The Cloakroom Standard Issue 4

issue 4, 2014

STANDARD

The Qld reds 2014

Q&A wiTh jim cArmichAel

dominic dormeuil

pisTols AT dAwn

The new season design unveiled

The future of Queensland Rugby

Fabric and the world's best ďŹ bres

Handmade casual menswear

conTribuTors EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

PHOTOGRAPHY

ILLUSTRATIONS

hannah byrne

sidney coombes ww.sidneycoombes.com maximilian Tynan

linda luo behance.net/llinda

hannah byrne

WRITERS

INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

hannah byrne michael mcatomney andrew byrne ben messina

andrew byrne louis ialenti ben messina mitchell humphris lachlan sinclair

DESIGN & LAYOUT

michael mcatomney

ON THE COVER

quade cooper Photo by Maximilian Tynan

THE CLOAKROOM

ON THIS PAGE

mike harris Photo by Sidney Coombes

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The sT. george qld reds 2014 suiT Words by Andrew Byrne Photos by Maximilian Tynan

b

risbane menswear label The Cloakroom secured the rights to dress The st.george queensland reds in 2014 for the third consecutive year. The queensland reds have set a benchmark in Australia as the first sporting team in the country with a fully tailored and custom designed suit.

For the last 3 seasons The Cloakroom has designed and crafted a new team suit for the qld reds each year. Every player and member of the coaching staff is individually measured and a suit is made from scratch, ensuring a perfect fit.

The 2014 team suit is made using fabric from the world’s best cloth maker, dormeuil. The French-based fabric house has an enviable reputation that has been

170 years in the making. Their ability to source the very finest materials and yarns to make their fabrics is unrivalled, and often takes them to all corners of the globe.

The 2014 queensland reds’ suit is made from a unique blend of 70% merino wool and 30% south african mohair. The fabric breathes well and its wrinkle resistant qualities make it ideal for the heavy travel schedule of the squad.

The team’s first look, or No. 1s, pairs the suit with a crisp white shirt and a tie in heritage navy with the queensland rugby crest.

This year’s tie comes in four variations. The first tie is worn by uncapped players and features the qld rugby crest alone. The second level tie includes a red stripe,

acknowledging that a player has represented queensland. Players who have achieved 50 caps are rewarded with the addition of a maroon stripe. Those that have achieved 100 caps are rewarded with a prestigious gold stripe alongside their red and maroon stripes.

The stripes are a visual representation of the success that a player has achieved in his career to date. The tie is the first of its kind, and it was coach Richard Graham and ceo jim carmichael who came up with the concept as a way of rewarding the players’ professional milestones in their queensland rugby career.

The second look, or no. 2s, pairs the suit with a navy shirt, providing a more casual look.

from left: mike harris has 32 Qld rugby caps and wears a red stripe on his tie Quade cooper has 90 caps so has a red and maroon stripe Jamie-Jerry taulagi is an uncapped player and wears a crested tie Greg holmes wears the red, maroon and gold stripes with 106 caps

2014 s u i T

dormeuil Tonik charcoal grey stripe on black merino wool / mohair blend, 325g/m Breathable and wrinkle resistance

2014 T i e

crested tie: uncapped players red stripe: capped players red & maroon stripe: 50 caps red, maroon & gold stripe: 100 caps

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w h y m o h A i r?

The Cloakroom chose a specific blend of 70% Wool and 30% Mohair, woven especially by dormeuil for this year's suit. Its weight is 325 grams (per metre of fabric), which is on the heavier end of the spectrum of dormeuil’s fabric offering. mohair is revered for its crease resistance, natural sheen and most importantly for the squad - durability. while it doesn't have an overly soft hand feel, it's an open weave type fabric, so the suit breathes particularly well. the fabric for this year's suit is a very subtle charcoal pinstripe.

meAsuring The sQuAd measuring the squad each year presents an interesting challenge for The Cloakroom team and their tailors. a regular tailored suit generally requires 3.5m of fabric, while the suit of a reds' player typically uses anywhere between 3.8 and 4.2m of cloth, with additional fabric needed to accommodate their size. as a player’s body changes over the season, they are able to visit The Cloakroom and have alterations made to their suit to ensure the fit remains the best it can be.

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communiTy Programs queensland rugby runs a series of grassroots programs to engage with local communities and to further develop the game of rugby across the state. These include their youth rookies2reds initiative as well as their indigenous program.

