Sam Warburton, Alun Wyn Jones, Leigh Halfpennyand a host of other Wales stars were joined by hundreds of loyal fans on the Millennium Stadium pitch last night (Wednesday 16th October) to reveal the new, pervasively red, national team kit – to be worn by the reigning, double RBS Six Nations Champions for the next two seasons.
British and Irish Lions tour winning captains Warburton and Jones, man-of-the-series Halfpenny, and fellow Lions heroes from the historic win in Australia this summer, Alex Cuthbert, Ian Evans and Toby Faletau, became the first players to wear the new Wales kit for a unique photocall on the hallowed turf of the national stadium, as they joined fans to form an ‘Army of Red’.
Decked from head to toe in the red of Wales, a flag-bearing Halfpenny led the march from the Millennium Stadium’s North stand to its South, to a chorus of ‘Bread of Heaven’.
“It was a fantastic occasion for us to get back on the field at the home of Welsh rugby with hundreds of our supporters,” said fan’s favourite, Halfpenny.
“When we walk out for the first game against South Africa at the Millennium Stadium next month, we know that the nation will be behind us.
“The new kit looks and feels great, we are used to the performance qualities that the Under Armour gear provides and with the technology which has once again gone into producing it, we feel confident that we have all the support we need to prepare for the upcoming Autumn matches.”
Under Armour has been the global partner and technical sponsor of the Welsh Rugby Union since September 2008. The continued technological advancements of the Under Armour kit will ensure that the reigning Six Nations Champions can perform at the pinnacle of their game, whatever the conditions.
The new kit will first be seen in action when Wales take on the Springboks in Cardiff in the opening game of the four-match Dove Men Series on 9th November – and will be worn for two international seasons, up until 2015 Rugby World Cup preparations.
“When we canvassed the players for their opinions on how to advance the kit, the feedback was ‘Under Armour have got it right’”, said WRU head of sales and marketing, Craig Maxwell.
“So there have been enhancements, the material has improved in strength, lightness and construction and there are one or two more touches like improved air venting and an exciting new all red look for the players, but we haven’t tried to fix what wasn’t broken.
“We think fans will agree that Under Armour have supplied a striking jersey of immense quality and, you only have to look at our international record since Under Armour came on board in 2008, to know that the technological advancements in this kit certainly suit the players.”
The most striking feature of the new kit is the proliferation of the colour red throughout, including both shorts and socks alongside its traditional use on the jersey itself.
Under Armour’s most technologically advanced kit to date, features black detailing on the shoulders and down its flanks – where it fades through a deep red colour into white – and also carries a reference to a Dragon’s tail towards the bicep area, paying homage to the WRU’s new digital mascot Scorch, set off by the familiar logo of jersey sponsor Admiral across the chest.
Elsewhere the Welsh national team’s customary red colour is retained in abundance, with the shorts replicating the styling of the jersey exactly and the socks are entirely red, save for a double flash of white below the calf.
The innovative kit features include:
ArmourGrid Fabric: Creates a lightweight shirt and shorts with ‘no grab’ technology, adding to the competitive advantage
Armour Grip Technology: A strategically placed grippy area on the body of the shirt aids in catching and securing the ball. Featuring a unique dragon scale print, designed specifically for WRU
Function Panels: Panels on the shirt in compression fabric and mesh allow the grid sections to function as individual plates, maintaining a freedom of movement without sacrificing on weight, durability and breathability
Stretch Mesh Underarm: Ventilated underarm panel with four-way stretch offers maximum breathability and player mobility
Shorts Stretch-Gusset: The gusset provides four-way stretch in a critical flex zone
Shorts Grippy Waistband: An internal waistband grip prevents the shirt from untucking during play
Since 2008, the Welsh national side has reached a Rugby World Cup semi-final (New Zealand, 2011) completed two Grand Slams (2008, 2012) and retained the RBS 6 Nations title in back- to-back seasons for the first time since the 1970’s (2012, 2013).
Matt Shearer, General Manager EMEA, Under Armour, said: “Given our heritage and foundation around telling a performance story, we’re confident that this is the most technically advanced kit that the Welsh National Team has ever had and we hope that with our ongoing support, the reigning Six Nations Champions will continue to establish their position as one of the world’s elite teams.”
