Andy Devaney
Henry Arundell has just added a new weapon to his already frightening armoury of pace and power — and this one plugs in at the cellular level. The England winger has signed on as the latest ambassador for wearable infrared performance brand KYMIRA®, with Henry Arundell betting that smart fabric can keep him on the pitch and out of the treatment room in what could be the defining years of his young career.
At 20, most of us were still trying to work out the washing machine. Henry Arundell, meanwhile, has been busy making professional defenders look like traffic cones. His explosive breakout at London Irish didn’t just turn heads, it nearly spun them off their sockets. Those Gallagher Premiership performances earned him the league’s Young Player of the Season award in 2021–22 and a nomination for World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year, which is basically rugby’s way of saying: “We see you, kid — and we’re a bit terrified.”
From first touch to first deal
If you somehow missed the memo, Henry Arundell’s international debut for England against Australia in 2022 was the sort of thing you normally only see when someone forgets to turn the difficulty level off ‘Beginner’ on a video game. First touch in a Test match, and he scorches in for a try. No easing in, no gentle introduction — just “Hello, I’m Henry, here’s my calling card.”
Despite being one of the youngest in the England set-up, he already has seven caps to his name and is widely tipped to become a long-term fixture in the side. The target, of course, is staying fit, staying sharp and making it all the way to a Rugby World Cup wearing that white shirt. That’s where KYMIRA® enter the chat.
Arundell has had more than his fair share of injury battles on the way to England’s 2023 Six Nations squad. To help keep the wheels on, he’s been using KYMIRA® products as part of his training and recovery regime — the sort of high-tech kit that promises to look after your body while you’re busy rearranging other people’s.
Infrared kit with serious intent
KYMIRA® aren’t just launching a range of stretchy tights and tops and calling it science. Their new ‘Legacy Project’ activewear line — which Arundell is helping to front — is designed around infrared technology that aims to enhance performance, accelerate recovery and reduce the chances of injury.
All KYMIRA® Sport products are powered by infrared: the fabric absorbs the wearer’s body heat, converts it into full-spectrum infrared energy, then fires it back into the body like a very polite boomerang. The reported benefits read like the wish list of every strength and conditioning coach in rugby: improved respiration efficiency, increased tissue oxygen levels, pain relief, boosted energy production, muscle relaxation and thermoregulation. In plain English: breathe better, ache less, move more, stay looser and keep your engine at the right temperature.
For a player built on explosiveness like Henry Arundell, those marginal gains can be the difference between sprinting past a flailing defender or watching from the stands in a hoodie.
Joining an elite KYMIRA® roster
Henry Arundell slots straight into an already impressive KYMIRA® roster. Fellow England wing Jonny May is on board, as are football clubs Swansea City and Reading FC, plus a growing crew of athletes and teams from sports as varied as American football and baseball.
In other words, when you pull on KYMIRA®, you’re not just wearing a training top — you’re joining a small gathering of people who make a living out of abusing the laws of physics.
KYMIRA® ambassador Henry Arundell commented:
“I’m thrilled to become a brand ambassador for KYMIRA®. Rugby’s a brutal sport and we as players are always looking for ways that might help us perform better and recover quicker.
“I’ve seen huge benefits when using KYMIRA® products and I’m confident they will help me stay on top of my game. This is a huge year for me so I want to give myself the best chance of performing well and being available for selection.
That’s a young man who knows exactly what’s at stake. The collisions are getting bigger, the seasons are getting longer, and the line between “generational talent” and “what could have been” can be as thin as a hamstring. For Henry Arundell, anything that keeps him on the grass and off the physio’s table is worth its weight in carbon fibre.
“One of the most exciting names in World Rugby”
If KYMIRA® needed any justification for hitching their wagon to Henry Arundell, their founder Timothy Brownstone delivers it with the enthusiasm of a man who’s just seen his product sprint 80 metres down the touchline.
KYMIRA® founder Timothy Brownstone added: “Henry Arundell is undoubtedly one of the most exciting names in World Rugby. He’s made an incredible impact on the sport at such a young age and we’re delighted to have him on board as an ambassador.
“I’m certain we’ll be seeing a lot more of Henry in the coming years and I’m delighted that we can play a part in his journey. By joining KYMIRA®, it’s evident that he prides himself on getting his training and recovery regimes right in what is clearly a big year for all elite rugby players.
“We believe Henry can become a true great of the game and we’re really looking forward to supporting him for the rest of the 2022/23 season and beyond”.
That’s not just marketing fluff; that’s a statement of intent. KYMIRA® are effectively pinning their colours to a player they believe can define the next era of English rugby — and Henry Arundell is betting that their technology can help him get there in one piece.
The future, written in infrared
Rugby will always be a brutal old game, and no amount of clever fabric is going to change that. But as the sport evolves, so does the kit — and the smartest players, like Henry Arundell, are the ones who stack every possible advantage in their favour.
If KYMIRA®’s infrared magic can help him recover faster, feel fresher and stay available for selection when it matters most, then this partnership could prove every bit as influential as a new attacking move or defensive system.
And if you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, you don’t have to take anyone’s word for it. Henry Arundell will be out there, hurtling down the wing, providing the only performance review that really counts.
For more information on this announcement and KYMIRA®’s full range of products, visit www.kymira.com