The Cloakroom is this year sponsoring 'on your bike,' an annual community bike ride in cairns, which raises money for children with cancer.

indigenous Program every year, queensland rugby celebrates indigenous culture and heritage with a week of events and celebrations in the lead up to an indigenous round, as part of the super rugby competition. in 2013, the round coincided with the national reconciliation week and provided an opportunity to celebrate on an international stage. indigenous artist stephan hogarth designed artwork for the event, which related to the belief that we all belong to the land as well as to each other as a community. Players wore jerseys showcasing the art during the game. in 2013, the program introduced a medal, which pays homage to the first ever indigenous player to represent queensland in 1893, Frank ivory. The inaugural Frank ivory medal was awarded to man of the match jake schatz.

“As an organisation we have made significant investment into the development of our indigenous program.

The program takes a ‘whole generation’ approach working with indigenous children from a primary school age right through to school leavers and those looking for tertiary education or work,” said general manager of game development, rob donaghue.

“The indigenous round provides us with the perfect opportunity to celebrate the achievements of each participant at the various levels of the program while also involving them in the match day activities.”

The 2014 round will again coincide with national

reconciliation week and take place may 30th at the suncorp stadium. rooKies2reds rookies2reds is a youth program run by queensland rugby, which seeks to introduce boys and girls to the sport of rugby union. after-school sessions are held for children aged five to eleven with star players from the St.George Queensland Reds and qualified coaches. sessions encourage rugby skills that can be applied in a junior club, at school or simply to develop basic motor skills. The program aims to connect families with their local club and the wider queensland rugby community. in 2013, 6,000 boys and girls from across the state participated in rookies2reds.

“Participation in rugby has been growing rapidly in recent years and the desired outcome is to ensure we can continue such growth and secure the code in queensland for future generations. The sporting landscape in queensland is very competitive between the codes so it’s important for us to engage with the younger age demographics and capture their hearts and minds while also keeping them engaged with rugby as they grow older,” said rob donaghue, general manager of game development. queensland rugby will introduce a new program called ‘super Tots’ in 2014, which will be aimed at children aged two to four. you can learn more about these programs at redsrugby.com.au.

on your biKe 'On Your Bike' is a cycling initiative offered by heatley secondary college for their students to develop resilience, improve personal fitness and make meaningful contributions to their community. it provides students with the chance to raise self-esteem and self-worth through fundraising and learning that they can make a difference. The event is run inside the framework of the big W Townsville to Cairns Bike Ride, which takes off on a three day, 360km trek in aid of The children’s cancer institute of australia (ccia). regardless of the students individual background,

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participants learn to make a commitment to long-term success for themselves as well as raising valuable funds for cancer research. a group of nine students, alongside the two founding teachers of the program, simon boevink and Ken Theodore, will leave Townsville on Thursday the 26th of july and arrive in cairns on saturday the 28th of july.

The Cloakroom is proudly sponsoring the 2014 chapter of 'on your bike' and encourages others across the state to get involved.

For information, contact catherine blake at cblake@ccia.org.au.

jim carmichael queensland rugby ceo

The St.George Queensland Reds was the first Australian sporting team to have a custom-made suit, why?

The Reds are in the most competitive competition in world rugby, up against the best talent from this country and the rugby powerhouses of New Zealand and South Africa. The Australian sports market is one of the most competitive in the world and it is important for us to continually identify how we can be the best internally and externally. We take great care in ensuring that we are building our brand and our reputation and part of that comes from the public’s perception of how we carry ourselves.

In that context, the way we look at all times is paramount. We’ve formed a partnership with The Cloakroom, which shares our values, vision and enthusiasm. We’ve been pleased that The Cloakroom has been able to carry the essence of who we are and what we stand for into the design and production of our formal wear. These are the garments that our players wear when they travel around the world, represent-

“

The Australian sports market is one of the most competitive in the world and it is important for us to continually identify how we can be the best internally and externally.

ing Queensland Rugby and themselves.

We’re proud to have developed such a close working relationship with The Cloakroom and they completely understand our players. These garments make us excited about how we are represented in public. QRU requires having the necessary expertise in place in areas that are important to our business, such as this partnership.

In The Cloakroom, we have a formal-wear partner that takes great care in ensuring the design of the suits is contemporary and most importantly, they produce suits that our players and staff are proud to wear, find comfortable to travel in and reflect the aspirations our players have for continued success.

This year’s outfit includes a special tie. Can you talk us through the significance of this; where did you draw inspiration from?

Queensland Rugby has a 130-year history and many very important traditions. When Richard Graham and I met with The Cloakroom this year we wanted to convey the importance players

feel when they play for Queensland and achieve significant milestones in their Reds career. We wanted to ensure the famous ‘Q and Koala’ motif was central to the design of the tie and that our heritage blue was also represented.

We also wanted to ensure that those who have distinguished on-field careers for the Reds are rewarded on the tie. We decided that we would award a coloured

stripe on the tie to mark these milestones.

