Ireland’s new Rugby shirt is on sale on line and in retailers and boasts the usual number of exotic and scientific refinements from ‘disguise’ technology to increased ‘burst speeds.
You would imagine that if Superman was around today that he would be in discussion with modern sportswear manufacturers like those at Canterbury.
The kit comes in three versions for adults, the Pro which is that worn by the players, the Team which is a little more forgiving of bumps in the body that have not necessarily been created in the gym, described euphemistically as providing more of a comfort fit, and the classic.
All are priced at around €75 or £70 reflecting the drop in value of Sterling over recent months. Retailers are permitted to run promotions and drop prices so it is worth looking around.
This year’s kit is likely to sell more than last which was the first in a four-year cycle that leads up to the Rugby World Cup according to Tom Cleary, Canterbury Global Marketing Manager for Canterbury who was over in Dublin yesterday and spoke to Sport for Business about the new shirt.
“There is always a steady rise in the number of shirts sold peaking in a World Cup year and we expect that to be the same across this run up to Japan as well.”
One of the most interesting elements of the new shirt is one the benefits of have only been scratched but which has enormous potential for the future.
Each of the shirts is individually numbered and referenced in a tag similar to the hologram which has become a feature in recent new kits.
“This is a feature of the new Ireland and England kits and is a first for us,” said Cleary.
“It will give a greater sense of connection to the team for fans knowing that their shirt is unique in the same way as those worn by a Sexton or a Murray.”
“Individual retailers have been randomly assigned batches of numbers so it would be a big ask to find one that has special significance for you.”
As yet there is no tie in to identifying you as an individual to your shirt. No way to claim a special personalised discount by wearing it to a match, a fanzone or a partner retailer but in time that degree of personalisation may well be on the cards, or indeed on the shirt sleeve.
Who is to say that in years to come it may not be possible for the IRFU to ‘see’ you as you come through the turnstiles and offer you guidance as to where the shortest queue is to get a snack or a discount on a half time refreshment, all based on a chip in your shirt.
GPS trackers have already become the norm for players and not only at the highest level. It may well be that your own shirt, by the time of the next World Cup, will be able to deliver data to you on just how excited you were when Garry Ringrose made that line break against England with five minutes to go.
The design of the fabric may help to disguise movement on the field but the flipside could be that it will do the opposite, in anonymised fashion if that’s what the public demand at first, in order to provide a better and very personal level of fan engagement in the stands and around the ground.
Ten years ago that itself would have been the stuff of a Marvel Comics storyline but today it’s closer than you might imagine. Now what’s my number…
Related: Read about the new Leinster and Munster kit launches.
