Ellis Rugby in Canada. New Spring/Summer 2023 Collection.

ELLIS RUGBY CANADIAN LAUNCH SPRING/SUMMER 2023

Ellis Rugby has recently introduced its new Spring/Summer Collection in Canada. This is the second season following the original launch with the Autumn/Winter range back in December 2021.

The design concept behind the new range is a continuation of the highly successful ’21 Club Collection’.

Rugby Heritage is the inspiration behind the collection

The inspiration for the designs comes from the formation of the game of Rugby Football. It was on the 4th December 1870. Edwin Ash of Richmond and Benjamin Burns of Blackheath published a letter in The Times. They suggested that “those who play the rugby-type game should meet to form a code of practice as various clubs play to rules which differ from others, which makes the game difficult to play.”

So on the 26th of January 1871. A meeting attended by representatives from 21 clubs was held in London at the Pall Mall Restaurant on Regent Street. The ‘21 Club’ fashion collection from Ellis Rugby gains inspiration from this historical event which fashioned the game of Rugby Football.

Designs to create a high-quality fashion collection

The 21 clubs present at the meeting were: Blackheath (represented by Burns and Frederick Stokes the latter becoming the first captain of England), Richmond, Ravenscourt Park, West Kent, Marlborough Nomads, Wimbledon Hornets, Gipsies, Civil Service, The Law Club, Wellington College, Guy’s Hospital, Flamingoes, Clapham Rovers, Harlequin F.C., King’s College Hospital, St Paul’s, Queen’s House, Laussane, Addison, Mohicans, and Belsize Park.
While many of these teams have subsequently disbanded, the Ellis Rugby 21 Club Collection brings these clubs back to life to form an exciting range of contemporary fashion wear.

Inspired brand Ellis Rugby in Canada Launch

It was Canadian-born British polo player Lewis Lacey, who birthed the logo of the mounted polo player when he opened up a sports shop in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and began selling his shirts in the 1920s.
In 1933, tennis legend René Lacoste revolutionised menswear by creating the first ever polo shirt. Prior to this invention, tennis players would wear long-sleeved dress shirts on the court. And René’s creation began with cutting the sleeves off of these as he felt they were inappropriate for the game. As well as an entirely new silhouette within sportswear and menswear. He also constructed the polo shirt from a never seen before fabric. Petit piqué jersey, loose-knit cotton that was lightweight, durable & perfect for the game.

Following in the footsteps of legends – Ellis Rugby in Canada

Soon enough Lacoste’s polos were worn by college student-athletes. And everyday people alike as sportswear and athleisure became more popular. It was none other than all-American designer Ralph Lauren himself who turned the polo shirt into an international sensation in the years that followed. Having launched Polo Ralph Lauren in 1967. Lauren began selling his now-iconic polo shirts five years later, with the style fitting in seamlessly with the rest of his classic, smart-casual pieces.
Ellis Rugby are in the early stages of its journey selling into Canada. But the path trodden by the great Lewis Lacey, René Lacoste, and of course Ralph Lauren provides great inspiration to the label’s founder Kevin Ellis.

How to stock Ellis Rugby in Canada

For further information on Ellis Rugby in Canada. Please contact Doug Adams at the Adamsco Sales Agency on 289 388 9593 or email: [email protected]