England Rugby Unveils New Kit Amid Claims It Gives Team Competitive Advantage

England's national rugby team "showed off" its eighth kit in three years on Thursday amid claims the design of its kits will give Eddie Jones' team a "competitive advantage," according to Lowe & Topliss of the LONDON TIMES. Having launched a white-and-blue home strip in August, England unveiled a grey-and-red alternate kit that the team "will likely wear just once," against Argentina at Twickenham on Nov. 11. Kit manufacturer Canterbury said that the design was inspired by the same "distraction principles" that once led to footballer Petr Čech wearing a bright orange kit for Chelsea, and was "in line with England head coach Eddie Jones's vision to be more disruptive and uncompromising on the field." Two new kits have been launched every year since '10, "and four in World Cup years." The merchandising market is worth £5.5M ($7.2M) a year to the Rugby Football Union, with the latest shirts costing between £48 ($62.89) and £95 ($124.46) (LONDON TIMES, 10/6).