Members of the Reds who are yet to be capped will wear the heritage blue tie with the Queensland motif. Capped Queensland players will have the motif and a red stripe on their tie, showing they have represented the Reds in an officially recognised game. Those who have achieved 50 caps for this state will wear the red and also a maroon stripe on their tie. Players who achieve 100 caps for Queensland will wear the red, maroon and also a gold stripe to celebrate this significant milestone. Greg Holmes has 100 caps so he will be the first player to wear the gold stripe this season but there are a number of other players, including our Captain James Horwill, who will be hoping to add a golden stripe to their tie as the season progresses. The Cloakroom has turned that vision into reality.

How do you like to relax after a tough day at the office?

Like everyone in our organisation, I don’t.

Title photo by Sidney Coombes Left: Jim Carmichael at the launch of the 2014 team suit with Andrew Byrne and Louis Ialenti from The Cloakroom Photos by Maximilian Tynan

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richard graham head coach oF The sT.george queensland reds Photo by Sidney Coombes

What are your ambitions for the 2014 Asteron Life Super Rugby season? my ambition is to create an environment where the players can reach their potential. i obviously share a common goal with the Reds staff and players and the entire queensland rugby union. We aspire to be the best. While we were proud of our achievements in 2013, we did not realize our ultimate goal of winning another super rugby title. We have been back at Ballymore for five months now, working on how we can improve on last year’s efforts and achieve our goals. as a proud queenslander who grew up in the sunshine state and played my rugby with the reds, i understand the tradition and history of success that surrounds this team. i hope be part of the new generation to help add to that history and pedigree.

You travel all over the southern hemisphere with this team, why is important for the Reds to look their best?

The st.george queensland reds represent much more than just a rugby team and our actions go past just those seen on the field. We represent those that founded the queensland rugby union in 1883, more than 130 years ago, those that have played the game before us with such distinction and those that are involved

1998-2002: Fullback/winger with the queensland reds. 1998: commonwealth games bronze medal for australia in rugby sevens.

2002-2012: coached around the world with

in the great game of rugby at all levels. being a part of a professional sports team is about more than just what happens on the field, and as members of this proud organisation, we respect all that we represent, which is why it is so important the Reds’ appearance reflects that.

When you see us travel as a group, we are on our way to the business of rugby, and we take that very seriously. This year’s suits are an exceptional representation of all that we’re about, with the iconic q of the queensland rugby union embroidered on our top pocket and our ties reflecting the representative honours of our players and some of our staff.

What part does your family play in your career and aspirations?

Family is an incredibly important part of my coaching career. i’m thankful that my aspirations in rugby have always been in unison with my family life, starting way back in 2001 when i proposed to my wife liz after the Hong Kong Sevens. I finished my playing career at the sevens at the manchester commonwealth games in 2002. From there liz and i stayed in the united Kingdom together to start my coaching career with bath rugby. This is where we started our family – ella (10), Tobias (8) and harrison (6) were all born during our 7 years in england. liz is amazingly talented, bright

four years in bath, three with saracens and then back home to work with the Wallabies and later Western Force.

2013: graham joined the reds as head coach,

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and a wonderful mother. she has completed degrees in Commerce and Psychology, has recently finished a graduate diploma in education and is halfway through a Pharmacy degree. despite this, she has put aside many of her own career aspirations so i could achieve mine. she has been an amazing support for me throughout my coaching career and my family unit help keep things in perspective through what can be a tough profession.

What do you like to do in your downtime?

What are your interests and hobbies beyond the rugby field?

While there isn’t a great deal of spare time in the life of a professional coach, i enjoy spending time with my family. When we’re in brisbane, my weekends are usually spent watching my children play sport on a saturday morning. We’re an active family and brisbane provides us with all the opportunities to get out when i’m not travelling with the team. While the team is back in pre-season training from october through to early February, we do get a small two week break over christmas and we make the most of that time together and often get in some surfing as well. I also love to mow the lawn when i’m at home as it gives me time to think about a range of issues from family through to rugby.

alongside director of coaching ewen mcKenzie.

2014: head coach of the st.george queensland reds.

james horWill

“

T h e b o dy g e T s u s e d To A co n s TA n T b AT T e r i n g s o i T d o e s n’T TA k e lo n g f o r i T To g e T b Ac k i n To T h e s w i n g o f T h i n g s.

Photo by Sidney Coombes

d o b: 29/05/1985 h e i g h T: 200c m w e i g h T: 116 kG po s i T i o n: lock h o b b i e s: Golf and paddleboard Q l d r u g b y cA p s: 91

James wears: a cloakroom shirt in white cotton and Initial Denim jeans in camouflage.

