Macron becomes the WRU’s official technical partner and will supply bespoke matchday kit as well as full training, travel and leisure wear, including accessories, to its senior men’s, women’s and pathway teams from October. Macron will further make a huge investment into Welsh rugby’s community game by providing £6m worth of kits over the duration of the deal.
The new Wales matchday kit will be worn for the first time against France in a warm-up match in Paris on 24th October, and go on to feature in the rescheduled Guinness Six Nations 2020 match against Scotland on 31st October and the new-look Autumn Nations Cup in November and December.
The new Wales home and alternate jerseys, which will continue to carry front of shirt sponsor Isuzu, are set to be unveiled early in October (Date TBC) as Wayne Pivac’s side head into camp ahead of a busy autumn schedule.
“We are 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 flair 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 seek to forge a unique relationship that will significantly benefit the community game and will see Macron supply £6m worth of kit over the course of the partnership across the 300 community clubs throughout Wales. The first kits will be available in time for the 2021-22 season, with both parties currently working on the distribution network. This will include the provision of significant credit amounts for Macron products to member clubs.
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 Rugby 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 12 years and we would like to thank UA and their employees all around the world for all the support during a genuinely fantastic partnership,” added Phillips. “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.”
All the technical garments the team will wear in the upcoming season are the result of research and development by Macron’s designers and will all be characterised by the icon of the Italian brand: the Macron Hero.
The logo represents the human body and takes inspiration from the tip of the spear, by definition a statement of dynamism and speed. The Macron Hero symbolizes even more effectively the joy at the end of the challenge, the achievement of a target, effort, passion and determination. The Macron philosophy: “Work hard. Play harder.”
Macron has long since become a leader in the world of international rugby. As regarding Federations and national teams, Macron is the technical sponsor of Italy, Scotland, Portugal, Canada and Germany, while at a club level in UK the list includes: Newcastle Falcons, Northampton Saints, Glasgow Warriors, Edinburgh Rugby, and of course the Welsh teams Scarlets and Cardiff Blues. In France: Section Paloise, LOU Rugby, Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque. Macron is also the technical sponsor of the Guinness Pro14 referees.
