Canterbury of New Zealand has agreed to sponsor US Dax, a French rugby team that was recently promoted to the “Top 14” league, the top rugby league in France, for three seasons. The deal includes jerseys, protective gear, “base-layer” undergarments and off-field apparel, and marks the third club in the Top 14 league that Canterbury of New Zealand now sponsors, joining ASM Clermont Auvergne and Castres Olympique. The company will also adorn its trademark three kiwis on the Scottish Rugby team’s jerseys for the 2007 World Cup of Rugby.
Canterbury of New Zealand has deep roots in rugby, but as of late the company has been expanding its reach into other sports. It first gained ground in football by exclusively providing its base-layer undergarments to football clubs throughout Europe, but last May the company signed its first full-fledged licensing deal with Portsmouth FC, a club based on the southern coast of England. Another sponsoree for football is a Spanish team, Deportivo la Coruña.
For the coming Fall/Winter season, the company will launch its first golf apparel line through Michael Campbell, a professional golfer from New Zealand. The range is called the Michael Campbell Collection. Canterbury of New Zealand began this year sponsoring Olivier Giraud, the captain of France’s national handball team, for base-layer products. Further, the company is now the official base-layer supplier to the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland, in addition to sponsoring two French cyclists, Christophe Moreau and Cyril Dessel.
