Media release

Thursday 10 May

Inaugural adidas Schools Scholarship winners announced

Christchurch teams to get new uniforms – and the All Blacks treatment

Two Christchurch secondary school sports teams were presented with their own customized adidas uniform yesterday, in an All Blacks-style outfitting session at Shirley Boys High.

The teams – the first XI girls football team from Marian College in Christchurch and the first XV rugby team at Shirley Boys’ High School – are the inaugural recipients of the annual adidas Schools Scholarships.

Each team designed its own uniform – using adidas’s new customisation website – miTeam.com. Each team was presented with their set of teamwear for the entire squad, including:

• Match kit
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• Training kit
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• Off-field kit (tracksuits, polo shirts, bags, balls and drink bottles)
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• Boots
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• Apparel and footwear for the management team

adidas New Zealand marketing manager Nadia Scott says the company decided to launch the new Schools Scholarship programme by donating uniforms to two schools impacted severely by the Christchurch earthquakes.

“From 2013 the Schools Scholarship program will be open to applications; however as many Christchurch schools lost sporting equipment and facilities in the earthquakes, we thought it was appropriate to recognize the city in this inaugural Scholarship year. Marian College and Shirley Boys’ High School were among the worst-affected schools.”

The teacher in charge of Marian College football, Kathy Seaward, says the players had plenty of fun designing their own kit.

“I can’t wait to see the pride in the girls’ faces when they get to line up in their new strip.”

Kelvin Tibble, Deputy Principal in charge of sport at Shirley Boys’ High School, says the new uniforms come at a great time, as the quake-affected school and community starts to find its feet.

“Like many Christchurch schools, Shirley Boys’ High School has had its challenges in the last year or two – as have our students and families – so this a welcome boost for us all,” he says.

Nadia Scott says adidas’s revolutionary new miTeam website gave the company the technology to make the scholarships possible.

“miTeam.com makes it easy and affordable for rugby and football teams of any level to have customized and personalised gear. The website allows the team to create a unique look, down to the colour of the stripes on their socks. The adidas team has had great fun working with the Christchurch students as they chose their colours and styles.”

The adidas Schools Scholarship programme will run annually. Each year, one secondary school rugby team and one football team will be the recipients of a full miTeam uniform. Teams from anywhere in New Zealand will be able to apply in late 2012 for next year’s scholarships.

Secondary school football and rugby teams interested in finding out how to enter the 2013 adidas Sports Scholarship can email teamwear.nz@adidas.com

ENDS

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