PREM RUGBY UNVEILS 30TH SEASON RETRO SHIRT CAMPAIGN
PREM RUGBY is today unveiling an iconic retro shirt campaign to kick off its 30th season as part of wider PREM30 celebrations.
Launching the Gallagher PREM’s landmark season in style, players from across all ten clubs were photographed wearing iconic jerseys pulled from the archives as part of the Fabric of 30 campaign.
With many legendary kits dating back decades, with some older than the players themselves, these vintage threads offered more than a piece of history.
As the PREM marks its 30th season since the league’s debut 1997/98 campaign under the old Premiership banner, Fabric of 30 connects the current generation of stars with the proud history of their clubs and the rivalries they share.
Bringing together players and jerseys from different eras, the campaign celebrates the evolution of the PREM while creating a visual legacy with a modern-day twist.
Rob Calder, Chief Growth and Commercial Officer of PREM Rugby, said: “Our ‘Fabric of 30’ campaign is about honouring where we’ve come from whilst also showing what our clubs mean today ahead of the Gallagher PREM season kicking off on Friday night.
“These jerseys carry real history and putting current stars like Louis Rees-Zammit, Finn Russell, Maro Itoje, Fin Smith and George Ford in them creates a genuine connection across generations of fans.
“It also taps into something bigger happening in sport and culture right now. Rugby shirts are turning up in wardrobes well beyond our own game – from football to F1 to golf and the NFL – sports fans love the iconic boxy fit and big collars.
“So this is also a reminder of how much rugby heritage and fashion still resonates across the globe and how PREM Rugby, our players, clubs and fans are all part of that cultural and global sporting moment as we celebrate our 30th season.”
The campaign kicks off the PREM30 celebrations in style with plenty of activity building through Round 1, into Derby Weekend (R4) and then beyond – all ahead of the Gallagher PREM Final in June.
Fabric of 30 is also launched on the final day of London Fashion Week as the Gallagher PREM plays its part off the pitch.
Saracens, British & Irish Lions and England captain Maro Itoje said: “I love that old school Saracens shirt and really wanted to keep it to add to my own collection.
“I often speak to Richard Hill, a Sarries legend and England World Cup winner, about what it was like playing in threads like this back in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
“It’s also really cool to see all the clubs coming together and connecting with the history of the league to celebrate this 30th season of the PREM.
“And I’m sure this season we will also see Sarries fans wearing shirts from across the years, showing off the club’s history, as we mark 150 years since the Original Club of North London was founded.”
Bristol Bears, British & Irish Lions and Wales ace Louis Rees-Zammit, said: “It’s a special feeling putting on a piece of Bristol history like that.
“I couldn’t believe how old the shirt is – it’s a year older than me. So it is amazing how brilliant they look today – that boxy fit, the big collars, beautifully stitched badges and the heavy cotton fabric – they feel and wear really nice.
“It’s also great to see how all sports fans and society is leaning into rugby heritage right now. You see people walking around in rugby shirts and retro kits all the time, it’s really cool to see.
“And I would wear this one out in a heartbeat, but I definitely wouldn’t want to be playing in it. I can’t imagine running out at Ashton Gate in it – that fit would probably slow me down a fair bit!”
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