Utah Royals FC show off two new kits to open 2024 Return of Royalty
These Utah Royals will look a little different in their Return of Royalty.
These Utah Royals will look a little different in their Return of Royalty.
In conjunction with the National Women’s Soccer League and Nike, Utah Royals FC unveiled Tuesday the club’s primary gold “Ascent” jersey and “Mountain Heir” blue secondary uniforms three weeks ahead of the Saturday, March 16 season kickoff at America First Field in Sandy.
The two new kits will be available at the RSL Team Store in Sandy (9256 State Street) beginning at 10 a.m. MT Tuesday.
Drawing inspiration from the colors and landscapes of the 14 cities, states and regions of the NWSL, the new collection of kits emphasizes pride in the community and belief in team, according to a league news release.
For the Royals, the belief is one the club’s motto along with Real Salt Lake and Real Monarchs: “One Utah.”
“We're all connected, we are all ‘One Utah,” said RSL vice president of marketing Tyler Gibbons, who also helped design RSL’s “Peak Utah” kits. “The visual connection is key; every element has a point to make as a storytelling device. These colors, these mountains are part of our everyday life, and that’s what we want the kits to connote.
“We knew this era had to be different from the first iteration of the Royals,” he added. “It’s one of the big reasons we shifted to the mountain landscapes from the southern Utah iconography that the original 2018 Lioness represented.”
Both the Ascent gold and Mountain Heir blue kits will feature the Royals’ front-of-jersey sponsor America First Credit Union and the organization’s healthcare partner Intermountain Health on the right sleeve, opposite the NWSL’s national sponsor Ally on the left.
The Royals’ shirts will also feature the “One Utah” slogan prominently on the lower left front, an homage to the club ethos in the unofficial “re-inaugural season” of the club’s return from a three-year hiatus.
The new kits also come as Nike hits refresh on uniforms across the NWSL, designed to infuse club identity and a snse of joyful expression and energy into the programs it serves.
Like other secondary kits in the NWSL, Utah’s Mountain Heir blue kit features a gradient from dark to light in the club’s colors, a nod to the strength of the collective, per the team.
"This historic uniform refresh with Nike exemplifies our continued commitment to raising the bar and elevating the NWSL brand with vibrant kits that symbolize the powerful connection between the clubs, players, fans and our communities” said NWSL Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer Julie Haddon in a news release. “We are excited to build upon this energetic moment as we approach our 2024 season kickoff.”
All jerseys, pre-match training tops and other gear are available online at www.nwslshop.com.
The league opens its historic 12th season Friday, March 15 when defending champion NJ/NY Gotham FC faces NWSL Shield winners San Diego Wave FC at 6 p.m. MST in a reformatted version of the NWSL Challenge Cup.
The regular season kicks off in full March 16, including the Royals’ match against the Chicago Red Stars (5:30 p.m. MT, ION TV).