Castore, which is said to be planning to go public in 2022, has replaced New Balance as sponsor of the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB). By the terms of the deal, worth some £25 million (€29m-$35m), the British sportswear producer will be supplying all ECB teams – men’s, women’s, disabled and pathway – with official match-day and training kits for ten years as of April 2022. Moreover, Castore will develop a “digital first” e-commerce strategy for the marketing and sale of cricket sports- and leisurewear. As for the apparel, the professional cricketers themselves will have a hand in the design, and match-day versions will be made of recycled materials. Similar kit deals are in place with the Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wonderers football clubs of the England Premier league, the Glasgow Rangers of Scotland, and the Saracens of the England Rugby Union. There is also a partnership with McLaren’s Formula One team. In addition, Castore sponsors the tennis player Andy Murray, the swimmer Adam Peaty, the England cricketer Jos Buttler and the rugby player Owen Farrell. Murray is also an investor in the company, and Mohsin and Zuber Issa, the brothers who recently bought the Asda supermarket chain, became Castore’s largest shareholders earlier this year through a Jersey-based investment firm, Monte Group. Castore was founded as recently as 2016 by the brothers Thomas and Philip Beahon. Reportedly, the company’s sales could reach £100 million (€117m-$139m) this year.

Topics