2022 New Kits, Sponsors and Suppliers

[RigbyLuger]

A bit meh.

 

Wonder how much profit Bradford made on their "inclusivity day" shirt.

 

[Jughead]

Like that Saints one. It’s not as out there as some of the Magic shirts they’ve had. 

[Tommygilf]

9 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Like that Saints one. It’s not as out there as some of the Magic shirts they’ve had. 

That was my thoughts

[Davo5]

Saints avoid a magic shirt shocker for a change but it’s still a bit meh.

[Dave T]

Will any club play in their standard colours this year at Magic? 

[Jughead]

8 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Will any club play in their standard colours this year at Magic? 

Catalans normally do. I reckon they will and Toulouse certainly will. 

The pink shirt at Wigan is a charity one anyway I think, so I imagine they’ll wear that. 

[Tommygilf]

14 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Will any club play in their standard colours this year at Magic? 

Leeds and Cas look like they will be in their colours, just not in their traditional arrangements. 

[The Hallucinating Goose]

Is there any sales figures for England training ranges? I'm no expert when it comes to business but I would assume they think there is a market for this stuff and that people buy it in decent numbers to justify keeping releasing a new range every couple of weeks. Or is it that they produce it in such a small volume that it doesn't cost masses to bring out a load of ranges and they will always shift the small amount they do produce? 

[Dave T]

3 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

Is there any sales figures for England training ranges? I'm no expert when it comes to business but I would assume they think there is a market for this stuff and that people buy it in decent numbers to justify keeping releasing a new range every couple of weeks. Or is it that they produce it in such a small volume that it doesn't cost masses to bring out a load of ranges and they will always shift the small amount they do produce? 

I think it is probably the latter. I don't even know if they make in small numbers almost to order.

But whilst people complain about new stuff being released, I think it is an approach that works for England RL. Let's be honest, we don't help partners monetise their deals with us - we don't play games, we don't have 'triggers' for customers to come across the training gear or merchandise, so Oxen are having to create their own noise around the England range. Product launches, giving them something to talk about on emails and digital advertising every few weeks can work.

Had they launched a wide range of gear on Jan 1st this year and just left a huge range available on the website I suspect they would have had no criticism - maybe even praise for such a wide range, something that has always been lacking.

[RP London]

24 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I think it is probably the latter. I don't even know if they make in small numbers almost to order.

But whilst people complain about new stuff being released, I think it is an approach that works for England RL. Let's be honest, we don't help partners monetise their deals with us - we don't play games, we don't have 'triggers' for customers to come across the training gear or merchandise, so Oxen are having to create their own noise around the England range. Product launches, giving them something to talk about on emails and digital advertising every few weeks can work.

Had they launched a wide range of gear on Jan 1st this year and just left a huge range available on the website I suspect they would have had no criticism - maybe even praise for such a wide range, something that has always been lacking.

Its a good excuse to send an email out and to be honest i always look.. I've even bought as i was looking for some new gym shorts and the email came through with a nice pair of shorts on that weren't too expensive. I know I will probably do it again too at some point as, unlike others, I havent had much of an issue with the quality or service. 

[gingerjon]

40 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I think it is probably the latter. I don't even know if they make in small numbers almost to order.

But whilst people complain about new stuff being released, I think it is an approach that works for England RL. Let's be honest, we don't help partners monetise their deals with us - we don't play games, we don't have 'triggers' for customers to come across the training gear or merchandise, so Oxen are having to create their own noise around the England range. Product launches, giving them something to talk about on emails and digital advertising every few weeks can work.

Had they launched a wide range of gear on Jan 1st this year and just left a huge range available on the website I suspect they would have had no criticism - maybe even praise for such a wide range, something that has always been lacking.

Thing is, this is Oxen's approach to all the teams they work with. Hence the constant flow of miserable tat for Leeds as well.

[Jughead]

Oxen don’t make my clubs stuff and I’ve never bought anything they’ve made so I won’t speak on quality and sizing. 

My frustration is 5-6 training ranges a year which is often more ranges than international games, which makes it a bit silly and often needless, IMO. 

[Dave T]

27 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

Thing is, this is Oxen's approach to all the teams they work with. Hence the constant flow of miserable tat for Leeds as well.

Yes I did think of highlighting that, but that's for Leeds fans to worry about

I do think it works fine for an international team that doesn't actually play games. 

[Dave T]

3 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Oxen don’t make my clubs stuff and I’ve never bought anything they’ve made so I won’t speak on quality and sizing. 

My frustration is 5-6 training ranges a year which is often more ranges than international games, which makes it a bit silly and often needless, IMO. 

I'd agree if it was kits, but it's training gear, and I appreciate the variety on offer, I think tger are only so many White, red or dark blue t shirts you can have. 

[Jughead]

1 minute ago, Dave T said:

I'd agree if it was kits, but it's training gear, and I appreciate the variety on offer, I think tger are only so many White, red or dark blue t shirts you can have. 

I don’t think the overall amount of training ranges is necessarily a bad thing, I think like many things in Rugby League, it’s the execution that is the issue here. 

Five or six different ranges/colourways is not a bad thing but it’s the frequency that I think is the problem. Two or three big drops of merchandise in a calendar year looks better than one every other month, IMO, and I don’t think people would joke about Oxen if it was that way. 

The fire sales every six to eight weeks don’t help much, either. This is more at Oxen than England but I think that could be better. It doesn’t really help either brand and personally, I think it devalues quite a weak England brand as it is. There’s different points in a year that sales could be built around (St George’s Day, Summer, Black Friday, the last time GB/England won a World Cup 11th November etc) to have sales rather than as frequent as they do. I think we’d struggle to build a brand with this “hold off, it’ll be on sale soon” attitude that we’ve allowed to develop in the game through a recent history of discount codes for tickets and the frequency of Oxen sales and I’m not sure why you would pay full price for an England training top that will be half price come July or end up on M&M Direct in a similar period. 

