Asian rugby kit and apparel manufacturers during COVID-19

If, like us, you are sick of hearing the word COVID-19, spare a thought for the rugby kit and apparel manufacturers, who are still essential for rugby; kitting out the teams at all levels and supplying the basic equipment we need to play the game.

We reached out to a number of prevalent suppliers in Asia and asked them a similar set of questions to see how they were coping and what they were doing under these extreme conditions.

Photo Feature Credit: Getty Images

Asian rugby kit and apparel manufacturers

There are a number of suppliers in Asia who cater for rugby kit, balls, tackle bags and more. Some are businesses that were launched in Asia and have become well-known in the region and abroad, while international rugby and sporting apparel brands also have Asian branches and representation for a growing market.

Gilbert SEA – Kuckrejas

Gilbert is possibly the brand most synonymous with rugby union, and in Southeast Asia, the brand has been solely distributed by Kuckreja (Official Sole Distributors for Gilbert Rugby Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar. ) The family company has held the Gilbert distribution in the Southeast Asian region since 1999.

You have been running promotions to clear old rugby stock – did this come about directly due to the COVID-19 epidemic?

Actually, around the same time last year (2019) we did a similar stock clearance. Being the official sole distributors and wholesalers of Gilbert, we are pretty strict on not undercutting our retailers. However, last year we noticed there are product ranges which retailers simply did not want to stock, or were too expensive.

Slashing prices and going direct to consumers online was an overwhelming success. The difference between this year and last year is that the sale is extended for the length of the lockdown, as opposed to just one week.

The timing coincides with the end of the first Malaysian school’s sports season and is a couple of weeks before the start of the fasting month in Malaysia.

Kuckreja & Co’s celebrated its 74th anniversary in April 2020 and using e-commerce to ship rugby and sporting goods in Asia

What changes have you seen in business since COVID-19 started?

It’s safe to say that 90-95% of our traditional customers, retailers across Malaysia and Singapore – have little to no presence digitally. They have a store, or stores catering to a set demographic and geographic proximity. They’re all shut, generating zero revenue during this period.

We’re extremely fortunate to have laboured over digitising our enormous catalogue of products, with a fully functional e-commerce platform. Combining that with listings on marketplaces like Lazada has helped us have something to do during this time.

Business overall has dropped tremendously, but e-commerce has hit a new high for us.

At the end of this, we’ll certainly see a change in

1. How Credit is extended.
2. How many customers we actually have – if this carries on, and those with weaker cash flow will go under, certainly.

The objective during this period is not necessarily to profit, but to regain capital on stock, and to engage with the end-user, who’s actually trying to stay fit at home.

The 1st of April 2020 was Kuckreja & Co’s 74th anniversary – and since the lockdown started, we’ve included a note in every parcel – thanking customers for their support, and wishing them well during this time. I personally sign every letter!

Hopefully, they’ll keep us in mind after this madness is over.

Are you offering any promotions or payment packages or other assistance for rugby clubs and individual customers in these difficult times?

We did/are/ will be extending a 10% discount on payments owed to us – if cleared in a lump sum. So far, everyone’s tightening their belt – and even if they can pay for it – don’t particularly care if they pay their suppliers.

It will help us decide, after this, who we should and should no longer be doing business with. The ones that stick by us, we’ll certainly remember – and support them in their endeavours in the future.

• Thanks to Rajpal Kuckreja for his responses.

Tsunami Sport

Tsunami is a brand which is well-known for its rugby and sporting clothing apparel and that has kitted out national, regional and club rugby teams around the world. Recently the co-founder and CEO Andrew Chambers relocated to New Zealand to open their first office in NZ. This also resulted in the appointment of Greg McGuire as Tsunami Sport’s first Chief Operations Officer (COO).

Tsunami now has face masks for sale, did this come about directly due to the COVID-19 epidemic?

