While there’s no new home shirt for Irish giants Munster this season, but there is a brand new red shirt for the province – one that will be worn exclusively in the brand new Rugby Champions Cup – let’s take a look.
European competition is where the Munster’s story was truly written, so it’s fitting that as we say goodbye to the Heineken Cup and embark on the new RCC, the men in red reaffirm their priorities with the launch of their first ever European jersey.
In truth, since their last Heineken Cup win back in 2008, the men from Limerick have struggled somewhat in Europe, allowing their bitter rivals Leinster to steal a march on them as the Irish European superpower.
One thing that has never changed however, is the intimidating atmosphere of Thomond Park, or their truly incredible fanbase. Whether home or away, the Red Army never fails to turn out in impressive numbers and impressive voice, and so it’s fitting that Munster has chosen to honour their 16th man with this all-red kit.
Like several other Adidas kits of the last year or so, perhaps most notably the 2013 Lions shirt, the design makes use of a subtle hooped design on the front of the jersey. We love some subtle hoops, and they look great here, giving some much-needed interest to a very, very simple design.
Round the back, the three stripes go all the way around the shoulders, as is the template for all Adidas stuff this year, but thankfully there’s no contrasting colour used here, so we avoid any unfortunate ‘shoulder shrug’ moments.
It’s also worth noting that there’s no hoops on the back either – it’s yet another shirt that has a different front and back pattern, but here we have no objections.
We weren’t hugely taken with Adidas’ take on Munster’s home shirt last season, and weren’t exactly delighted that they chose to keep it for two seasons. This on the other hand, is a very, very handsome shirt, and we’re glad to say that at least on the European stage where the Munster legend was truly born, they’ll be looking damn sharp.
SHIT/GOOD RATING: GOOD
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