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London Irish Signs Kit Deal With O'Neills
London Irish has signed a new five year partnership with Irish sportswear manufacturer O’Neills Irish International Sports Company Ltd.
The deal will see O’Neills produce all playing and replica kit for the Club at Senior and Academy levels, ranging from under 13 to the first team squad. O’Neills will take responsibility for the management of a new London Irish online store and develop an international third party retailer network globally. The new O’Neills range will see the Club revert to their traditional London Irish green.
O’Neills Irish International Sports Company Ltd. was established in 1918. It is the largest manufacturer of sportswear in Ireland and has manufacturing plants in Dublin and Strabane. The O'Neills brand has become synonymous with the production of team kits, footballs and hurling balls for Gaelic games but is fast becoming a major supplier to rugby and soccer clubs across Ireland, the UK, Europe and America.
The move to O’Neills reflects the business strategy of the consortium of London based Irish businessmen led by Mick Crossan and Phil Cusack, which took control of London Irish in December 2013.
Commenting on the announcement, London Irish Commercial Director Jim O’Toole said: “This is a landmark agreement for London Irish. The combination of O’Neills Irish sporting apparel heritage and an excellent supply chain solution make them ideal partners in the revamping of our entire philosophy and approach on merchandising.
“O’Neill’s online marketing expertise, allied to bespoke solutions via the internet for our supporters worldwide, was a key factor in this decision. A good example is their ability to deliver, within five days, any size and variation up to 5XL of our new shirt from their internet production facility in Strabane, Northern Ireland. We were also impressed by the O’Neills distribution network to third party retailers in the UK, Ireland, the Middle East, Asia and North America that will make it easier and more cost effective for our supports to access the new range.”
O’Neills Managing Director, Kieran Kennedy, added: “We are proud to be partnering with London Irish for the next five years and we hope the supporters are looking forward to seeing the new range. As a brand it makes perfect sense to affiliate ourselves with a Club that has a following in both Ireland and the UK as O’Neills’ presence in both countries continues to grow. This deal gives us an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to rugby and we look forward to working with London Irish going forward.”
Four shirts, which will be the mainstay of the new collection, will be unveiled on Saturday 10th May at the final London Irish match of the 2013/14 season against Sale Sharks.
