Welsh Rugby Union clinches £30million kit deal

The Welsh Rugby Union have announced a new seven-year partnership with Macron, the sporting goods manufacturer, which is rumoured to be worth a total of £30million and includes the provision of approximately £6million worth of kit to community clubs over the duration of the deal.

Wales will wear their new matchday kit for the first time against France in a warm-up match in Paris on October 24 before featuring in the rescheduled Guinness Six Nations match with Scotland and the new Autumn Nations Cup.  

The new Wales home and alternate jerseys, which will continue to carry front of shirt sponsor Isuzu, with be unveiled in early in October when Wayne Pivac’s squad heads into camp. 

“We're proud to announce this prestigious agreement,” said Macron CEO Gianluca Pavanello. “The Welsh Rugby Union has a rich history in world rugby and is a union that boasts incredible accolades but, more importantly, plays a fundamental role in Welsh culture and society. 

"Partnerships with the Scarlets and Cardiff Blues have given us an appreciation of the love that Welsh fans have for the sport. That same love and passion grows even stronger every time the national team enters the field. 

"We at Macron will offer the Welsh Rugby Union our technical competence, creative ability and a bit of Italian flare to develop their match day kit, their clothing lines as well as a merchandising collection that will be unique to this great nation and one that we hope will capture the hearts of players and fans alike.”

The WRU and Italian-based sportswear producers will seek to forge a unique relationship that will benefit the community game and see Macron supply £6m worth of kit over the course of the partnership across the 300 community clubs throughout Wales. 

Further details will be provided later in 2020 but, in short, £1m in credit will be available across the community game each season for the remaining six years of the Macron partnership from 2021. “We have agreed a unique and progressive partnership with Macron to not only supply team and leisure wear to our national squad, but to also provide an invaluable offer to our community game in their second season with us and beyond,” said WRU CEO Steve Phillips. 

“Macron understand the importance of the community game in Wales and together we are determined to ensure that this end of the game also reaps the benefits of this new commercial alliance.

“Macron is a widely respected and highly regarded multi-sport kit manufacturer who are about to celebrate their 50th year in the business and already work with a host of top teams around the globe. 

“From a base that includes Scottish and Italian rugby as well as the Scarlets and Cardiff Blues with a further three clubs in the Guinness PRO14 and three teams in the Top14 and English Premiership alike, they are a company with pedigree looking to expand in world sport and we are very much looking forward to continuing our own growth alongside them over the next seven years.

“Under Armour and Welsh rugby grew significantly together in the last twelve years and we would like to thank UA and their employees all around the world for all the support during a genuinely fantastic partnership.

“But now we look forward to an exciting new partnership with Macron, which comes with a huge amount of potential benefit for both the international and community game.”