England launch new shirt
England captain Sean O’Loughlin, along with Super League stars Kallum Watkins, James Roby and Chris Hill, helped to launch the new national team’s shirt.
The event, which took place at Wigan St Patricks amateur club on Tueaday evening, announced the arrval of the new shirt, which has the hastag ‘Wall of White’ has been embossed at the lower back of the jersey.
The shirt takes broad inspiration from the St George’s Cross flag, and has red trim, following the usual pattern of England shirts over the last decade or so.
“This is where it all began for me and where, like all my team-mates back then, the dream of playing for my country first grew,” said O’Loughlin, who played his junior rugby at St Pats.
“To be back here now as England captain launching the new 2015 kit is fantastic. The lads in the squad never forget where they have come from and it’s an honour to be able to do this and share it with the fans.
“It feels great putting the kit on again and I’m looking forward to seeing all the fans create the Wall of White when we take on France and New Zealand this autumn.”
RFL Director of Performance and Coaching Jon Roberts added: “Having worked closely with BLK, we are delighted that they have produced a range of high-performance training apparel and playing kit for our England players.
“The shirt still carries the St George’s Cross and every single player that pulls on the jersey will know what it means to represent their country when they see that cross on their chest.
“It’s great to see players like Sean, James, Kallum and Chris along with representatives from our Academy, Youth, Women and Wheelchair squads engage with fans to get excitement building for the international games.”
England‘s Autumn Schedule:
Saturday October 24 – France (Leigh Sports Village, 2pm kick-off)
Sunday November 1 – New Zealand (KC Stadium, Hull – BBC Two, 5pm kick-off)
Saturday November 7 – New Zealand (Olympic Stadium, London – BBC One, 2pm kick-off)
Saturday November 14 – New Zealand (DW Stadium, Wigan – BBC One, 1pm kick-off)