After last week’s successful launch of the Reds new kit, Australian sportswear manufacturer KooGa have scored another big name with the Brumbies releasing their new KooGa designed kit today in Canberra. When you add to this the company also recently announced it had teamed with the ARU to design and manufacture the new Wallabies jersey, it makes for a pretty impressive line-up.
It has only taken eight short years for the Gold Coast based firm to have some of the best recognised sporting teams in Australia wearing jerseys designed by KooGa with mungo teams Melbourne and Newcastle already part of the stable.
Speaking to G&GR, Marketing Manger Troy Bingham, who put together the first Bokke sponsorship deal before the ’95 World Cup, outlined KooGa’s ever increasing profile.
“At the moment around Australia, with clubs and school’s, we do around 1200 separate jerseys. Rugby is a big part of what the KooGa brand is all about and now with the Wallabies, and the Reds and Brumbies as well, it is great for us. We already support some of the youth teams and development teams, so the pro teams were the next logical step.
“We are also hoping to get the new Melbourne Super 15 team on-board and we are currently pitching that pretty hard. If we can get the Melbourne team that will really give us a great footprint around Australia.”
It was fitting the Reds were the first jersey released as KooGa’s connection with rugby in Queensland was something that helped the firm get established when it started out.
“We started this business in Queensland and indeed it was the support from Queensland rugby clubs and schools that formed the foundation of our company,” said CEO Kim Brant.
“I have two sons who have represented Queensland Rugby in different age groups so to have our brand on the States (Queensland) jersey is something we all feel very proud of.”
While the look of the new Wallaby jersey is a closely guarded secret – although G&GR is working on getting a few hints in the coming weeks – there is no doubt the innovations made by the company in relation to the Reds jersey will be replicated.
National Sales Manager, Shannon Moore, gave G&GR the inside scoop on just what makes the new jersey so different. Not only is the jersey’s fabric stronger than others the company has used, it also is designed to improve the players physical performance.
“We are using a new material called Hydrosteel which is exclusive to KooGa. This material stretches four ways and allows for the players to have increased lung capacity due to the way the fabric moves.
“The jersey is also Hydrophilic (that means it transports sweat from the body to the outside of the jersey, dumb-arse!) and its fitting nature helps reduce the effectiveness of opposition tacklers.”
Shit – and I thought it was just a jersey!!!
2009 was a forgettable year in Australian rugby history for a myriad of reasons. It is clear the cause of this was the jerseys the three mentioned teams were wearing. With a new year about to start, and the Wallabies, Brumbies and Reds turning out in new KooGa designed kit in 2010, all that could be about to change.