HANNAH BYRNE: How do you enjoy life as a professional sportsman? james horWill: To get paid to play rugby is pretty amazing. it’s hard to get your head around it at times, especially thinking back to when i was a kid. i love playing for queensland and living and growing up here makes it really important for me to represent my state. it is a job, but it’s also a great bunch of mates going out there trying to win and you go that extra mile for your team but also for your friends.

HB: How intense has it been going back to training after time off over the holidays?

JH: The first couple of weeks were a bit difficult. My third week back the heat was bad and it was hard but you try and keep yourself in good shape. The body gets used to a constant battering so it doesn’t take long for it to get back into the swing of things.

HB: How does your food consumption vary between on and off-season? jh: When training, you need to consciously eat a lot to keep your energy up especially in the queensland

heat. in pre-season we train more than normal so it’s important that you get the right food in before and after sessions to aid the recovery as much as possible.

HB: How important is grassroots rugby in Australia? How do you think the new National Rugby Championship competition starting in 2014 will improve Australian rugby pathways? jh: it’s really important to have another tier of rugby. australia is in a unique situation where there are so many other sports that kids can play. To offer 3 full-contact codes that play at the same time doesn’t happen anywhere else. When you’re looking for new talent you’ve got to compete with those other codes. in new Zealand and south africa, rugby is the number one sport so they have less competition. introducing that second tier in australia will help, as the more people we have playing at a decent level, the more exposure rugby will get.

HB: How do you relax in your down time? jh: i like to play golf when i can and go to the beach and enjoy the coast. i’m not much of a surfer but i’m trying to stand-up paddleboard. lots of my friends

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surf and it's nice that i'm no longer the guy sitting on the beach watching them.

HB: How have you found the collaboration between The Reds and The Cloakroom? jh: i think it’s fantastic that we’ve been able to collaborate and get our team suits made by The Cloakroom. We always get comments about how it looks. i don’t think there’s anything better than getting an item of clothing that is tailored to you and that fits perfectly.

That’s a really good feeling, especially with guys that have weird shapes, like rugby players. i know i’m not the most normal size so buying off the rack can be difficult. To have stuff that fits perfectly and looks good is really unique.

HB: What do you like to wear off-field? jh: i wear a lot of Cloakroom stuff, a lot of button-up shirts. i’ve recently bought a couple of pairs of Initial Denim jeans which is great as jeans have always been something tough for me to find. Slowly but surely most of my clothes have become Cloakroom, Pistols at Dawn or Initial Denim.

HANNAH BYRNE: How did you first get in to playing rugby?

HB: Your housemate Mike Harris said that you can eat a lot more than him.

a jet ski but don't get a lot of time to use it but i do try and get out as much as possible during the holidays.

rob simmons: i went to a boarding school down on the gold coast. i grew up playing rugby league, but at school all they offered was union so I joined the team. at that age i didn’t really know that much about league so it was an easy transition. i was just a big kid trying to play some footie.

RS: Yeah that’s right. We play pretty different positions and he’s always trying to look good and keep fit. me on the other hand, i’m trying to put weight on the whole time. i can eat a lot. my friends laugh that i can eat two breakfasts. i’ll eat at home and then go out with friends on the weekend and eat again.

HB: We understand you own quite a few items from The Cloakroom, how is your relationship with the guys?

HB: How intense is your training regime week-to-week with The Reds?

HB: What passions would you like to pursue more in the future?

rs: We train around 20 hours a week which is pretty full on, especially with the humidity in brisbane. you're continuously sweating - you get in the shower and then you get out and you’re still sweating which is pretty hard on the body.

We don't train Wednesdays and sundays and have these as recovery days. We go in and get massages and do yoga and relax which is great.

rs: i grew up on a cattle farm so i’m pretty interested in the agricultural side of things. i still take an interest in it and help out when i go home during the holidays.

HB: What do you enjoy doing in your down time, outside of rugby? rs: i grew up a swimmer so i basically like anything around water such as water skiing and jet skiing. i have

rs: The Cloakroom team are all very stylish and they also have a good memory. i’ll go in the store and they’ll remember what i have ordered in the past so will make suggestions around that. i don’t know much about style but i like to look good and they’re great with odd body shapes like mine.

HB: What do you like wear off-field? rs: i keep it quite casual. i like to have a little base of clothes in my wardrpbe for when i do need to go quite formal and then other than that, i don’t really go to many events that are above smart casual. i like being around the beach, which is usually pretty casual, and i live in my thongs.

“

rob simmons

m y f r i e n d s lA u g h T h AT i cA n e AT Two b r e A k f A s T s. i’l l e AT AT home And Then go ouT wiTh friends on The w e e k e n d A n d e AT Ag A i n.

