Pics: Canterbury Unveil New England 2016/17 Kits

England Captain Dylan Hartley, alongside fellow internationals today unveiled the new England Rugby 2016/2017 home kit from Canterbury at Twickenham Stadium.

As part of the launch England players Maro Itoje, Mike Brown and George Kruis were on hand to unveil the new shirt.  The new kit identifies the heritage of the game, with the neckline feature taking inspiration from England Rugby’s first ever jersey worn in 1871.

The 3D rose placed on an individual patch acknowledges the tradition from 1871-1919 when new England players would embroider an individual rose onto their shirt, before it was said to be standardised by Alfred Wright in 1920.

For the first time a new custom fit women’s home kit was launched by England Women players Rochelle Clark, Lydia Thompson and Vicky Fleetwood.  The new kit, specifically designed to meet to the physical requirements of female athletes, will be worn for the new season as well as the Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign next summer in Ireland which England Women are current title holders of.

The home kit features a range of innovations that have been developed by Canterbury to improve the look and feel for both players and fans alike. The shirt continues to feature reduced fabrication weight to minimise moisture absorption, a 3D injection moulded crest and a super-enhanced fit technology, developed from player position-specific 3D body-mapping.

Speaking about the new shirt, England Head Coach Eddie Jones said; “We’re always striving to improve every area of our preparation and performance so it’s great to work with an innovative brand like Canterbury who share our philosophy. 

“Since starting as England head coach I have been impressed with Canterbury’s attention to detail and their commitment to working alongside the team to ensure the best possible match day kit and training apparel. The new strip looks good, but most importantly supports our needs as a team to help our performances to be world class.”