The Welsh dragon The Welsh national flag features prominently in the New Home and Alternate kits that the Welsh national teams rugby will wear during the coming competitive season, the fourth of their partnership with Macron. The new kits are made, like all the garments produced by Macron for its partner federations and clubs, in Eco Fabric, 100% polyester % made from post-consumer recycled plastic. The tradition of colours and the celebration of symbols such as the Welsh flag are the common thread linking the Welsh Rugby Union’s new kits, which, as far as the men’s national team is concerned, will make their debut in the opening match of the Autumn Nations Series, against Fiji on 10 November at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. The actual official debut, however, will take place as early as September – on the 6th, to be precise – when the Welsh women’s national team will face Scotland in the first Test of the season at the Hive Stadium in Edinburgh.

The new Welsh Rugby Union homepage It is in the traditional shade of red, with a white crew neck embellished with two thin stripes, one red and one gold. The same colour combination also features on the sleeve cuffs. The sleeves and sides of the jersey feature a sublimated, tone-on-tone graphic with an optical effect, depicting the dragon’s flames – the symbol of the Welsh XV and the entire nation. This exclusive graphic also appears on the background of the label at the back of the neck, where the Welsh Rugby Union crest, the Macron logo and the inscription ‘Designed in Bologna’, to certify and highlight how each garment is designed, engineered and developed in-house Macron Campus. On the chest, on the right-hand side, embroidered in white, is the Macron Hero, on the left, the coat of arms of the WRU. The back of the jersey features an embossed image of a dragon. For the first time in the history of the WRU, the men’s and women’s kits will be complemented by different combinations of shorts and socks: the men’s kit consists of white shorts with a drawstring and red side panels, paired with red socks featuring a white top band and a horizontal gold stripe; whilst the women’s kit consists of red shorts and white socks. The choice of red shorts marks a significant change in the design, developed in consultation with the team to address concerns relating to menstruation.

The version Alternate è white with a green crew neck and a red stripe. Red and green also feature on the sleeve hems, in a wide vertical red band across the sides and in two narrower green bands on the outer sides of the main body of the shirt. The choice of white has a dual significance. On the one hand, it is a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Principality Stadium, home to the Welsh Rugby Union since 1999 and, in particular, since the match played against South Africa in a kit featuring exactly these colours (the new shirt will make its debut against the Springboks in the third and final match of the Autumn Nations Series, scheduled for 23 September at the Principality Stadium). On the other hand, white – which last appeared in the 2004/2005 season – is also a very deliberate colour choice to make the kit “colour-blind-friendly”, meaning it is clearly recognisable even to people who are colour-blind or who otherwise have difficulty distinguishing colours. The back of the neck is personalised in the same way as on the front, and here too, the design of the Welsh Dragon, which became part of the national flag in 1959, but which has a very long history of representing and symbolising this country. On the chest, embroidered in red, is the Macron Hero, alongside the Welsh Rugby Union crest. The alternate kit is completed by green shorts with a white drawstring and red trim, featuring white and red detailing down the sides. There are two options for the socks: white with three wide horizontal red stripes, or white with two red-and-green stripes, one just below the top edge and the other just above the ankle. The Macron Hero logo is always positioned above the ankle, in red on the first version and in white on the second. The alternate kit will make its debut in the match between Wales Women and Scotland Women on 6 September, whilst the men’s national team will wear it for the first time on 23 November, in the third and final match of the Autumn Nations Series against South Africa.

Both jumpers have a fit Slim fit and the fabrics used are, specifically, Eco Armevo with inserts in Eco Boditex e Eco Strong Mesh, materials which, as well as being lightweight and breathable, ensure maximum durability. These new match kits, along with the Replica versions and the exclusive range of clothing and merchandise that Macron produces for the Welsh Rugby Union, are available in the the section on the Welsh national team on the website macron.com.