In a first for both Canterbury and the RFU, a multi-camera Facebook Live broadcast treated viewers to the exclusive launch of the New England Rugby 2016/2017 home kit.

England Captain Dylan Hartley, alongside fellow internationals Maro Itoje, Mike Brown and George Kruis were on hand to reveal the new kit.  England Women players Rochelle Clark, Lydia Thompson and Vicky Fleetwood were also in attendance to unveil the women’s kit for the very first time.

The new kit identifies the heritage of the game, with the neckline feature taking inspiration from England Rugby’s first ever jersey worn in 1871.

The home kit features a range of innovations that have been developed by Canterbury to improve the look and feel for both players and fans alike. The shirt continues to feature reduced fabrication weight to minimise moisture absorption, a 3D injection moulded crest and a super-enhanced fit technology, developed from player position-specific 3D body-mapping.

Speaking about the new shirt, England Head Coach Eddie Jones said; “We’re always striving to improve every area of our preparation and performance so it’s great to work with an innovative brand like Canterbury who share our philosophy.

Discussing the launch of the new England Rugby shirt, Canterbury CEO, Chris Stephenson, said; “The new England shirt demonstrates Canterbury’s unwavering commitment to England Rugby. We’re devoted to delivering the latest innovation and developing a rugby kit that not only suits the needs of players at the elite level of the game, but also the committed fans across the country who make a huge contribution to the success of the team.”

To mark the launch Hartley, Mike Brown and James Haskell have provided an insight into their individual rugby stories, showing the commitments they’ve made for the game and the challenges they have faced to become an England player. Fans can watch their inspirational stories in Canterbury’s ‘Only the Committed’ Campaign film.

The new England Rugby shirt from Canterbury is now available in store as well as at Canterbury.com and EnglandRugbyStore.com