Bristol Bears have officially unveiled Umbro as their new kit supplier.
As exclusively revealed by Bristol Live in February, the Bears have moved away from using Bristol Sport's own-manufactured kits for the first time since 2014/15.
The deal is a coup for the Bears, with Umbro having also become England Rugby's official kit supplier in a deal worth over £5m a year.
Umbro's partnership with the Bears begins on July 1 and will see them supplying the club's academy and women's teams along with the men's senior team.
Bears director and Bristol Sport chairman Jon Lansdown felt the opportunity with Umbro was too good to turn down.
He explained: "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."
Umbro's Sam Lucas said the brand is looking forward to expanding their connection to rugby with the link to the Bears.
He said: "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."