Photo by Sidney Coombes

d o b: 19/04/1989 h e i g h T: 200c m w e i g h T: 115kG po s i T i o n: lock h o b b i e s: water sports Q l d r u g b y cA p s: 65

rob wears: a Pistols at dawn shirt in light blue and chinos in navy.

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miKe harris

“

i like To geT ouT wiTh A couple of The guys And plAy golf for A biT of money, hAve some bAnTer And jusT relAx.

Photo by Sidney Coombes

d o b: 08/07/1988 h e i g h T: 186c m w e i g h T: 96 kG po s i T i o n: Inside centre h o b b i e s: Golf Q l d r u g b y cA p s: 32

mike wears: a cloakroom shirt in purple cotton and Pistols at dawn limited edition kimono shorts.

HANNAH BYRNE: Talk us through a regular training session with The Reds.

HB: Is there pressure from the coaches not to drink during the season?

HB: We understand you’re a big golfer, how often do you get out on the course?

miKe harris: This year we've started having team breakfasts, which is new. We break off into groups of four or five guys who cook for everyone, usually something simple like scrambled eggs, cereal and toast – nothing gourmet. it's a great start to the day and a good chance to catch up with everyone. our training starts at 7am with a morning session.

We don't train during the middle of the day to avoid the heat. We're back on-field in the afternoon and we cool down at the end of the day with ice baths. by the time you get home, you’re exhausted. if you’re lucky, you’ll have a girlfriend or wife with dinner on the table and then you go to bed, to get up and do it all again.

mh: having a few drinks plays an interesting role with team bonding but there are specific times that the coaches prefer you don’t drink. Probably the best time to drink is after a really tough game or a hard win.

MH: I like to play once a week. I find it goes quite well with rugby as it’s not too physically taxing but you’re still active. i like to get out with a couple of the guys and play for a bit of money, have some banter and just relax.

HB: How has the transition been from playing under the coaching of Ewen McKenzie and now to Richard Graham? mh: it’s been really smooth because richard was also there last year so knows us well. he’s brought in a few other coaches that have slotted in seamlessly and hopefully we can continue with what ewen put in place.

HB: Do you have a beer with the opposition?

MH: There are no mates on the field, as they say, but the beautiful thing about rugby is that it’s so physical that when you finish a game, you do get an opportunity to have a drink and a word with the other team. everyone’s normally pretty good and gets along well.

HB: How much can you eat in one sitting? 45 weet-bix? Five stacks of pancakes? mh: i eat more than the average guy but compared to some of the guys on the team, i don’t eat that much. i live with rob simmons and he’s a big eater. To fuel that body it takes a lot.

We have a nutritionist who gets the callipers out for regular skin fold tests and if you’ve been a bit naughty over christmas they’ll go harder on you during training or change your diet.

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HB: How have you found the collaboration with The Cloakroom over the past 3 years? mh: it’s magic. in other teams that i’ve been involved in, you have a lot of trouble with suits because fitting rugby players is tough. getting them into suits that are tailored makes such a difference. We’re so much comfier and the natural fabrics breathe a lot better and they obviously look amazing. You definitely turn a few heads when you have 40 guys enter an airport in the same suit. it’s pretty impressive.

HB: What do you like to wear off-field? mh: i’m pretty casual and unless i’m going out to dinner or on a date, i won’t get dressed up. but when i do get a bit more formal i’ll wear my Cloakroom or Pistols at Dawn gear – a nice shirt and a pair of chinos.

HANNAH BYRNE: How excited are you for the upcoming season?

million times, but where does the knickname 'Chibba' come from?

JAMES HANSON: I’ve just come off a 6-month injury layoff so I’m itching to get back into it. I missed the back half of last year so the season can’t come quick enough for me. it’s always good to have a little break, freshen up and get away from rugby and then you get really motivated to start training and playing again.

jh: it originated as 'boku chibby' which was a little sumo japanese puppet. in grade four i was quite rotund and the teacher said it looked like me and the whole class just erupted. somehow it’s managed to stick from there. all my family and coaches and everyone knows me as chibba and not many people know that my name is actually james.

HB: You were the underdogs for a few years before going on to win the 2011 Super Rugby Championship. How has your game had to change to maintain momentum? jh: We had a great year in 2011 and at that point we didn’t want to be a team that dined out off one year's success. We’ve tried to find ways to evolve and keep on the top. When you're up everyone is trying to chase you. last year we had a bit of a rollercoaster season but we managed to scrap into the finals but unfortunately lost in the first round. We’re going for the title again this year.