We are very fortunate that our production team and our partner suppliers work so closely together. This allows us to explore opportunities and needs quickly. We have presented the opportunity from our suppliers, and we ran with the idea of taking it a step further incorporating our Eco fabrics and utilising our design teams ability to run custom designs. I think its safe to say that the reusable face mask could soon be an accessory that is a staple.

I think its important to say that our mask accommodates a disposable mask. This extends the life of these disposable masks by five times. The casing has no medical properties. Its a quest to reduce waste. Which we are starting to see as a new problem with people disposing of their used masks.

Disposable and eco face masks from Tsunami Sport

Can rugby clubs customise their designs if they want to order these?

They sure can. I think we are all excited to see the return of sport at all levels. The events of this first quarter of the year (2020) will change the way we live. The mask is no longer an uncommon sight. So having a club-designed mask cover could soon be a staple in a club’s merchandise collection.

What changes have you seen in business since COVID-19 started?

The teamwear and the uniform market has taken a significant hit. Our market is built around schools, clubs, and corporate apparel needs. All of these areas have taken significant hits.

As a business, we are fortunate that we are not stock-based and manufacture as required—a key component of our eco message to produce only what is needed. On a positive note is that we are engaging more than ever with schools looking to adopt our fabrics and product.

I can’t help but think this is driven by decision-makers having more time on their hands and become more environmentally conscious to the decisions they are making. All are looking to make positive changes to their organisations.

Are you offering any promotions or payment packages or other assistance for rugby clubs and individual customers in these difficult times?

We are, yes. We want to support the many schools, clubs, teams and events that we are associated with. Relationships/ partnerships have always been our aim. Understanding our customer’s needs, worries and issues have allowed us to forge some long-standing relationships. Times like this strengthen these bonds.

The key is to allow for flexibility and support as best as we can to achieve their end goal. We have built some packages and offers to support rugby teams during these times and have always been open to dialogue to work around contracts during these unprecedented circumstances.

We have seen an uptake in schools & clubs utilising our online service. This supports the school or club in controlling the volume of products ordered and assuring there is no wasted product. While also allowing them the ability to generate a revenue stream through merchandise with no risk.

• Thanks to Andrew Chambers for his responses. (You can read more in our interview with Andrew in 2019.)

Inspire Change Video – The Future from Tsunami Sport on Vimeo.

Helios

Helios is an apparel brand based in Thailand that supplies the Thailand national rugby team with their kit as well as local clubs like the Southerners Rugby Club.

Helios now has face masks for sale, did this come about directly due to the COVID-10 epidemic?

Yes, we have face masks directly due to the COVID-19. The Helios face mask (H-Mask Protector) has come out in 6 different designs. Our face masks can be used together with a mask gasket for double protection and they are reusable. We are able to customise the face masks for the rugby clubs. For customization products, please directly contact us for further information.

What changes have you seen in business since COVID-19 started?

COVID-19 is an unforeseen event that has happened and it’s not only affected one individual country, however it has impacted us globally.

One of the changes I have seen in most of the businesses all around the world, despite whichever industries they are in, is to quickly adapt their businesses’ strategy and needs to try their very best to get through such a difficult time.

For Helios, our most important thing is staying healthy as we are involving in the nature of sports. Therefore, what we are focusing on is for our people to be safe, thus our company has been creating the H-Mask Protector production lines to help to prevent the virus.

Are you offering any promotions or payment packages for rugby clubs and individual customers in these difficult times?

The Helios products are currently available on a special sale. Customers can check out our website or on Facebook for the updated promotions. The promotion for the customised rugby apparel for the rugby clubs will come out soon.

• Thanks to Sass for his responses.

X-treme Rugby Wear – Masx-tech

X-treme Sports Gear was started and is run by Eddie Evans, who was a Canadian national rugby player from 1986-1999. They have been offering custom-designed gear for on and off the field “in most major sports: Rugby, Hockey, Soccer, Lacrosse, Basketball, Volleyball, Softball, Cycling and all there off-field gear that goes along with the sport.”

