Goldwin's Canterbury signs Japan rugby captain Michael Leitch as ambassador

Goldwin's Canterbury of New Zealand Japan has signed a partnership agreement with Michael Leitch, the Japan national rugby team's most-capped flanker and a two-time World Cup captain, the Japanese sportswear maker said on October 1.

Leitch, who captained Japan at the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups and has made 97 international appearances, now plays for Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo, which won back-to-back Japan Rugby League One titles in 2024 and 2025. Goldwin said the deal goes beyond a standard sponsorship: Leitch will feed into Canterbury's product development, take part in brand communication, and support next-generation rugby development in Japan and across Asia.

Canterbury will mark the signing with two commemorative T-shirts (¥8,800 each) and a cap (¥6,600) carrying Leitch's name, due in its own stores and online shop from December or January, Goldwin said. Leitch said he was glad to have found a partner who shares his vision for the future of Japanese rugby, according to the release.

Goldwin already holds the North Face licence in Japan and has built Canterbury into one of the country's leading rugby-wear brands off the back of Japan's 2019 World Cup run; tying its name to Leitch — still playing, still winning titles, and one of the sport's most recognisable Japanese faces — reads as a bet on sustaining that following through to the next home-grown tournament cycle rather than trading only on 2019 nostalgia.