Irish Provinces 2013/14 Shirt Round-Up

The 2012/13 season was a mixed bag for Irish rugby. While Leinster lifted the Amlin Challenger Cup and Pro12 trophies, and Ulster and Munster both made it into the knockout stages of the Heineken Cup, there was still a sense that it could have been a lot better, particularly in comparison to the year before. This year the Irish will again expect to be competitive on all fronts, so let’s take a look at what they’ll be wearing while doing it…

Leinster

The last few years of Leinster kits haven’t been the best, really, but 2013 seems to have got them back on course. It’s very similar to last year’s rather nice European shirt, and while that stripe across the middle might not be to everyone’s taste, at least there’s only one shade of blue involved this year. Nice.

SHIT GOOD RATING: GOOD

Ulster

We swear, Ulster haven’t actually changed their kit – is this actually any different to the 2012 model? We can’t actually tell… Still – if it ain’t broke, and you have to say, it’s a stylish and tasteful kit, those horribly out of place BT logos aside.

SHIT GOOD RATING: BORINGLY GOOD

Munster

If on first glance you just assumed that this was Munster’s training shirt, you’re not alone. Blue has been a minimal feature on recent Munster jerseys, but it’s back with a bang this time around. But those shoulder pads… hmm… they’re a bit odd aren’t they? Adidas have been smashing their kits out of the park of late, but this is a bit of a gooseberry.

SHIT/GOOD RATING: SHIT. ISH.

Connacht

To be honest, we can’t understand why we don’t hate this shirt – in principle, it’s a tacky, busy, mish-mash with a horrible, cliched graphic built into the material. And yet. We dig it – it works. We’re not huge fans of BLK generally, but this is a classy, understated design, that we can’t help but like in spite of ourselves.

SHIT/GOOD RATING: GOOD