The deal means that England’s most successful club side as well as some of the finest players in Aviva Premiership Rugby will be promoting Chester Barrie for the coming year.
The brand is dressing the club’s elite: six top internationals plus its executive directors. The player roll call includes England stars Tom Croft, Dan Cole, Ben Youngs and Toby Flood as well as Ireland’s Geordan Murphy and Martin Castrogiovanni of Italy.
All nine are being dressed in Chester Barrie’s navy Travel Suit. Made from luxurious high-twist pure wool cloth, it not only looks and feels good but is also particularly hard-wearing. They will also wear a pale blue cotton oxford shirt and an exclusive Leicester Tigers tie.
The players were measured and fitted over the summer, in between international training camps and their departure to the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
“The obvious challenge when making for rugby players is their body shape,” says Chester Barrie brand director George Orris. “But you have to go beyond the old fashioned image of rugby players as big lumbering, overweight blokes. These guys are highly tuned athletes and their bodies have been developed to do specific jobs.
“The most notable aspect is the drop from chest to waist. The standard is a six inch drop – these guys are dropping 10 inches! This requires some fairly careful construction, to ensure the jacket retains its shape and the cloth still drapes well. And of course, the players – all of them, backs and forwards – are big around the shoulder and bicep which can help with the silhouette of the body but requires careful cutting at the sleeve.”
Peter Tom CBE, chairman of Leicester Tigers, adds: “This is about two well-established brands coming together for mutual benefit. It is important that as a club we always present ourselves well. By linking with Chester Barrie we are always going to look our best. Meanwhile, our new partners gain access to the Tigers community as well as the broader rugby supporting public.”
