OSPREYS PREDICT BIG SALES FOR NEW SHIRT
As the club shops at the Ospreys new regional rugby stadium and Old Market Street, Neath, brace themselves for the deluge of supporters who have pre-ordered the shirt, the Managing Director of Kooga says the new-look shirt could easily take top place after it became one of the top five sellers in the UK last year selling over 20,000 shirts. This beat the next highest selling club in Wales, the Scarlets, by over 8,000.
Kooga’s MD Bill Newton, said: “We’re confident that the Ospreys will sell more than 30,000 shirts this season which will put them on the same footing as English super clubs like Leicester and Bath and even become the top selling team in the UK.
“The Ospreys have had such a meteoric rise over the last year with many of the team’s players such as Gavin Henson and Shane Williams becoming household names throughout the UK. We are sure that such a winning team coupled with a great design of shirt with the combined strength of the Kooga and Ospreys brands, will provide all the ingredients to make it a top seller this year.”
Mr Newton is also confident that the Ospreys will become one of the best-supported teams in the UK this season. Leicester currently boasts the strongest following in the country, however, Mr Newton believes that the Ospreys will soon be giving them a run for their money: “The support the Ospreys have outside the region is phenomenal. For example, last year we had a major retailer in Cardiff report that it had sold more Ospreys shirts than the city’s own Cardiff Blues team – that is virtually unheard of.
“We also had a shop in Oxford order more shirts after they told us the Ospreys jersey was their best selling shirt. And if sales go as predicted, the Ospreys could easily be selling the same number of shirts this season as some premier division football clubs.
“The Ospreys already counts some of the brightest hopes for Welsh rugby among its talents and the new financial backing of its recent sponsorship deal with npower renewables can only make its future more secure. We’re, therefore, convinced that the team will continue to attract more new supporters throughout the country.”
The distinctive black, grey and white shirt is priced at £49.95 (adult) and is available now from the club shops at the new stadium and Old Market Street, Neath. You can also order shirts by calling 01792 616 616. Children’s jerseys are expected to be available within the next few weeks priced at £35.
Ospreys Managing Director, Roger Blyth, said: “We are delighted by the ongoing support the Ospreys have received – the phenomenal shirt sales are testament to that. It’s been an amazing year for us and we’re fully aware that we wouldn’t be where we are today without the support and loyalty of our fans. Any rugby team can only be as good as the fan base which supports it and I think it’s fair to say that the Ospreys have an outstanding support network.”
