Great Britain Tag Rugby are excited to unveil a brand new kit designed specifically for the 2023 Tag World Cup.
Following tradition from previous World Cup campaigns the kit is predominantly white with subtle cues to emphasise the national and sporting heritage of the eight GB sides that will take to the field in Limerick this summer.
An abstract rendering of the classic Union Jack design has been sampled in a chest chevron that also pays tribute to the Rugby League influence seen in the sport of Tag Rugby in the UK. While the clean, white design ensures the kit will stand out against all opposition at the World Cup, the red and blue seen in the ascending triangular pattern on the main body of the jersey creates a dynamic look, reflecting the speed and agility of the players. The contrast between the chest and abdomen also links the World Cup jersey to the current British & Irish Cup and International Tag Series kits which both had a similar split design.
While the jersey has reverted to a traditional World Cup white, the decision to preserve the blue shorts was a conscious one. Numerous women’s sports teams have recently transitioned from white to dark coloured shorts following period concerns raised by female players. With a 50:50 female player to male player ratio in the programme it was important to Great Britain to follow these examples and ensure our female players can feel confident and comfortable wearing the kit at all times.
Great Britain Tag Rugby’s Associate Sponsor, Oaklin, is featured on the reverse of the jersey with their green and gold logo standing out proudly against the red, white and blue colour scheme. The official kit launch photoshoot culminated at Oaklin’s offices and photos from this will be able to be viewed on Oaklin’s Instagram.
Try Tag Rugby’s Head of Design & Merchandise, Steve Devonshire was one of the architects of the World Cup kit as well as the photoshoot director and photographer said: “I’m thrilled with the final outcome of a project we embarked on in late 2022. We submitted designs to the International Tag Federation (ITF), in late February, making it challenging to keep the design a secret for the past couple of months. To make the striking white tops stand out, we deliberately chose gritty locations for the launch photoshoot, and we’re delighted with the end result. I’d like to express my gratitude to our models for their contribution in unveiling the kit and for being great ambassadors to the Great Britain programme.”
Will Shepherd, Great Britain Programme Director said: “The design process for this World Cup kit has been a long and careful one with us wanting to come up with something that simultaneously looked sharp, modern and eye-catching, while still paying tribute to our World Cup campaigns of the past. I am excited with the end product and getting to see the initial reactions from the players involved in the photoshoot was great. I hope that this kit is one that all our players will feel immense pride wearing as they represent their country on the biggest Tag stage of all in August.”
The 2023 Tag World Cup takes place from the 2nd-5th August at the University of Limerick, Ireland. Travelling Great Britain support is strongly welcomed while fans who can’t make the trip can follow the GB teams at home on the official stream.
Featuring in the photoshoot are; Isaac Fanin, Jade Walker, Min Yang, Usman Merchant.
