Castore adds England Rugby to growing portfolio

Castore, the British performance sportswear brand and end-to-end digital retailing platform for global sports teams has added England Rugby to its portfolio after being named its technical kit partner.

England Rugby has signed a multi-year, long-term contract with Castore for it to deliver all technical playing kit, training and travel wear across England Rugby’s men’s and women’s teams. Castore will also supply coaches and staff departments across the England Rugby set-up, “uniting players and staff under a single, high-performance identity”.

The move will see Castore replacing Umbro as the technical kit partner and follows the British performance sportswear brand signing an exclusive deal with Umbro licensee GL Dameck in March 2024 for the Umbro Professional Team Sports sub-license, allowing it to market the Umbro brand in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Netherlands and Denmark.

Tom Beahon, co-chief executive of Castore, said in a statement: “Partnering with England Rugby is a landmark moment for Castore and one that we’re exceptionally proud to celebrate. As a British brand, this collaboration with the national teams feels particularly special.

“This partnership reflects our commitment to English rugby, as we continue investing in a sport that we see a bright future for. These national teams embody our core value of ‘Better Never Stops,’ focused on continuous improvements, and we’re proud to stand beside them as they chase greatness and inspire fans across the country.”

England Rugby names Castore as official technical kit partner

The first wave of the new Castore x England Rugby range will be available in May, with further kit launches planned over the summer ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup. The range will be available at castore.com and official England Rugby store channels, including at the England Rugby Store at Allianz Stadium and EnglandRugbyStore.com.

Bill Sweeney, chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, added: “We’re really pleased to be announcing our partnership with Castore, a brand born in the North West of England by entrepreneurs Tom and Phil Beahon. Castore will kit out players and fans alike in our iconic England shirt.

“It’s an exciting time for English rugby and we know how much it means for all our players to put on an England shirt - they will wear the new Castore kit with pride. We look forward to working with Castore over the coming years and welcome them to the England Rugby family as a much-valued partner.”

Castore has a strong track record of providing high-performance kits in the rugby market, as it already works with several Premiership Women’s Rugby and Premiership Rugby clubs, including Saracens Rugby, Harlequins, Bath Rugby and the Scarlets.