Scarlets fire-up for new season with sensational new playing kit

A big Scarlets crowd packed a buzzing Canolfan Delme Thomas at Parc y Scarlets last night with a host of international and regional Scarlets players, sponsors and partners to celebrate the launch of the new 2011/2012 season playing kit.

 

True to its traditions, the home playing shirt is striking in Scarlet red with the use of two contasting deep red colours with a ghosted Scarlets dragon wrapped around the centre of the shirt. The away kit is in slate – linked to the region’s Welsh culture and evolving from last year’s tinplate blue kit that proved so popular with supporters.

Scarlets internationals getting set for the World Cup took time out of their busy schedules to come back home to Llanelli and meet 700+ supporters while strutting their stuff on the catwalk – with Tavis Knoyle, George North and Scott Williams amongst a number of players who confidently graced the stage to cheers from the crowd in the new season’s kit.

The kit has been produced by the official kit supplier Burrda Sport, one of the fastest growing international sportswear providers with a focus on producing the highest standards of quality and latest technology products.

Burrda Sport, based in Switzerland, also supply kits to Northampton Saints, Biarritz, Toulon, Leicester City , Wolves amongst others signed a record six-figure kit deal with the Scarlets in 2010 for four years and are supplying both playing kits and full training kit including all-weather gear for the Scarlets team with an emphasis on durability and comfort.

Scarlets main sponsors this year sees the return of a successful Carmarthenshire partnership between two household names in the county – WRW and Dyfed Steels, who swap shirts this season with WRW sponsoring the away jersey and Dyfed Steels the home shirt.

This year the Scarlets have been given an additional expert helping hand from leading sportswear designer Ffion Appleton, who has designed for Manchester United and the All Blacks – working with Nike, Adidas and Puma before setting up her own business.

Ffion, who is from Aberstywyth said: “It has been an absolute privilege to be part of the team that has put the new Scarlets kit together; coming from the region I have always felt part of the Scarlets family and it been great to get involved in something as special as the shirt design.

“It’s all about portraying the spirit of the Scarlets today; that sense of being more subtle with strength and impact that comes from being a little less ‘obvious’ and predictable than others. It reflects the Scarlets’ personality well with the prominence of the dragon badge. The idea is to make the players feel good, with a well-crafted design and using the very latest technology to help their performance. You want them to have them the very best jersey we can as they face their opposition on the pitch and to be proud of the shirt they wear.”

George Rashbrook, Scarlets’ Marketing General Manager who joined the Scarlets this summer, said: “What’s struck me since I joined the Scarlets is the sheer loyalty, passion and pride the supporters have in our rugby team, our home at Parc y Scarlets and the club’s great traditions.

“The shirt must reflect that with a design that stands out and captures the spirit of who we are. It’s a huge season for the Scarlets on and off the field with the 5000th game next month so it’s a time for celebration and pride as well as optimism in the Scarlets’ future development.”

Rashbrook brings strong brand management skills and sales and marketing expertise from fashion markets with most recent experience as Timberland European Product Director. Previously he was Managing Director of Mens fashion brand Sonneti and Sales and Marketing Director at Hackett. He added: “We hope we’ll excite supporters with this shirt, young and older – we have a great new online store as part of www.scarlets.co.uk which people should check out if they haven’t ordered their new shirt already.

“For Scarlets’ supporters we hope it’s comfortable and easy to wear with a strong contemporary design that doesn’t follow the pack and most importantly fuels pride and passion.”

Key features of the new kit:

• The Scarlets Dragon– a sign of Scarlets’ endeavour, bravery, strength, passion, heritage and pride. The emblem of the dragon with outstretched wings is from the club’s earliest origins (originated from Llanelli RFC logo) as the Scarlets look forward to the 5000th game celebration on 24th September 2011.
• The design of the shirt portrays part of the Dragon logo being wrapped around the shirt (see the contrast ghosting around the centre of shirt)– signifying a collective spirit that supports every player and fan that puts the shirt on.
• “Heart and Soul” on the sleeve hems– on left hand side in English and right hand side of sleeve hem in Welsh. The number 5000 which references the 5000th game is found on the lower part of the collar. Words to Sosban Fach are found tucked inside the collar at the back – the first line of the folk song is on the home shirt, second line on the away shirt.
• Use of the dragon emblem solo without Scarlets lettering underneath on the home or away shirts. The focus is on the dragon as the portrayal of the Scarlets true heart and soul identity.
• The dragon is emblazoned with a 3D effect using latest technology from Burrda Sport. This technology allows the ‘badge’ to stand out prominently using the very latest ‘Sensila’ microfibre technology described as giving ‘a living touch’.
• COOLDRY playing kit by Burrda is a unique fabric technology that allows the absorption and transfusion of body moisture into the fibres while allowing air to circulate around the body. It is durable and retains garment shape.