And you thought it was just a jersey... Munster kit 'part of our DNA'
This weekend will see Munster run out at Exeter Chiefs in their latest, specially commissioned European kit. With no clash in terms of colours at Sandy Park tomorrow afternoon, the new jersey will naturally be red of hue, yet there is much more to the design than that.
When the province launched the shirt that its players will don in Heineken Champions Cup matches for the next two seasons, kit manufacturers adidas were keen to stress that the inspiration behind the design was Munster’s home Thomond Park in order to mark the 10th anniversary since the Limerick stadium was redeveloped.
“The vivid red adidas jersey has a hint of navy and gold detail throughout, inspired by the mix of vibrant and recognisable seat colours in the stands of Thomond Park,” was how the kit was described.
“Supporters have experienced sublime highs and witnessed epic battles at the venue for many years. The famous Munster Rugby passion is synonymous with the venue and the new European jersey pays tribute to the battle ground that is Thomond Park.”
Kit launches are, by now, as familiar an event as the changing of the seasons and supporters are more than happy to fork out for the latest jersey to wear with pride and display their allegiances.
This summer alone, double winners Leinster, who followed Munster to adidas this season, unveiled both home and alternate jerseys while Connacht and their kit manufacturer BLK launched a new home kit and Ulster will be wearing red Kukri jerseys for their European games.
This will be Munster’s third European kit since they introduced the concept in 2014/15. Province brand manager Claire Cooke told the Irish Examiner the latest launch was about history as much as the bottom line. Cooke has several editions of the iconic red jersey under lock and key in her office, while some are on display at Munster’s museum in Thomond Park.
“It’s more than a business, the Munster jersey,” said Cooke. “It’s part of our heritage, part of our culture, part of our DNA. So it’s far more than a commercial piece for us and we always respect it in that regard and treat it that way every season when we design it in conjunction with adidas, as they do as well.”
The jersey has moved on in leaps and bounds since Munster first took the European stage in 1995/96 in an old-school, heavy-duty cotton jersey with the old three crowns crest, which itself has been updated, most recently in 2003.
The province updates the kit design every two years, home one year, alternate and European the next. The aquamarine alternate kit, first showcased in pre-season, takes its inspiration from the province’s Cliffs of Moher, the detail symbolising the layered foundations of the cliffs while the colour apparently reflects the copper ore once mined in Waterford.
“The home and European jersey will always be predominantly red but with the alternate jersey we get to look at colour palettes that are popular for that season in high fashion, to be honest. So they kind of play around with the alternate jersey.”
Not that there’s limitations with what you can with a red jersey. While this season’s European version imitates the multicoloured Thomond Park seating against the red body, the two previous incarnations took different inspirations.
“The first one had hoops, which was a nod to the very traditional style rugby jersey in 14/15 and then for 16/17 we used the Munster tartan (of the province’s McCarthy clan).
The McCarthys, incidentally, went into battle with their shields decorated with the Latin motto: “forte fideli nihil difficil” — “to the brave and faithful nothing is impossible”.
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