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England Rugby to switch to Murray-backed Castore after Six Nations

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England’s rugby teams will replace Umbro with Andy Murray-backed British sportswear brand Castore after this year’s Six Nations.
England’s rugby teams will replace Umbro with Andy Murray-backed British sportswear brand Castore after this year’s Six Nations.

England’s rugby teams will replace Umbro with Andy Murray-backed British sportswear brand Castore after this year’s Six Nations.

The new kit deal is due to start in May and follows months of talks between the Rugby Football Union and Castore, which was founded by former City workers.

It means that England men’s team will debut the kit on their summer tour to Argentina, while England’s women could lift the World Cup in Castore shirts at the home tournament later this year. The Rugby Football Union and Castore did not comment.

England men’s Six Nations campaign concludes on Saturday, with Steve Borthwick’s side still in the hunt to win the tournament for the first time since 2020.

The women’s Red Roses begin their title defence next weekend, and are looking for their seventh consecutive title before this year’s World Cup.

Castore photoshoot

It is understood that a photoshoot took place earlier this month in preparation for the product launch.

The deal will not extend to the club game, despite reports last year suggesting that Premiership Rugby was looking to negotiate one deal that would cover all 10 teams in England’s top flight.

England manager Borthwick’s former club side Leicester Tigers, however, are set to sign with Castore to replace Samurai, which is now operated by KitLocker after Samurai Apparel Limited went into administration in January. 

The acquisition of England’s rugby teams is a major coup for Castore, which was co-founded in 2016 by brothers Tom and Phil Beahon after they gave up their jobs in the Square Mile.

Wider sporting portfolio

The company also supplies England’s cricket teams while its wider sporting portfolio includes Formula 1 teams McLaren, Red Bull and Alpine and Scottish football giants Rangers and Premier League side Everton.

In rugby, Bath, Harlequins, Saracens, Leinster and Scarlets are all clients, while Castore has an individual athlete deal with former England captain Owen Farrell.

Castore last year struck a deal for Umbro’s professional team sports sub-license, which gave it the exclusive rights to market and supply the brand in the UK and other European countries. Umbro’s deal with the RFU was due to run until 2028.

The brand, in which tennis star Murray was an early investor and launched a co-branded range, was last year named the UK’s fastest growing retailer.

The Manchester-headquartered firm topped a list from Retail Index after their revenue hit £190m in the 12 months to 4 February 2024. The same accounts showed a pre-tax loss of £28.8m.