Kookaburra Signs £250,000 England Hockey Kit Deal
England Hockey and Kookaburra Sports have agreed a three-year kit deal worth an estimated £250,000 (from April 2001 until May 2004).
The agreement will cover the England mens and womens Senior, Under-21, Under-18 and Under-16 squads. In addition, the Australian brand's UK operation will retain an exclusive license to manufacture performance, replica and off-pitch wear.
The England range will include a playing 'Skort' for women - believed to be the first integral skirt/short for women available in the United Kingdom.
Kookaburra - whose main focus has been upon the cricket market in the United Kingdom including its personal sponsorship of England test hero Graham Thorpe - has relocated development of its global hockey range to its UK base in Corby, Northamptonshire. The England Hockey deal is seen as a major focal point in its strategy to develop and grow its presence within in the UK hockey market.
Despite its world-wide manufacturing ability, Kookaburra selected an English manufacturer to produce both the mens and womens England match strip.
England international hockey stars Denise Marston-Smith and Danny Hall were selected as the 'faces of England Hockey' in pictures released today.
The photography - by Woburn-based photographer Andre Bieganski - will be used in a 'Natural talent' advertising and promotional campaign featuring Marston-Smith and Hall for the Kookaburra England Hockey range.
In addition to the England kit agreement, Kookaburra has been granted rights to an exclusive English Hockey Coach range of clothing for coaches completing coaching awards programmes with English Hockey.
The England replica and coaching kit will be retailed exclusively through English Hockey's Roar Material retail operation for the first year of the contract with the sale of replica kit through general retail expected to begin in the second year of the contract.
Announcing the agreement English Hockey marketing director Ian Thomas said: 'This is the biggest commercial deal that England Hockey has entered into in more than a decade. Working with Kookaburra, we intend to grow the replica market for England Hockey products over at least the next three years.'
'This agreement represents the culmination of more than three years work establishing the basis of a strong commercial partnership with Kookaburra in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Alongside other partnerships announced late last year, the Kookaburra agreement clearly
demonstrates a growing confidence among companies of the potential benefits of entering into marketing partnerships with English Hockey and its brands.'
Kookaburra Sports UK director Brett Elliot said: 'The England deal represents a big commitment from Kookaburra to hockey in the United Kingdom. It has been on the drawing board for more than a year and has been designed to ensure the partnership will work in the best interests of both Kookaburra and English Hockey.'
'We are not in this relationship for the short-term. This is a long-term venture that I am sure will firmly establish Kookaburra as one of the leading brands in both the United Kingdom and Europe in the future.'
For further information, please contact:
England Hockey
Ian Thomas
Tel: +44 (0)1908 544 617
Kookaburra
Colin Burnell
Tel: +44 (0)1536 743 337
Mobile: +44 (0)7968 982 090
The agreement will cover the England mens and womens Senior, Under-21, Under-18 and Under-16 squads. In addition, the Australian brand's UK operation will retain an exclusive license to manufacture performance, replica and off-pitch wear.
The England range will include a playing 'Skort' for women - believed to be the first integral skirt/short for women available in the United Kingdom.
Kookaburra - whose main focus has been upon the cricket market in the United Kingdom including its personal sponsorship of England test hero Graham Thorpe - has relocated development of its global hockey range to its UK base in Corby, Northamptonshire. The England Hockey deal is seen as a major focal point in its strategy to develop and grow its presence within in the UK hockey market.
Despite its world-wide manufacturing ability, Kookaburra selected an English manufacturer to produce both the mens and womens England match strip.
England international hockey stars Denise Marston-Smith and Danny Hall were selected as the 'faces of England Hockey' in pictures released today.
The photography - by Woburn-based photographer Andre Bieganski - will be used in a 'Natural talent' advertising and promotional campaign featuring Marston-Smith and Hall for the Kookaburra England Hockey range.
In addition to the England kit agreement, Kookaburra has been granted rights to an exclusive English Hockey Coach range of clothing for coaches completing coaching awards programmes with English Hockey.
The England replica and coaching kit will be retailed exclusively through English Hockey's Roar Material retail operation for the first year of the contract with the sale of replica kit through general retail expected to begin in the second year of the contract.
Announcing the agreement English Hockey marketing director Ian Thomas said: 'This is the biggest commercial deal that England Hockey has entered into in more than a decade. Working with Kookaburra, we intend to grow the replica market for England Hockey products over at least the next three years.'
'This agreement represents the culmination of more than three years work establishing the basis of a strong commercial partnership with Kookaburra in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Alongside other partnerships announced late last year, the Kookaburra agreement clearly
demonstrates a growing confidence among companies of the potential benefits of entering into marketing partnerships with English Hockey and its brands.'
Kookaburra Sports UK director Brett Elliot said: 'The England deal represents a big commitment from Kookaburra to hockey in the United Kingdom. It has been on the drawing board for more than a year and has been designed to ensure the partnership will work in the best interests of both Kookaburra and English Hockey.'
'We are not in this relationship for the short-term. This is a long-term venture that I am sure will firmly establish Kookaburra as one of the leading brands in both the United Kingdom and Europe in the future.'
For further information, please contact:
England Hockey
Ian Thomas
Tel: +44 (0)1908 544 617
Kookaburra
Colin Burnell
Tel: +44 (0)1536 743 337
Mobile: +44 (0)7968 982 090