Written by Mike Carter, Hull KR Shirts.
Just like that, within 10 days of the first Hull KR kit release for the 2025 season, we had another one. The timing of this release feels very opportunistic, but it was perfect timing all the same. It came right before Hull KR welcomed over 10,000 supporters to Sewell Group Craven Park for the biggest game in the stadiums’ 30+ year existence. A game where Hull KR defeated the Warrington Wolves by 10 points to 8, in a closely fought contest, to seal a place at their maiden Betfred Super League Grand Final.
This was the placement window that I had for the reveal of the 2025 home kit, down in my usual guesswork placement. I thought the momentum would be capitalised on again, in a similar fashion to that of the 2024 home kit release a year prior, that occurred in the build up to the play-off semi final against Leigh Leopards in 2023. Hull KR reported the success of that launch, and followed that up with record sales numbers for the 2025 home kit – it is a tried and tested method that is currently working wonders for Hull KR’s marketing and retail departments.
None of this would be possible without the success on the field, that is the bread and butter of the ‘business’, so it is important that all aspects of the club continue to ride this wave of momentum and evolve with the upwards trajectory.
Venn? Why, When and How?
John Venn was a Mathematician who was born in Kingston Upon Hull on 4th August 1834 who was responsible for the creation of the ‘Venn diagram‘ – a widely used diagram where over lapping curves representing user inputs, connect and overlap each other to show the common connections and/or relationships that are shared by the relevant inputs. It’s the sort of thing you will know about, even if you didn’t know it by name. The connections here are that Venn was born in Hull, in the 1800s, likewise Hull KR was also formed in the 1800s and we have recently passed the 190th anniversary of his birth – two excellent reasons for the impetus behind what has become the 2025 Venn Alternate Shirt!
I can vividly recall a conversation between myself and Les Motherby, who is a good friend of mine and the mastermind behind Hull City Kits and The Football Kit Podcast, prior to a Hull City game back in 2022. Yes, two whole years ago! Les suggested to me that he felt like there was something in the idea of one of the city’s sporting clubs designing a kit around the ‘Venn diagram’. We had a brilliant discussion about how it could be designed and marketed and covered most, if not all, of the points that Hull KR covered in their release article. He sold me on the idea on the spot. He really saw something in it, and after the conversation, I did too!
Then as if by fate, shortly after this discussion, I was asked by Hull KR if I was interested in supplying any ideas for kits for the 2024 season, this is something that has become quite regular, but after this stage my involvement is very limited. I enjoy the reveal process, so where possible, I avoid any spoilers at all costs. I set together a list of ideas in November 2022 and included Les’ idea within it. This prompted a conversation with Tom Forward, the Media Manager at Hull KR, who tells me he has also been pushing for a Venn inspired kit, too. I told Tom about Les’ idea in 2022, and this appeared to rekindle a spark in Tom to pursue the possibility, too. Nothing more was said to me after that, so when it didn’t show up in the trio of kits for 2024, I assumed that it wasn’t meant to be.
That was until 12th September 2024, anyway, when Hull KR introduced to us their 2025 Venn Leisure Range. It was then when I took an educated gamble. Normally, I would write a review about a new range, but I held off in the hope that this would then lead to a kit reveal, meaning I could tie the two together! That worked out alright, didn’t it! If you love this kit, then Les and Tom are the gentlemen who you need to thank! Cheers, boys!
There was one clue along the way that helped me think that a Venn kit could be on the horizon, and I eluded to this in my 2025 home shirt review. Anyone who bought something from the Venn Leisure Range, or those just in the club shop having a nosey, may have noticed on the retail ticket, the lines were described as “Hull KR 2025 Away…” This was a HUGE giveaway that the Venn diagram design seen on the leisure range was going to be repeated on one of the two alternate kits!
Once again, like in previous seasons, the reveal process was started by Hull KR’s principal partners Connexin. They posted a graphic that reads “CLUB. COMMUNITY. CONNECTED.” in white on a purple/plum background with the Venn design used on the training wear range repeated before fading. The graphic also included a plum coloured Hull KR crest and the OXEN and Connexin branding, with a solo Venn logo at the bottom. Hull KR jumped on this not long after and told us to come back at 6PM for the full reveal.
The 2025 Venn Alternate shirt is a lilac based shirt, with shades of plum and what I think is amethyst completing the trio of purple shades across the kit. The shirt features an all-over amethyst coloured Venn design covering all aspects of the shirt apart from the collar and cuffs. The club crest, sponsors, maker marker, and cuff/collar detail are all plum. The colours work so well together, and like any good Venn diagram, the three colours overlap to create an excellent combination.
With the launch of the Venn alternate shirt, I think Hull KR have done a much better job in showing off the design elements than they did with the Leisure Range that was released in September. When that was first revealed, I struggled to make out the formation of the Venn diagrams within the design, it wasn’t until a short while after when I saw an image that I could zoom in on properly, that it became apparent. The club had experience on side here for the kit launch, and it shows that they have learned from the Leisure Range reveal, as the graphic that I have included below really does show off the Venn, in the best possible way. The Venn design was shown in a way that we knew what it was and could be seen in the intended way. However, I did feel a little let down by the quality of the graphic. We didn’t and still haven’t seen the socks, which may explain why the players aren’t shown below the knee. The powerfulness that has been behind release graphics in the past wasn’t felt by me on this one.
