Gilbert Rugby

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Sports equipment company

title: "Gilbert Rugby" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["sporting-goods-manufacturers-of-the-united-kingdom", "british-brands", "sportswear-brands", "manufacturing-companies-established-in-1823", "1823-establishments-in-england", "british-companies-established-in-1823"] description: "Sports equipment company" topic_path: "sports" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_Rugby" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Sports equipment company ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

FieldValue
nameGilbert Rugby
logoGilbert (sports equipment) logo.svg
logo_size150px
typePrivate
industrySports equipment
foundationin Rugby, England
founderWilliam Gilbert
locationRobertsbridge, UK
area_servedWorldwide
productsRugby union and netball equipment and accessories
parentGrays International
homepage
::

| name = Gilbert Rugby | logo = Gilbert (sports equipment) logo.svg | logo_size = 150px | caption = | type = Private | industry = Sports equipment | foundation = in Rugby, England | founder = William Gilbert | location = Robertsbridge, UK | area_served = Worldwide | products = Rugby union and netball equipment and accessories | parent = Grays International | homepage = Gilbert Rugby is a British sports equipment manufacturing brand, specialising in rugby union and netball. The company is mostly known for its rugby union balls, having been official supplier for every World Cup since 1995.

History

One of the oldest sports companies in the world, the company was established by William Gilbert, a cobbler, in 1823, who along with his nephew, James, developed footballs for the neighbouring Rugby School. In 2002, after experiencing financial difficulties following a management buyout, Gilbert was purchased by Grays International.

Gilbert is the long-standing official ball supplier for the England, Wales, Scotland, Australia, South Africa, France, Italy and Argentina rugby unions. They also provide balls for World Netball. Gilbert is the official ball supplier of the ANZ Championship, the biggest netball competition in the world, and also the official supplier of the Netball World Championships. Their products include the Gilbert Synergie rugby ball.

In September 2014, Gilbert Rugby launched the "Match-XV" ball, which was developed specifically for the 2015 World Cup held in England. The Match-XV match ball was used throughout the Premiership Rugby, Top 14 and by all Gilbert-sponsored national unions in the test matches in November 2015.

Products

The following table details products manufactured and commercialised by Gilbert for rugby union and netball markets. ::data[format=table]

SportRange of products
Rugby unionBalls, kit uniforms (jerseys/shorts/socks), protective gear (body armors, shoulder pads, head guards, scrum caps, mouthguards, gloves), boots, compression garments, bags, safety cones, tees, water bottles, tackle bags
NetballBalls, Uniform equipment, footwear, post, rings
::

Sponsorships

The following teams, associations and players wear uniforms and equipment provided by Gilbert:

Rugby

National teams

Club teams

Players

Netball

References

References

  1. Grays of Cambridge (International) Ltd. "Gilbert Rugby - History - Rugby's Original Brand". gilbertrugby.com.
  2. [http://www.cordobaxv.com.ar/gilbert-sera-la-pelota-oficial-de-la-rwc/ Gilbert será la pelota oficial de la Rugby World Cup], 24 March 2010
  3. (15 September 2002). "Batmaker gets balls as James Gilbert is rescued". scrum.com.
  4. (19 July 2006). "Gilbert - Official Ball Supplier". [[International Federation of Netball Associations]].
  5. (29 August 2014). "Innovative Rugby World Cup 2015 Match XV ball launched". Gilbert Rugby.
  6. [https://www.gilbertrugby.com/eng/news/20160401-GIL2 GILBERT LAUNCH MATCH-XV PLUS WITH AVIVA PREMIERSHIP RUGBY] {{Webarchive. link. (2019-03-07 , 1 April 2016)
  7. [https://www.pro14rugby.org/2017/12/20/kicking-accuracy-try-scoring-rises-new-gilbert-match-xv-balls-arrive/ Sharper Kicks & More Tries as new Gilbert MATCH-XV Balls Arrive] by Adam Redmond on Pro14Rugby.com, 20 December 2017

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

sporting-goods-manufacturers-of-the-united-kingdombritish-brandssportswear-brandsmanufacturing-companies-established-in-18231823-establishments-in-englandbritish-companies-established-in-1823