Fashion retailer Hackett hopes to continue working with rugby star Jonny Wilkinson following his lionisation after England's Rugby World Cup victory.
Wilkinson has been the face of Hackett since the spring and will feature in the spring/summer 2004 campaign.His contract will then be up for renewal and a bidding war is likely for his services.
'We hope to continue working with him. The customers really admire Jonny. It's been a very positive spin-off,' said Hackett marketing director Mark Owens.
England's victory last Saturday has sent sales of associated product soaring like a last-minute Wilkinson drop goal.
Sales of rugby shirts at mail order and store group Cotton Traders - founded by former England international rugby player Fran Cotton - were up 224 per cent over 'the past few weeks', said Cotton Traders retail director Nick Hamblin.
According to JJB Sports, sales of rugby shirts were at similar levels to those of football replica shirts. 'Our sales of rugby shirts would normally be about 15 per cent (of football shirt sales), but they are currently matching those of football shirts,' said JJB Sports associate director for replica Colin Russell.
Supermarkets were also winners. Tesco sold an extra 1 million cases of beer as customers stocked up ahead of the historic England-Australia final.
However, as millions of viewers were glued to the TV, shopper numbers dwindled, according to traffic monitors.
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