I think the shirt is unique, in the way it reflects light. I picked up my replica in the week, and when I was taking photos of it, the colour looked different on almost every image I took. It makes the images and graphics look inconsistent, but I quite like how it can vary in different light settings.
The collar on the shirt reverts back to the standard cut-out collar used on the full kitset in 2024 and a step away from the V-neck collar on the 2025 home shirt. This style of collar can be a little restrictive, but it looks good, and it wears okay once you’re used to the collar.
The shirt has raglan sleeves and is a different build to that of the home shirt. The fact that the Venn is an all over design makes this application easier. I don’t really have a preference for either being better, but if anyone does from a comfort perspective, then they at least have some level of choice. The shirt also features the return of the OXEN ‘jock tag’ that wasn’t placed on the home shirt for 2025.
Sponsors and their integration…
As I mentioned in my 2025 home shirt review, there are a few new sponsors on the kits in 2025, with one of them appearing on the shirt, in Collscaff as they take the right side as wearing chest placement.
I may sound like a broken record now, but I feel it is so important to keep covering this as the sponsor integration on Hull KR kits in recent times is simply fantastic. The way these brands allow their logos to be modified should never be taken for granted. In one move, years of hard work could be undone. We have wonderful partners at Hull KR, some of whom I have been privileged to meet and network with over the years, and long may it continue!
This is a shirt that I don’t think would exist without the sponsor buy-in and approval. I know you don’t want to, but try to imagine this shirt with Collscaff’s orange logo on the chest… It would kill the visual appeal of it completely. It shows a group of people coming together to form to create a common goal. Sounds a bit like a Venn, doesn’t it? If you see any of the people behind these companies at a game, or generally in passing, let them know how much we appreciate it. Offer them a hug, shake their hand or buy them a drink, heck, do all three! It will never go underappreciated from my end, ever!
The back of the shirt features two more long-standing sponsors of the club. Harrison Solway takes the space above where the players name and number will be applied, with Hirebase having the logo below. The wing design crosses over to the back of the shirt. This is where the Robin icon is housed in its usual nesting place. This time, it is applied inside a circle as we’ve seen on the 2024 home shirt.
We have seen some of the elements to the shorts in the graphic, but realistically, you can’t see much. When I went to the club shop to pick up the shirt, I had a look at them, as they had a pair on the mannequin. The shorts have the same build and sponsor, crest and maker marker placement as the home kit. The shorts are plum in colour, with the side panels featuring the all-over Venn design in amethyst on a lilac base.
As I mentioned earlier, in September, there was a Leisure Range released, which in turn will compliment the Venn kit. It was released the day before out trip to the Leigh Sports Village, and multiple people who attended that game told me that their was plenty of purple on show, so it was clearly an early hit with the supporter base. The queues for the £1 coaches did go past the shop entrance, after all.
The range is very expansive in its offering. There are currently 7 items available from it on Hull KR shop, everything from training tees and vests to hoodies, anthem jackets, 1/4 zips, polos, and shorts. We’ve come to expect a lot from a full range of merch from OXEN and Hull KR, and this is just the adult lines. There are more if you count ladies and juniors.
When I saw this range come out, I had a strong feeling it would have been an alternate kit design, and from that moment, it jumped out at me like it would be inverted colour wise. The Leisure Range is mostly in plum, with lilac design elements, so it made sense to me for this to be flipped for the playing shirt, to best give colour coverage choice to those who may prefer one colour over another.
When I first saw the graphics, I was underwhelmed. Now I have seen it in person, my attitude towards it has changed. It is so much nicer in person than on any of the images I have seen. This could have been down the graphics not being as strong as in past years, but it could also be the fact that the kit just isn’t easy to photograph. You may have noticed this review isn’t containing as many club issue photos as usual, and that is down to them not being available on Hull KR’s website. I have included some images from my shirt, so you can at least see some further aspects of it.
This is definitely my favourite of the two shirts so far, but as we know, there will be a second alternate kit released ahead of the 2025 season, but what can we expect…
Mainly light…
We’ve now seen two thirds of the trio for 2025 and both of them can be described as ‘light’ in their colour ways, which means that the second alternate kit will likely be a contrasting or darker colour. When picking a trio of kits, designers and club officials need to ensure that there isn’t a clash with any other clubs’ natural home colours. For example, we wouldn’t get away with wearing our home kit at the likes of Wigan, Salford, St Helens, and potentially, Leigh. Now the Venn could potentially work. However, as I mentioned, how it changes colour under light, this could make it more white, like at a distance, under floodlighting. This issue may not exist with the players’ shirts, with them being made from a different fabric type, but this remains to be seen.
In my opinion, we naturally need a darker or hugely contrasting kit from the home and the Venn to be fully clear of potential kit clashes. When you consider the trios that have come before, in 2024, we had the marble, 2023 was the diamond, 2022 we had the contrast of a red home and yellow and blue away… Anyway, I could go on, but I think you get the message.
What comes next remains to be seen, but the pace that Hull Kingston Rovers is operating at in 2024, I genuinely can’t see us having too long to wait. The 2025 Venn kit range can be purchased by clicking here. The shirt is available for immediate dispatch and can also be purchased from the Hull KR store at Sewell Group Craven Park.
Whilst you’re here, take a look below to see what else is happening at Hull KR Shirts HQ…
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