[Dave T]

Just now, Jughead said:

I don’t think the overall amount of training ranges is necessarily a bad thing, I think like many things in Rugby League, it’s the execution that is the issue here. 

Five or six different ranges/colourways is not a bad thing but it’s the frequency that I think is the problem. Two or three big drops of merchandise in a calendar year looks better than one every other month, IMO, and I don’t think people would joke about Oxen if it was that way. 

The fire sales every six to eight weeks don’t help much, either. This is more at Oxen than England but I think that could be better. It doesn’t really help either brand and personally, I think it devalues quite a weak England brand as it is. There’s different points in a year that sales could be built around (St George’s Day, Summer, Black Friday, the last time GB/England won a World Cup 11th November etc) to have sales rather than as frequent as they do. I think we’d struggle to build a brand with this “hold off, it’ll be on sale soon” attitude that we’ve allowed to develop in the game through a recent history of discount codes for tickets and the frequency of Oxen sales and I’m not sure why you would pay full price for an England training top that will be half price come July or end up on M&M Direct in a similar period. 

I think this is just the way now though with online fashion sites - they always have sales to make themselves relevant and give them something to shout about. Look at any of the new online retailers, they literally always have some offers plastered all over them. 

I've been on the FA, RFU and Man City's sites recently and they are all the same. 

As per the last couple of posts, I'm not sure it's right for clubs, but imho it works for internationals which don't have natural sales windows for merch. 

[gingerjon]

1 hour ago, Dave T said:

I think this is just the way now though with online fashion sites - they always have sales to make themselves relevant and give them something to shout about. Look at any of the new online retailers, they literally always have some offers plastered all over them. 

I've been on the FA, RFU and Man City's sites recently and they are all the same. 

As per the last couple of posts, I'm not sure it's right for clubs, but imho it works for internationals which don't have natural sales windows for merch. 

I don’t know if I’m looking in the wrong place but on the official England store (football) I can only see a handful of different training tops. The cricket one, when I looked, had one training top design in singlet, short sleeve and long sleeve versions.

[Jughead]

Seems like Cas are having another new shirt, presumably for Magic, released tomorrow at 9am. Don’t they already have three shirts?

[RP London]

12 hours ago, Jughead said:

I don’t think the overall amount of training ranges is necessarily a bad thing, I think like many things in Rugby League, it’s the execution that is the issue here. 

Five or six different ranges/colourways is not a bad thing but it’s the frequency that I think is the problem. Two or three big drops of merchandise in a calendar year looks better than one every other month, IMO, and I don’t think people would joke about Oxen if it was that way. 

The fire sales every six to eight weeks don’t help much, either. This is more at Oxen than England but I think that could be better. It doesn’t really help either brand and personally, I think it devalues quite a weak England brand as it is. There’s different points in a year that sales could be built around (St George’s Day, Summer, Black Friday, the last time GB/England won a World Cup 11th November etc) to have sales rather than as frequent as they do. I think we’d struggle to build a brand with this “hold off, it’ll be on sale soon” attitude that we’ve allowed to develop in the game through a recent history of discount codes for tickets and the frequency of Oxen sales and I’m not sure why you would pay full price for an England training top that will be half price come July or end up on M&M Direct in a similar period. 

while i agree with most of what you are saying there are quite a few other sports that do this. 

If you look on M&M Direct you will find England RU stuff, Ireland RU stuff football team tops, shorts and sock, tracksuits etc etc etc. We bought my son an Ireland RU top for his birthday and there was no consideration of paying full whack as we knew that we could time it right and get it in the sale or from a number of sites that we have found over time that these shirts appear on at discount rates.  

In a way to build the brand you need people wearing it, I am more likely to wear something subtle than outlandish (i know others differ) so get a the alternatives out. If you drop in 2-3 drops then thats 2-3 emails, 2-3 impressions. If you do it in 5-6 then you've doubled the amount of times you land in their inbox. As a punter I know that if i dont like what they offer I dont buy it because they may well do a different range next month that I will like, which means i will wear it more. I am not sure that is a bad thing. Its almost like a fashion label with new ranges, new designs.

There is logic there, whether it is the right way or not I suppose we will wait to see but I can see the logic in it and i personally dont mind it, other sports are doing it. As a registered RU coach I get loads of emails from the RFU with sales and new ranges, not as many but its up there. So I dont think we should worry that we're doing something that is different to others. 

[Jughead]

Cas Magic Weekend shirt. 

That’s three black and orange shirts this year and one in grey. Talk about not deviating from type  

 

[gingerjon]

2 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Cas Magic Weekend shirt. 

That’s three black and orange shirts this year and one in grey. Talk about not deviating from type  

 

That is one of the weirdest launch photos I think I've ever seen.

I don't mind the shirt though.

[Chrispmartha]

The Cas shirt is fine, but surely if its a one off shirt for a charity shouldn't it at least be a bit different rather than just another shirt?

 

I'm in two minds about these special shirts for Magic.

I can see the point and its good if clubs are doing their bit for charity but then again its a showpiece event and the clubs shirts are their brand so should they be showcasing that to more people?

[Henson Park Old Firm]

why did I just get a erection looking at the Cas photo?

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, Henson Park Old Firm said:

why did I just get a erection looking at the Cas photo?

[Damien]

46 minutes ago, Jughead said:

Cas Magic Weekend shirt. 

That’s three black and orange shirts this year and one in grey. Talk about not deviating from type  

 

Is this a kit launch or is it the promo for a new sideline the players have going?