England launch new home kit

Today sees the launch of England's new home kit for the 2009/10 season with fans able to pre-order now before general release on October 1.

Produced by Nike, the lightest and most innovative playing jersey yet sees England return to a classic all-white playing strip with the shirt boasting an open neck collar and iconic embroidered rose.

Photo: RFU

The neck of the jersey carries the motto 'RUGBEIA FLOREAT UBIQUE' Latin for 'RUGBY FLOURISHES EVERYWHERE', plus a subtle print of the St George's flag to capture the spirit of the England squad.

At 27% lighter than in previous seasons the new kit is designed to give the team every possible advantage on the pitch.

Tight fitting rugby apparel was introduced by Nike in 2003 in a bid to help reduce the opportunity to be tackled via the shirt, and this season sees further innovations to improve the fit. The ergonomically designed jersey, with underarm sleeve panels, gives players complete freedom of movement, optimised fit and comfort.

A new and improved 'gripper' print features on the chest panels of the jersey, effective in both wet and dry weather. Nike has worked with players to ensure that the gripper print is positioned at the optimum position to help catch and carry the ball, whilst the gripper layout was inspired by the famous structure of Twickenham Stadium.

Photo: RFU

Nike's Dri Fit fabric has been specially engineered to be stronger and more flexible than ever, ensuring that sweat is moved away from players' bodies to provide comfort and enhance performance against the opposition.

Along with the shirt, the shorts and socks have been developed to improve comfort and moisture management for the full 80 minutes of the game. For the shorts, Nike has used two fabrics: a woven ripstop as the main fabric, ideal for lifting in the lineout, and a chamois to keep the players' hands dry and the front gusset design provides maximum range of movement for the players in all situations.

Pre-order your new kit now by visiting www.rfudirect.com and be automatically entered into a draw to win a brand new shirt signed by the England Elite Squad.

See England in action this autumn in the Investec Challenge Series against Australia (November 7), Argentina (November 14) and New Zealand (November 21).

Tickets for the Investec Challenge, England v Argentina match are available now priced at £45 and £65 for adults and £10 for under 16s via www.rfu.com/tickets or by calling Ticketmaster on 0844 8472492.