Cirencester RFC has teamed up with STC Teamwear for the new season, bringing together a growing, ambitious rugby club and a kit partner focused on personal service, attention to detail and fast delivery times.
A growing club with ambitious plans.
With a membership of around four hundred people, including approximately 250 playing members, Cirencester RFC is a thriving rugby community from the U6 Minis through to Colts, as well as two senior sides competing across the Gloucestershire leagues.
Club Captain, Executive Team member and Club Development lead Ollie Gibson has recently taken on the responsibility for the club’s kit and teamwear and used this as an opportunity to do things a little differently.
Having been with their previous supplier for around five years, Cirencester began looking at other options ahead of the new season. STC was already familiar to Ollie, having worn their custom rugby kits whilst at university, as well as following some of STC’s other kit partner clubs on social media.
“We were keen to improve on lead times, and we just fancied a change,” says Ollie. “One or two brands are worn a lot in this part of the world and we wanted something different.”
“STC being UK based was important to our club. Lead times are always a key factor for a club with this many players. We also wanted someone to come in and give its teamwear approach a bit more attention to detail.”
A personal approach – from the very start.
From the initial prototypes through to getting the new kit ready for the season, Ollie says the personal service from STC has made a real difference.
STC visited the club with samples, helping Cirencester get a feel for the options available and making the process straightforward from the outset.
“Everyone has been great to deal with. It’s a long way, but Stan was more than happy to come and meet with us to deliver the kit prototypes personally and we really appreciate the effort they have gone to.”
For Ollie, it has been the ease of communication that has stood out most.
“You can drop them a message and we get an answer so quickly. They were so proactive in getting us we wanted and not just standard options. This was important as it has helped us meet deadlines and get things approved by the club’s Executive team quickly.
Rolling out the new look.
The first new STC rugby kits have already been rolled out to the U14s, with the First & Second XVs set to unveil it at their opening league games at the end of September.
Alongside the new playing kit, Cirencester RFC has also launched an online club store, giving members an easy way to access their off field teamwear. The club continues to offer a physical shop through an independent retailer in the town and STC has worked closely with all parties to make both online and offline sales channels possible.
The annual signing on day for the Minis squads gave the perfect chance for some of the younger players of the club to try out the new and the response from players and parents has been really positive.
Building towards the future.
Cirencester RFC has already had a chance to see some of the rugby teamwear in action as it has used STC for a recent tour, ordering new travel polos and rucksacks. The quality and customer experience helped build confidence ahead of the larger teamwear order for the new season.
For a club continuing to grow both on and off the pitch, the new partnership gives Cirencester a Kit Partner that understands the importance of getting everything right.
And for Ollie, the combination of quality, communication and a more personal approach was exactly what the club was looking for.
“I would 100% recommend STC to any sports team or club. We wanted something different, but we also wanted a partner that would work with us and help us get it right. STC have been excellent at doing that.”
