Canterbury of New Zealand is a New Zealand-based sports apparel company that focuses on rugby football. The company is named after the Canterbury area in New Zealand where the company started to make knitwear. Other than producing rugby kits, the brand is also known for their rugby protective wear such as headgear and pads, and rugby boots. The company also manufactures and markets lifestyle clothing.
The brand's tagline is "Canterbury: the world's original rugby brand". Its logo is the silhouettes of three birds (Kiwis) on three solid circular backgrounds creating the letters CCC; the initials of the Canterbury Clothing Company.
The brand is distributed widely among rugby-playing nations. The head office was formerly based in the city of Christchurch in Canterbury in the South Island, but has now moved to Auckland. There are operations in Brisbane, Australia; Emeryville, California and Manchester, United Kingdom. The brand is also manufactured and marketed in Japan under licence by Canterbury of New Zealand Japan. In 2006, Canterbury sold its South African operations to investment group House of Monatic, which set up Canterbury South Africa to run these operations under licence.
On 21 May 2007 CCC announced a deal to make the teamwear for English Premier League team Portsmouth. This was the company's second venture into soccer, having previously supplied New Zealand professional side the Football Kingz.
On 4 August 2009 the company announced that the European arm, Canterbury Europe Ltd, based in Stockport, had been purchased by JD Sports.
In March 2012 it was announced that Canterbury had won the England Rugby Shirt contract from Nike.
In August 2012 it was announced that sportswear retailer JD Sports has agreed a deal to sell the Canterbury rugby brand to sports and fashion retail group Pentland Group for £22.7m.
In September 2012 Canterbury of New Zealand launched the new England kit range, before the next round of autumn international matches. The kit has seen a return to midnight blue socks, which was last seen in the 2007 kit.
Famous quotes containing the words canterbury and/or zealand:
“Therefore Lord, not only are you that than which a greater cannot be thought but you are also something greater than can be thought.”
—Anselm of Canterbury (1033–1109)
“Teasing is universal. Anthropologists have found the same fundamental patterns of teasing among New Zealand aborigine children and inner-city kids on the playgrounds of Philadelphia.”
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)