The High Court, in a judgement announced today, found against the RFU and Nike in their claim against Cotton Traders in an action relating to Cotton Traders’ use of the RFU and England Rugby ‘Red Rose’.

The RFU and Nike are disappointed at the decision. However, the Court has granted us leave to appeal and we are taking legal advice on the merits of doing so.

The RFU and Nike believed that there had been an infringement of the RFU’s registered trade mark by Cotton Traders and that Cotton Traders had been passing off their rugby jerseys as originating from the RFU or that they were licensed or endorsed by the RFU. In addition, the RFU/Nike claim was that there had been a breach of a termination agreement signed by Cotton Traders at the time Nike replaced Cotton Traders as the RFU’s licensee and official kit supplier in 1997.

The 1998 re-designed ‘Red Rose’ and intellectual property rights in that trade mark, owned by the RFU, were not in issue in the proceedings and are not affected by this decision. If the public wants an Official England Rugby product they should buy only products bearing the updated ‘Red Rose’ and manufactured by Nike.

The RFU will continue to enforce its intellectual property rights in the modernised ‘Red Rose’ against any companies who infringe such rights to protect the RFU’s important merchandise revenue streams for the benefit of the game.

For further infromation please contact:

RFU Media Office
T: 0208 831 6513/6514/6558/6626