Western Province Rugby have announced that the end of their long running kit supply deal with Adidas, which brings to an end more than 30 years of the famous three stripes being seen on the kits of Western Province and the Stormers. While Adidas will continue as Western Province’s preferred footwear supplier, WP Rugby has decided to follow the example of Bristol and Bath rugby by bringing their apparel in-house.
Western Province Rugby Group CEO Paul Zacks has extensive experience in apparel manufacturing, distribution, licensing and retail, and its this expertise that has led them to strike out on their own.
“Adidas has been a valued partner to Western Province Rugby and they remain our choice as preferred footwear partner,” said Zacks. “But we are also very excited about the possibilities going forward as we explore the new opportunities that lie in our own apparel ranges, in line with our turnaround strategy.”
The Adidas kit deal ends effective immediately, so the first fruits of WP Rugby’s in-house design team is expected to be the new Stormers jerseys, which are expected before the end of the year.
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