Is Canterbury’s Lions 2021 training gear the coolest Lions stash ever?

There’s been plenty of talk about the new Lions Pro Jersey from Canterbury in the last few days, and a fair bit of discussion about the more traditional and old-school Classic jersey, but sneaking out under the radar at the same time was the new Lions training range – and we can’t have that, because whether you like the bold modern design of the Pro shirt or the more retro vibe of the Classic jersey, we think not only is there something for everyone here, but it might be the coolest Lions stash ever.

Don’t believe us? Well for the more boundary-pushing amongst us, let’s start things off with what’s inevitably going to be the most high-profile bit of training stash that the players will be donning next summer – the training jersey.

Buy from British & Irish Lions Store for £75

Available in white, blue or green, the training jersey takes the ‘shard’ concept seen on the Lions Pro jerseys and goes all-out with it. It’s striking, modern, and actually captures the concept even better than the design on the jersey, as you can literally see the shards of red, green, white and blue coming together on the design, representing the way the Lions come together from the four nations to play together as one.

It’s also just a really cool, really eye-catching pattern that will certainly help you stand out in all the right ways in the gym, which is why it’s great to see the pattern replicated in the more lightweight (and more affordable) superlight training tees and singlets. The tees are also available in men’s and women’s, which is a pleasing theme through much (if not all) of this Lions 2021 range.

Buy from British & Irish Lions store for £70

If you’re after something a bit more restrained, however, well don’t panic because the rest of the range is an exercise in understated, pared-back class that creates some of the most timeless and universal Lions gear you could imagine – and practical too.

The smart thing most of the training range does is pair red, black and dark blue in a very clean, classic and understated way, even if the product itself is pretty cutting edge. So the Lions Showerproof jacket will keep you dry on the most miserable of autumnal days, while the padded jacket is perfect for crisp winter mornings… but rather than try to look ‘techy’ they’re demure and restrained in a way that anyone would look and feel good wearing them.

Buy from the British & Irish Lions store for £40

And if you’re not looking for something to survive the elements, there are some truly lovely casual options. We genuinely think the Lions Logo hoodie – with it’s bold CCC print on the front and Lions crest on the sleeve – might be the coolest bit of Lions off-field gear in this entire drop, for example, and it’s one of the more good value items in the range, too.

Should we ever be allowed back to watch rugby games in person, the Thermoreg 1/4 Zip Fleece might be the most perfect bit of spectator gear ever invented (we’ve worn various shades of this thing to games for years and it does a wonderful job of keeping you warm while not being too heavy) and if you’re relaxing at home or heading down the local, those Lions cotton t-shirts and polos are understated and class.

The Lions is one of the most unique things in rugby, and the fact that it only comes around once every four years means the stash involved will still feel new and current for years – something you can’t say about anything else in rugby these days. What’s more, unlike the 2017 training gear, it isn’t plastered with a sponsor logo, giving it a more elegant and classic look, while also not making you feel like you’re a giant Vodafone billboard when you’re going to walk the dog.

For all those reasons and more, the Lions 2021 stash is Canterbury’s best yet, and possibly the coolest Lions training gear ever. We’ll can’t wait to kit ourselves out in it – you should too.

Shop the full British & Irish Lions 2021 range here