the U.S. as the brand continues its focus on winning in this market.”
The iconic three stripe logo known around the world debuted on the match day kit for the Women’s Eagles during their CanAm Series in Chula Vista, Calif. and will be featured on the match day kit of the Men’s Eagles Sevens at this weekend’s Hong Kong Sevens. The world-class apparel will also roll out to the Women’s Eagles Sevens for their next stop on the HSBC Sevens Series in Kitakyushu, Japan later this month. The Men’s Eagles will debut their new kit against Ireland June 10 at Red Bull Arena.
The Women’s Eagles will debut custom adidas kit during this August’s Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland, designed specifically for the tournament.
World Rugby Shop is the official retail partner of USA Rugby and will continue offering fans all match day kit of the Men’s and Women’s Eagles. Official adidas kit will be available for purchase starting May 2017.
About USA Rugby
Established in 1975, USA Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby in America and a Full Sport Member of the United States Olympic Committee. Currently headquartered in Lafayette, Colorado, USA Rugby is charged with developing the game on all levels and has more than 120,000 active members, with more than 40,000 playing collegiate rugby and 35,000 playing senior club rugby. USA Rugby oversees four national teams, multiple collegiate and high school All-American sides, and an emerging Olympic development pathway for elite athletes. It also hosts more than 30 national playoff and championship events each year as a service to its members. In October 2009, the International Olympic Committee announced Rugby Sevens (the seven-a-side version of the game) would appear in the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, in which both the men and women qualified. Visit www.usarugby.orgfor more information.
About Rugby International Marketing
Created by USA Rugby in 2015, Rugby International Marketing is a for-profit commercial entity tasked with representing USA Rugby’s commercial rights and developing new revenue streams to fund the game. The mission of Rugby International Marketing is to provide attractive financial returns to USA Rugby and its minority shareholders by utilizing third-party capital in an entrepreneurially driven company. Among the properties represented by RIM are the USA men’s and women’s national teams, the Americas Rugby Championship, Grand Prix Rugby and the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens. RIM also owns and operates The Rugby Channel, an “over the top” digital video platform launched in April 2016 which features live and on-demand rugby content from the United States and around the world. Minority investors in RIM include the England Rugby Football Union, CSM Sport and Entertainment and Harlequin Football Club.
About adidas
adidas is a global designer, developer and marketer of athletic and lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories with the mission to be the best sports brand in the world. As an innovation and design leader, adidas engineers the best in high-performance products to make athletes better, faster and stronger and creates a range of classic and fresh lifestyle and high-fashion lines.
About World Rugby Shop
World Rugby Shop is one of the world’s largest full service online Rugby retailers and a proud long term partner of USA Rugby. Based out of Birmingham, AL, World Rugby Shop is dedicated to providing American rugby fans with all the gear they need to live their rugby lives whether as a player, coach, referee or fan all from the USA.
