Premium British sportswear brand Castore has confirmed that British
tennis star, Andy Murray has become a shareholder in the business and will
take on the role of board advisor, as part of its ongoing long-term
partnership.
Castore, which was founded by brothers Tom and Phil Beahon in 2015 and
named one of Walpole’s Brands of Tomorrow in 2018, will continue to be the
official kit partner to Murray, who wore Castore sportswear while playing
in the Australian Open earlier this year, while also working with the
tennis star on developing its apparel.
The partnership with Murray is part of the premium sportswear brands
expansion into technical tennis apparel and will see the tennis star
working on “collaborative product development,” added the brand, which will
include debuting his new Castore match and training kit, to coincide with
his planned returned to the sport this summer following his hip operation.
On the partnership, Murray said in a statement: “Castore is a young,
exciting brand that offers something different, with products that are
really well cut and designed. For me it was a natural progression from
previous kit partners. They’re the best I have tried and trained in.
“I am looking forward to working with their design team on the tennis
line and to be part of a British success story. The company is founded on
ethical principles in the way it treats suppliers and staff and that’s
something that really resonated with me.”
Castore announces long-term partnership with Andy Murray
The British brand has previously shared it has “worldwide ambitions” and
aims to challenge the market and change the future dynamic of international
sportswear and added that this partnership with Murray is an “exciting time
for British sportswear” and will help position Castore as a premium
alternative on the global stage.
It also adds that this is a “first step” on the brand’s strategy plan
which includes continued international growth, working with new retail
partners, adding extra categories including womenswear, as well as
additional athlete partnerships.
Castore co-founder Tom Beahon added: “We are incredibly excited to be
partnering with an athlete of Andy’s caliber whose drive, commitment and
competitive spirit have transcended tennis and inspired a generation of
future British athletes. Andy embodies the Castore ethos of Better Never
Stops, we immediately shared a joint vision on how to move the brand
forward.
“Our goal is to build Castore into the world’s leading premium
sportswear brand and the partnership with Andy represents a major step to
achieving this vision. We are very proud to be a British sportswear brand
and extremely excited about the opportunities this new relationship with
Andy encompasses.”
The announcement follows the 3.2 million pound investment last year to
help fund its international expansion, where Castore welcomed high-profile
investors including former Saatchi and Saatchi chief executive, Robert
Senior and Net-A-Porter investor, Arnaud Massenet. At the time of the
investment, Castore said that the funds would be used to expand the
business in Asia and the US.
Brothers Tom and Phil Beahon, who both came from professional sporting
backgrounds, founded Castore with a mission to deliver the “lightest, most
durable, highest performing sportswear in the market” and since its launch
in 2015 the digitally native business model has grown rapidly and now sells
in more than 40 countries around the world. Its success it adds is down to
all of its garments have been tested by elite athletes to ensure they excel
at the highest level.
Images: courtesy of Castore
