Lions Ball Unveiled by ARU & Gilbert

New-look Lions ball unveiled by Gilbert andARU

The gang at Rugby Plus was excited to hear about the release by Australia Rugby Union of a new-look Gilbert match ball to be used during the upcoming 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia.

The Virtuo ball, specially designed by Gilbert and featuring the colours of the Qantas Wallabies and British & Irish Lions, has been used for the past two seasons in Australia.

 Young Wallaby Liam Gill spoke of his excitement about the fast-approaching series:

‘Everyone understands the aura that the British & Irish Lions bring, not only the team.. the supporters, the atmosphere will be great. It'll light up every city they touch,’ said Gill.

Bill Pulver, CEO of Australian Rugby Union, said the unveiling of the official Gilbert match ball is the next exciting step in the countdown to the highly anticipated British & Irish Lions Tour.

 ‘Australians have been waiting 12 years for the Lions to return to our shores and anticipation surrounding this tour is building every day. Unveiling a new match ball to be used for all nine of the Lion’s matches on Australian soil is another exciting milestone in the countdown to the Lions arriving.’

‘The inclusion of the Qantas Wallabies’ Gold and the Lions’ Red on the ball will add to the spectacle and magnitude that is a British & Irish Lions Tour.’

Gilbert Australia Brand Manager, Jon Clarke said the new ball is a powerful addition to Gilbert’s established range of high performance balls used around the globe at the elite level.

‘With the extensive media coverage the Tour will generate, we are confident that the new design will also be a hit with fans from both teams,’ Mr Clarke said.

Gilbert Replica and Supporter balls celebrating the Qantas Wallabies season will be widely available in leading stockists throughout Australia. Here at Rugby Plus, we can’t wait to see the new design in the flesh when it hits our shores! As one of the UK's leading rugby retailers, we stock an extensive range of match, training and replica balls, designed by the likes of Gilbert, Canterbury, Adidas and Rhino. Check out our selection here. The vibrant Rhino Lions Supporter Balls, which feature an eye-catching tribal design, and are available in blue, green, red and white are already proving a hit with our customers.