Proud Yorkshireman, Kevin Ellis, spent much of his childhood playing rugby in his local field with his elder brothers. After first giving Rugby League a go he then switched codes to rugby union, enjoying several seasons with Headingley in Leeds, before signing professional. Kevin’s passion for sport, combined with a love of design and fashion, are the driving force behind rugby heritage brand Ellis Rugby. The appeal of the Ellis Rugby brand lies in the striking designs, stylish colour choices and the exceptional quality of the fabrics. The loyalty of customers and the businesses commitment to retaining the heritage and traditions have enabled the brand to grow rapidly. Ellis Rugby are committed to producing quality garments which are inspired by similar like-minded individuals from the rich history of the game of rugby. The brand also creates bespoke fashion collections for professional sports clubs such as Bath Rugby, Saracens, Harlequins, Worcester Warriors, Gloucester, Leicester Tigers, Northampton Saints, London Irish, Hull KR, Castleford Tigers and Huddersfield Giants. Ellis Rugby were also commissioned to design fully licensed ranges for Great Britain Rugby League and the RL Hall of Fame, celebrating the legendary former players of the game.In this episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interview Ellis Rugby Founder, Kevin Ellis, about how he combined two passions, rugby and design, to create a rugby inspired fashion label. Our host Peter Brooker asks Kevin where the inspiration for the vintage designs comes from and what goes into researching the stories of historic sporting heroes. With a background in design and marketing he highlights how he tackled knowledge gaps when first building the business. We also find out about the new Storyteller smart phone feature for the recent Rugby League Hall of Fame collection, where a fully washable microchip is inserted into the woven label, enabling customers to learn more about the heritage of their unique rugby jersey via video when a mobile phone is placed over it. Whilst we have your attention, be sure to sign up to our daily MenswearStyle newsletter here. We promise to only send you the good stuff.Support the showOur new store shop.menswear.style is now live!