HB: We're sure you’ve been asked this a

HB: Do you have passions outside of rugby that you would like to pursue more in the future? jh: i think it’s important for us to have something that motivates us off the field. I studied Business Management at uq and am currently getting through an mba so I try to fit in a fair bit of study. i love playing golf, getting in the water and i really love surfing, I’m not very good at it but I enjoy it. I also just got a new rotweiler puppy called Wilmer.

HB: Quade Cooper also has a puppy?

JH: Yeah a little Staffy called Chucky. They’re yet to meet but there are a few guys with dogs now so we’re thinking of setting up a pen and bringing them to the stadium and letting them play together while we train.

HB: What do you think of the collaboration with The Cloakroom? jh: it’s fantastic. it puts us ahead of sporting teams around the world in terms of our off-field kit. You see a lot of teams with either polos or mixed dress whereas we’re all in tailored suits from top to bottom. it’s pretty impressive and i know the boys love it.

HB: What do you like to wear off-field? jh: i previously only had a suit and really casual beachwear and nothing in-between. now with The Cloakroom, the top end is looked after and the semicasual wear from Pistols at Dawn is great when you’re going out to dinner or to meetings. i’ll quite often be in Pistols gear day to day – i love it.

james hanson

A few of The plAyers hAve dogs now so we’re Thinking of seT Ting up A pen And bringing Them To The sTAdium And leT Ting Them plAy TogeTher while we TrAin.

“

Photo by Sidney Coombes

d o b: 15/09/1988 h e i g h T: 183c m w e i g h T: 104kG po s i T i o n: hooker h o b b i e s: Golf and water sports Q l d r u g b y cA p s: 51

James wears: a mandarin collared cloakroom shirt in navy and Pistols at dawn chinos in tan.

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SPORT BY NUMBERS illustrations and design by Linda Luo

2M

1.5 M

1M

counTry uk south africa France Australia Ireland new Zealand Japan sri lanka Argentina usa

reg. rugby plAyers 1,990,988 651,146 360,847 297,389 153,080 146,893 122,368 103,325 102,790 88,151

4.5 million people now play rugby (or a recognised variant of it), up 19% since 2007. Since 2007 rugby participation is up 33% in Africa, 22% in South America and 18% in asia and north america according to a 2011 report.

0.5 M

+80%

0

The firsT Time The n AT i o n A l A n T h e m wA s s u n g before a sporting event was at a game of rugby. In 1905, after new Zealand had performed their haka, the welsh team responded by singing their anthem. tom williams is credited with the original idea and it is now commonplace to sing the anthem before all major sporting events.

No team has ever won the Rugby World Cup two consecutive times.

1872

The Harvard Rugby Football Club is the oldest rugby club (since 1872) in the USA. On May 14, 1874, Harvard hosted Montreal's McGill University in the first recorded game on American soil.

the percentage of rugby players in africa under 20-years old.

g i l e vA n s w h i s T l e A p pA r e n T ly vo l l e y b A l l is The gAme m o s T p lAy e d in nudisT co lo n i e s.

Rugby is named after Rugby School in Warwickshire, England, where the sport was first played.

The historical whistle used to open every Rugby World Cup was first used by Welsh referee Gil Evans in 1905 in the first ever game between England and New Zealand. Albert Freethy later used the same whistle in the 1924 Paris Olympic Games rugby final. The whistle is kept in the Rugby Museum in Palmerston North, New Zealand, and brought out every 4 years.

l u c ky b e A r d swedish tennis star BjÜrn Borg grew a beard for wimbledon every year, believing it brought him luck. he also wore the same Fila shirt at the tournament and credits these superstitions as inuential in his five consecutive years of wimbledon victory. a "lucky beard" is now grown by many nFl and nhl stars during play-offs each year.

350+

The number of dimples on a golf ball. t h e c loa k ro o m s ta n da r d

the number of cows needed annually to make footballs for the nFl.

FAMOUS RUGBY PLAYERS INCLUDE

• • • • • • • • • •

sean connery John F. kennedy J.r.r. tolkien Bill clinton George w. Bush russell crowe chris Farley meat loaf ernesto “che” Guevara albert einstein

neil Armstrong wanted to take a soccer ball to the moon. nAsA denied his request because it was too “un-American.”

THE LONGEST RUGBY GAME IN HISTORY lasted 24 hours and 30 minutes, between the Mali Lions and Congleton Bears clubs and is recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. The Lions won 894-715.

