Rugby: New Zealand’s Canterbury sportswear sparks controversy over new Irish jerseys

New Zealand’s iconic sports brand Kiwi Canterbury has been embroiled in controversy over the release of Ireland’s latest international rugby jerseys.

Earlier this week, the official sponsor of Ireland Rugby’s kit used unnamed models instead of members of Ireland’s own women’s rugby team to launch a tailored women’s jersey. A trio of airbrushed women shared a platform with Bundee Aki, Robbie Henshaw and Connor Murray, star members of the Irish men’s squad, who proudly displayed their strip.

The disparity did not end there with the trio of blank-faced women appearing in pants and smiling men in the team’s official white shorts.

Florence Williams, a member of England’s Wasps club, was quick to criticize the ad campaign.

“By not using female players to market YOUR OWN KIT, you miss out on generating recognition, fan bases and creating role models for future generations,” Williams posted on her Twitter account.

His post was followed by an avalanche of equally harsh criticism of the campaign under the hashtag “I am enough.”

Elinor Snowsill, who plays the first five eighths for Wales and Bristol, posted photos modeling the new Bristol Bears kit, provided by Umbro, alongside players such as the new English Premiership golden boy Semi Radradra.

“Sponsors, clubs and unions take note,” Snowsill wrote. “This is what a kit release should look like. It’s really not difficult. We’ve had enough sexist double standards in the sport already.”

The online protest immediately sparked a response from the clothing brand that struck up a dialogue with Williams and vowed to photograph the male and female rugby players together at all future uniform releases.

The brand also told the UK’s Daily Telegraph that it would reveal a women’s t-shirt to coincide with the British and Irish Lions men’s tour next year, while apologizing for “making a mistake.”

Canterbury of New Zealand was founded in Aotearoa in 1904 and was a long-time manufacturer of the official All Blacks jersey. The company is now owned by the global Pentland Group entity, but its head office is in Avondale, Auckland.