REVEALED | Bristol Bears shock everyone with their new kit producer

The Partnership between Umbro and Bristol Bears starts on the 1st July 2020, with the English sports brand providing match day kit, training kit and off field wear for the men’s, women’s and Academy teams.

The announcement follows the news that Umbro has become the Official Technical Kit Partner to England Rugby; supplying all match day and training kit, as well as off field wear.

Bristol Sport chairman and Bears director Jon Lansdown said: “We are very proud of the kits that Bristol Sport have produced, over the past six years. Since the Bears rebrand, the innovation shown in designing and creating the team’s jerseys has led to record sales.

“It was important for us to maintain that individual appeal, but also to push on to the next level, which is why the partnership with a globally recognisable brand like Umbro is a great fit.

“Umbro has been designing performance products for almost a century. Their expertise in logistics, resourcing and scale is going to be a huge asset in helping us to meet demand and to grow the Bears identity and vision.”

Sam Lucas, Head of Sponsorship at Umbro UK, added: “We have stated our intention to credibly support rugby through our partnership with England Rugby. Joining forces with Bristol Bears; an exciting club, on a journey to great things, complements this on a domestic and regional level. At the same time, the partnership helps us to deepen our connection with the sport, its fans and the wider rugby community.

“The club’s rich history echoes our own. Over the years we have created elite level products and are looking forward to bringing this experience to bear through our relationship with the club.”

Getting a bit more adventurous with this kaleidoscopic cornea burner from the England Sevens team. Thes multi-coloured front seems reminiscent of a dance-floor in a cheesy 70's disco club. Extraordinary.

If this is any indication of what their jerseys will be like moving forward, we could be in trouble after Umbro officially took over from Canterbury, signing a four-year deal with the RFU.

Looks like a toddler’s crayon rampage,

Apparently the choice is a 'regal' shade of purple, fit for a country known for its royalty. 

The fact England never won in this shirt means it should never be done again. Oh wait, it was, but a little bit better.

Four years on from their World Cup triumph, Nike completely changed their design and as good as it looked on a model it was not exactly the most attractive on the pitch with splashes of red on the shirt and shorts looking incredibly messy.

However, England were able to reach a second successive World Cup final, but this time narrowly lost out 15-6 to the Springboks at Stade de France.

In between World Cup cycles there's a touch more room for creativity and the 2013-14 alternate strip certainly look heed to that view.

The 2013-14 change of jersey caused quite a stir when it was launched, but anyone who bought it was left disappointed as it was only actually worn in competitive matches by the women and U20s during that season. 

Its design cues came from the painting of the 'The Battle of the Roses: Yorkshire versus Lancashire' that hangs on the wall of the President's Suite at Twickenham Stadium.