The launch of the new Cymru home kit by SUDU introduced supporters to The Thread That Leads Us Home, a campaign inspired by the enduring connections between Wales’ people, places and traditions.
While the shirt itself represents a modern interpretation of Welsh tapestry, the creative process behind it was rooted in extensive research and collaboration.
Working closely with the Football Association of Wales, SUDU explored the history of Welsh textiles and craftsmanship to develop a design that was both contemporary and unmistakably Welsh. That process included collaboration with St Fagans National Museum of History, one of the country’s most significant custodians of Welsh culture and heritage.
Home to historic buildings, collections and stories from communities across Wales, St Fagans provided invaluable inspiration throughout the design process. As well as being the home of Welsh history, the museum is a rich source of inspiration for Welsh design, representing generations of creativity and cultural identity. During their visit, the design team explored both the museum’s historic buildings and its collections, viewing handcrafted traditional Welsh chairs and textiles, including a range of iconic Welsh tapestry (double cloth) blankets and quilts.
2026/28 Cymru Home Shirt
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As the campaign developed, St Fagans became much more than a source of inspiration.
Locations across the museum’s open-air site were selected as the backdrop for the campaign photography and film, providing a setting that reflected the journey through Welsh history, craftsmanship and community that sits at the heart of The Thread That Leads Us Home. Filming took place at several of the museum’s historic buildings, including Kennixton Farmhouse, Gwalia Stores, Llys Llywelyn and Oakdale Workmen’s Institute, each representing a different chapter in Wales’ social and cultural history.
The museum also loaned a selection of objects from its nationally significant collections for a dedicated photography shoot featuring players from the Cymru men’s and women’s national teams. These carefully selected pieces created a direct visual connection between the new home kit and the heritage that inspired its design, helping to frame the players within a wider story of Welsh identity, creativity and national pride.
The collaboration reflects football’s place within the broader story of Wales. While St Fagans preserves the traditions that have shaped Welsh life over generations, the Cymru national teams continue to create new chapters in that story on the international stage.
The result is a home kit that has been shaped not only by performance and innovation, but by a genuine appreciation of Welsh heritage. Every element of the design, from its contemporary tapestry pattern to the campaign imagery, was developed with careful consideration of the traditions that continue to influence modern Wales.
Jane Richardson, Chief Executive of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales, said: “The national collection is at the heart of everything we do and it’s fantastic to see it still inspires creativity. Wales has always been creative, and it proves that traditional patterns are still relevant today. Not only can you see some of these traditional blankets and patterns at St Fagans, but also at our National Wool Museum in Drefach near Newcastle Emlyn.
Putting Wales on the global map is a priority for us at Amgueddfa Cymru and we are delighted knowing that this will now happen on football fields across the world through this partnership with the FAW. We are proud and honoured to work with them at every opportunity and to assist in any teaching, familiarising or inducting the players through Wales’ national collection.”
Supporters looking to own the new Cymru home kit can now purchase it through Siop Cymru – The Official Wales Football Store, which has launched alongside the new era for Cymru merchandise, providing the new home kit and a wide range of official FAW products in one dedicated destination.
Objects Featured in the Player Photoshoot
The following collection items from St Fagans National Museum of History featured in the dedicated player photography:
Tapestry (double cloth) blanket – Woven on a narrow loom in 1926 by Lewis D. Jones of Lampeter.
Tapestry (double cloth) blanket – Woven at Esgair Moel Woollen Mill at the Welsh Folk Museum (now St Fagans National Museum of History), probably in the early 1960s.
Tapestry (double cloth) blanket – Woven around 1890, possibly at Berwyn Factory, Corwen.
Patchwork bedcover – Made in Blaenau Ffestiniog in the early 1900s, believed to have been created from fragments of suits worn by local quarrymen.
National Eisteddfod Chair (Rhyl, 1953) – Awarded to Ernest Llwyd Williams at the 1953 National Eisteddfod and now held in the Amgueddfa Cymru collection at St Fagans National Museum of History.
Chair – Traditional Welsh chair, also known as a stick chair.
