A chance meeting between STC’s Jamie Warner and the Club Chairman of Old Brentwoods RFC, Gary Christopher, on the sidelines of a rugby match at St Joseph’s College in Ipswich, has led to Old Brentwoods becoming one of the latest kit partners with STC.
Based on its 12-acre site just north of the M25, the club is proud to host over 15 men’s and ladies’ teams, ranging from U5s to two senior sides. With so many teams representing the club each weekend, it is crucial to the club’s ethos and identity that all age groups play their weekend rugby in the same playing kit.
For many years, the club’s original shirts were sky blue and navy. However, following a request to design a ‘one-off’ kit for an end-of-season youth tour, new colours of pink and blue were adopted as the away/change playing kit. This change holds special significance for the club as it also became the favourite kit of Niall Stringer – a Colts player who tragically passed away in 2022. This led to the creation of The Niall Stringer Foundation in his honour.
To eliminate the need for a separate kit for away matches, STC designed a fully reversible match shirt. This innovative design maintains the same fabric and weight as a standard rugby match shirt—unlike the previous two-piece kit. It features a fully sublimated design on both sides, with reversed colours, making kit changes effortless while reducing the cost of maintaining two separate kits.
STC began their kit partnership with Old Brentwoods in 2024. The club had been experiencing longer lead times from their previous supplier and needed kit and teamwear available in around three weeks—something STC is always able to commit to.
Another challenge STC helped solve for Old Brentwoods was the issue of a physical club shop. For clubs at this level, having a place to hold stock or a shop facility at their home ground is sometimes a necessity. However, this wasn’t feasible for Old Brentwoods. The introduction of STC’s online store proved to be a valuable solution, allowing players and parents to access the full range of kit and teamwear without the need for a physical store.
Gary Christopher, Club Chairman, shared his thoughts: “The online store is able to showcase our full range of playing kit and teamwear. Olivia at STC set this up for us quickly, and it makes everything so much easier for the club, as well as for parents and players. STC is brilliant to deal with. They are always at hand to answer any questions or sort things for us. The kit is well-regarded by everyone, it’s easy to wash, and the size guides are accurate, which is especially important for our youth teams. I’ve already referred them to a local netball team and a local school as well.”
The club deeply appreciates the support it receives from local businesses, which provide valuable financial support for the overall running costs of such a large club. Gary also mentioned the quality of the print of the club’s main sponsor, Allen Kia of Brentwood, on the front of the shirts. This attention to detail is just another example of how STC gets it right.
For more information about Old Brentwoods Rugby Club, visit their website at www.oldbrentwoodsrfc.com.