X-treme Rugby is now offering face masks for sale, did this come about directly due to the COVID-19 epidemic?

We created a new brand within our existing company (X-treme Rugby wear) called Masx-tech. This was definitely a direct result of the C19 epidemic. The news was talking about a major shortage for medical n95 masks and we decided to develop a reusable, washable PROTECTIVE MASK aimed for the everyday consumer. Doing our part to address the international protective mask shortages.

So with Masx-tech we quickly switched our manufacturing staff over to now printing and sewing high quality technical protective masks – instead of our norm which has been Rugby wear for 16 years.

Luckily we were already working with some very sophisticated fabric labs so able to quickly test and develop specific unique materials that would add good protection to the masks.

This really set us apart from the hordes of shops popping up and offering nothing more than low-level dust masks. We wanted to make a difference and help keep people protected.

Reusable, washable protective masks from Masx-tech

Can rugby clubs customise their designs if they want to order these?

Yes, we use high-tech fabrics that are fully sublimated. So one can easily have us add their personal design /colours and logos.

What changes have you seen in business since COVID-19 started?

Bottom line is sportswear has basically dried up for the moment but on the flip side, we have seen a steady stream of business (especially from larger companies and institutions) looking for high quality and uniquely designed and branded protective masks.

Are you offering any promotions or payment packages or other assistance for rugby clubs and individual customers in these difficult times?

X-treme Rugby wear was built through the loyalty of our rugby community. We have always been a company who supports causes including donating masks to our adopted orphanage and for others in need. It’s putting something back into the game and people in need.

We will most definitely work within our rugby fraternity to provide promotions and specials aimed at rugby clubs, schools, teams, institutions players and supporters.

We look forward to Rugby once again being part of our lives and enjoying all the special relationships we have forged through this great sport of ours. Stay Safe!

• Thanks to Eddie Evans for his responses.

Rhino – Asia

Rhino is one of the world’s leading suppliers of technical training equipment for rugby and has been the Official Ball Supplier to Asia Rugby for the last 3 years, and recently signed an extension of the agreement.

Rhino’s HQ in the Asian region is in Hong Kong and in addition, has licensees in China (based in Shanghai), and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, looking after Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brunei and Myanmar region. The global company also has Sales Agents based in Seoul, Korea and Yokohama and Tokushima in Japan. In 2019, the group supplied all the training equipment and on-field pitch kits for the Rugby World Cup in Japan.

What changes have you seen in business since COVID-19 started (Asia and globally)?

There is no alternative for any business in the current challenging times, but to try to ‘batten down the hatches’ as they say in sailing, and try to weather this storm.

There are no easy solutions – each of our Licensees and Sales Agents in the region have their own particular version of cutting costs, trying to sell down inventory and adopting their product focus. For Rhino, the latter has included a move to emphasise personal home fitness equipment – weights, mats, stretch bands, medicine balls – together with mainstream sportswear. The move away from formal wear generally may also strengthen the current, very strong trend, towards ‘athleisurewear’ over time.

Have you got any new products that came about directly due to the COVID-19 epidemic?

Like other groups, we have in-house manufacturing capability – in our case, in Laos – and we are considering currently switching some of our capability into the production of PPE such as masks, both for commercial reasons and a desire to contribute to the global process of fighting the virus.

There will not be a rapid return to social or competitive rugby in the near future and the current circumstances are something we will have to live with for some time.

• Thanks to Reg Clark- Chief Executive, Rhino Sport & Leisure Ltd, for the responses.

We also reached out other Asian-based manufacturers but have not heard back. We will update the article in due course if we get more responses.

Other Asian rugby news

• How has Asian rugby been reacting to COVID-19?
• Hear from the SEARR.Net referees.
• How has Coronavirus affected rugby in Asia?
• HK hosts Women and Girls Rugby Conference 2020.