NO. 8

l e AT h e rwo r k e r richArd lindon o r i g i n A l ly m A d e r u g b y b A l l s f ro m p i g b lA d d e r s. he encased the bladders in leather and consequently no two balls were the same size or dimension. as there

james naismith, a rugby coach, was tasked with keeping school kids active during the winter months and invented the game of basketball.

were no pumps, the balls were inflated by breath alone. his wife was responsible for inflating them and she eventually died from a lung disease, thought to be related to years spent blowing into the often-infected bladders. lindon later experimented with Indian rubber and created the safer more standardised modern day rugby ball as well as the first pump.

rumour has it that oranges became a half-time snack during the outbreak of the Spanish flu in 1920.

If you have never been through an endurance event like this it is difficult to imagine the emotional and mental challenge that it presents. Physical pain, exhaustion, cold following torrential rain, and injury has to take a back seat to make it happen. Running for 24 hours is exhausting, but add to this the impact and physicality of a normal rugby match and you have some idea of the scale of the achievement.

“

3000

— Richard Burkard, the team manager

It was not until the 1940s that the expression No. 8 became recognised as part of rugby lexicon. It refers to the last man in a scrum - the "eighth man" - and it is the only position that does not have an alternate name. It was not until the 1960s that the jersey number for this position became 8.

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q&a with

dominic dormeuil French-based Dormeuil has been producing some of the world’s finest fabrics for 170 years. 6th generation namesake, Dominic Dormeuil, currently runs the company, innovating and keeping it not only modern but also competitive in an ever-changing retail industry.

reactive means having the yarn in stock, putting it in the looms as soon as we can and getting fabric finished in record-breaking time. That is the future for us.

ANDREW BYRNE: You have worked with Dormeuil since graduating (BA in Textile Management at the age of 21). How has the Dormeuil business changed over the different tenures of your namesake running it?

DD: It is difficult to sum up in just a few sentences, but I would say there are two main principles. The first is, never compromise on quality. The second principle is that every employee who works for the Dormeuil group is part of a large family. There is a great family spirit in Dormeuil and it is an essential component of our success and also what drives us.

DOMINIC DORMEUIL: Dormeuil has adapted to the Internet revolution and invested a lot in computer systems and our web-shop. We also have moved our production and logistics to Yorkshire so everything is now grouped in one production site. We control our supply and production chain, which has definitely changed our business incredibly. In this day and age I think it is important to control the materials, the industrial and finishing processes and the distribution channels. I am very proud and happy that we are now very close to

complete vertical integration.

AB: There have been huge advances in technology in the fabric industry in recent years, how has your company benefitted from this, and what is the next ‘big thing’ for Dormeuil?

DD: I believe in the investment of modern technology and we have always insisted that our partners and suppliers also invest in the latest breakthroughs. The next big thing for me is total flexibility. In the past, industry suffered from the lack of flexibility, not just in textiles, but any manufacturing business. Flexibility is therefore absolutely essential. We have many different customers and markets, which makes it difficult to cater for everybody so we have to be very, very reactive. Being

THE CLOAKROOM s ta n da r d

AB: What are some of the guiding principles that determine how you run the business?

AB: How do you think the tailoring industry has evolved in the last two decades? How is Dormeuil adapting as a company to satisfy the changing demands of consumers?

DD: The most radical change in the textile industry is that there are now less and less tailors worldwide.

The good news is that there are more made-to-meas-

ure brands, which means new players. All the luxury brands now have a made-to-measure system, there are travelling tailors worldwide and specialised retail stores. There are also new garment manufacturers doing only made-to-measure suits sold online. I believe in giving information to our customers instantaneously and we are doing that by adapting and investing heavily in our web-shop.

AB: From where do you draw your inspiration when looking to develop innovative cloth for new collections?

DD: I draw inspiration from everywhere, but mainly from my travels abroad and also from talking with our customers. Our customers are close to their consumer and we’re seeing the habits and way of life of these consumers change. I get ideas because I can see that there are certain fabrics that might be more adaptive in certain countries but what’s difficult is that each market and each brand is so different. We have to really adapt and that’s not easy.

AB: What is one of the most interesting encounters you have had on your travels?

DD: My visit to the Celestial Mountains in Kyrgyzstan to visit the nomads was amazing with beautiful scenery and countryside and nobody for miles and miles. The locals were very nice and obviously didn’t speak a word of English. I slept in their yurts, had a festive dinner with them and went out to see their animals and discovered a completely new way of life. They don’t have money and their life is based on the exchange of meat for wood or meat for clothes and wool and it is here that I discovered the new Kyrgyz wool. The yarn is amazing and difficult to get in quantity but it is the biggest discovery I have made and it was the most amazing encounter I have ever had.

AB: How does having a head office in Paris, fabric mills in Yorkshire and representatives in a number of locations around the globe help the Dormeuil business stay on top of an ever-changing industry?

