Sportswear brand, SUDU, has announced an investment of “thousands of pounds” into grassroots footballing communities in collaboration with UK grassroots sports charity, Sported, starting with local Manchester clubs CUKI FC and Rushford Park FC.
At the same time, launching their highly anticipated PLAY product range – a 10-piece football-inspired menswear collection designed for training, playing and competing, that seamlessly blends style and performance for everyday athletes, both on and off the pitch – the brand has spotlighted CUKI FC and Rushford Park FC’s unsung heroes, bringing the new range to life through a ‘PLAY Without Limits’ campaign video.
Vinny Clark, CEO of Levy Merchandising, part of sports and entertainment giant Levy UK & Ireland which SUDU sits within, said: “To date, we’ve looked towards championing and investing in communities where we can with everything we do, and we’ll continue to do this as sport – and in this instance football – has the power to transcend and transform communities.
“These communities are the backbone of our societies, and with the launch of our exciting new PLAY collection which is all about passion, the journey and playing without limits, we wanted to find a way to give back while celebrating inspiring stories of individuals who have found strength and resilience through football.”
CUKI FC – which stands for ‘Can U Kick It’ – was established in 2011 following the death of founder and manager James Gregory’s son, who was tragically murdered aged just 16.
Gregory explains: “Hand-in-hand with CUKI FC, I started Families Against Violence as an outreach programme to engage young people in sport, specifically football – it was and still is about promoting education through sports, skill development, engaging youth in healthy lifestyles, and reducing gang and gun culture.”
He added: “CUKI FC is a lifesaver for a lot of our players where they often don’t have a safe space to train, or positive role models in their lives. The financial support SUDU are providing through their ‘Project Fair Play’ work with Sported is huge for us. It will allow us to increase our intake – transforming more lives – including re-integrating our open age men’s team into competition, and working towards having our own facility to house all of our programmes and initiatives in one place.”
Similarly, Rushford Park FC was set-up to keep local boys and men out of trouble. Jackson Blyton, club manager and director explained: “From the start it has been about giving young men a sense of belonging, a place to grow as men and as a team. We are a family, and when we heard about the opportunity to receive a grant from SUDU – and to be placed at the heart of their ‘PLAY Without Limits’ campaign launch – it felt the perfect fit.
“The investment will change lives not just for the next few seasons but the next ten years. It will help us to build on the success we’ve had, where football can empower individuals to overcome adversity, and to find their place and achieve personal growth. We want to continue to build our incredible community, and we are delighted that we will be doing so with the support of SUDU.”
Building on the success of their debut RUN collection and acclaimed football boots, the SUDU PLAY collection includes a range of statement items including jackets, gilets, shirts, midlayers, training pants and shorts, featuring a striking palette of vibrant pinks, blues, and purples, ensuring players stand out while maintaining peak performance.
Continuing to prioritise quality and ethical production alongside a deep connection to local communities, the collection embodies SUDU’s commitment to creating apparel that reflects the spirit of the game and supporting the journey of personal growth through sport.
Looking ahead, SUDU said it will will continue to invest in community sport, partnering with and working with more teams in the near future, including through an upcoming activation with the Wolves Foundation, the charitable arm of Premier League side, Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club, where SUDU is the club’s official technical kit partner.
