Canterbury of New Zealand Wins with Portsmouth FC
First Soccer Sponsorship Wins Canterbury an Appearance in the FA Cup Final
Canterbury of New Zealand couldn’t be happier with its first major foray into football, with its sponsored team in the
Premier League, Portsmouth Football Club winning its way to the prestigious FA Cup final.
Portsmouth will play Cardiff City FC for the Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup in front
of a packed Wembley Stadium, in London on 17 May, the first time it has reached the final since 1939 and its first time
wearing team apparel by Canterbury.
Canterbury has certainly turned heads in the football world in gaining the sponsorship of a major side in the
premiership, not least because of its status as virtually unknown in the sport 12 months ago, but also for bringing what
has been billed as the most cutting-edge and forward thinking kit the Premier League has ever seen.
With innovations that include a unique layering system incorporating Canterbury’s revolutionary IonX BaseLayer product
designed to regulate body temperature, ‘grip strips’ on chest and forearms of the goalie gear, and a ‘peripheral visual
enhancement’ (PVE) system in the form of a series of high visibility reflective spots in key areas, the Portsmouth kit
is a world away from the standard polyester playing jerseys currently worn by the majority of sides.
And it is not hard to see Canterbury’s heritage in the slim fitting design, more commonly associated with modern rugby
jerseys than with the average loose fitting football kits.
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Canterbury of New Zealand’s CEO Hugo Venter says that the company couldn’t be happier with the company’s expansion into
football and says that technology was a key factor. “Our company is in a unique position to not only be able to call
upon a rich sporting heritage, but also be able to offer Portsmouth FC our proven track record in the production of high
tech performance equipment,” he said.
“The deal with Portsmouth FC and our move into football marks an exciting time for the Canterbury brand as well as an
excellent opportunity to showcase the expertise of the company to a new audience.”
And now, with five international rugby sides including the current World Champion South Africa wearing Canterbury, along
with leading golfers, top cyclists, English County Cricket teams and now top level football clubs, a win at the FA Cup
will go a long way towards cementing Canterbury of New Zealand’s reputation as a global leader in performance sports
apparel.
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About Canterbury of New Zealand:
Canterbury of New Zealand was established in 1904 to manufacture and supply rugby jerseys to the New Zealand All Blacks.
The company is now the world's largest and most technically advanced rugby brand and provides official playing strips to
many of the world's top rugby teams including the South African, Australian, Irish and Scottish national teams. Beyond
rugby, Canterbury has established itself as the market leader in sports performance apparel with Canterbury BaseLayer
and other technical sports equipment now being worn by leading International athletes in the fields of golf, cricket,
football, hockey and many more sports.
www.CanterburyNZ.com