DD: Having Dormeuil staff and subsidiaries in many countries is a real advantage. We get information very quickly and are able to give our customers training on what Dormeuil is all about. It is essential that our customers understand our company, manufacturing processes as well as our creativity and innovation. We could tell this story online but I think there is a limit to what you can do on the Internet. Our Dormeuil staff goes out and trains our customers and that is a really important part of our philosophy.

AB: What are some of the advantages and challenges facing Dormeuil as a family run company? Is it important to you that the company continues to be run by family members?

DD: I would be delighted to see the next generation of the Dormeuil family run this company, however times have changed and we need the best people available and these might not be family members. My wish for the company to be run by family members is not a rule.

We asked Dominic's opinion on different fabrics for customers looking for a unique wardrobe solution. Keeping in mind the Australian climate, we asked what fabric would work best for the following scenarios.

AMADEUS 365

TONIK wool / mohair

a s m a rt s u i t f o r wo r k t h at w i l l b e wo r n 1-2 t i m e s a w e e k: ICONIK is a new middleweight Super 120’s and is ideal to wear all year round. For every daywear, I would go for a semi-plain or micro design, something subtle but with a point of difference.

a wo r k s u i t t h at i s a b i t s p e c i a l a n d o n ly to b e wo r n o n c e a f o rt n i g h t: Our Super 160’s Jade is incredibly soft and it produces the kind of suit that makes you feel special when you put it on in the morning.

A j ac k e t f o r t rav e l l i n g a n d ‘s m a rt ca s u a l’ o cca s i o n s: Amadeus 365 Jacketing collection has the perfect “must have” item - a dark navy, crease resistant basket weave. Every man should have this jacket in his wardrobe because it is soft, comfortable and has a lovely sheen to it.

a t i m e l e s s t u x e d o t h at w i l l la s t f o r m a n y y e a r s: The Celebration and Ceremonial collections are beautiful. I really like the Tonik, which is a Wool and Mohair blend. When the weather gets warmer, Tonik’s breathability will keep you comfortable and the crisp Mohair adds sheen.

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JADE Super 160s

A w e d d i n g s u i t: I find it peculiar that many young couples spend a great deal of time and money choosing a wedding dress, and then settle for a boring suit for the groom. Select something special like an electric blue Wool and Silk with a bit of sheen from the new Eclipse collection.

A r e wa r d f o r c lo s i n g a d e a l; s o m e t h i n g s p e c i a l to c e l e b rat e: Our new Super 180’s Ambassador is the perfect reward. The 56 Design Collection is beautiful and its softness and drape are amazing. It needs to be seen to be believed.

wardrobe favourites, with the cloakroom boys Photos by Maximilian Tynan

andrew byrne Cloakroom founder white pocket square A white pocket is the most simple thing to give any jacket or suit an instant lift. brown carminas I've never been someone to wear black shoes (except with a tux) so I have quite a few pairs of brown shoes. This shade of mid brown from Carmina works just as well with a suit or jeans. initial denim jeans A good pair of jeans will get you out of most situations. As someone who isn't a conventional size the ID jeans are not only a really versatile piece to have but fit me the way I want a pair of jeans to look and feel. barton perreira glasses (from optiko) My favourite sunglasses. These Barton Perreira's are fantastic for everything a QLD climate throws at you, they're also very lightweight and look pretty sharp I think.

louis ialenti Cloakroom partner blue carminas My navy blue double monk-strap Carminas are my favourite shoes of the moment. I got them made-to-order last year and it was a bit of a risk, however, they’ve turned out to be a shoe that I will keep re-making throughout my life. They dress up and down very easily and are a shoe which gives me lots of options. university tie I have a tie from Bishops University, my alma mater, from 1959. When I was President of the Student Union in 2006, the President of the Board of Trustees passed it on to me as it was his tie all those years ago as a token of my work.

I keep it with me as a reminder of a fundamental change in my life. white shirts My open weave cotton white shirts. I ordered these by accident about a year ago and they’ve turned out to be the best performing white shirts ever. They keep their shape even out of the washing machine. The easiest shirt to wear which lasts me the whole day.

THE CLOAKROOM s ta n da r d

Join the handmade movement

The Cloakroom

Pistols at Dawn

Initial Denim

104 Edward St. Brisbane

46 James St. Fortitude Valley

46 James St. Fortitude Valley

thecloakroom.com.au

pistolsatdawn.com.au

initialdenim.com

Join the handmade movement

The Cloakroom

Pistols at Dawn

Initial Denim

104 Edward St. Brisbane

46 James St. Fortitude Valley

46 James St. Fortitude Valley

thecloakroom.com.au

pistolsatdawn.com.au

initialdenim.com