The Hook & Flanker Story

Hi, my name is Brad and this is the story of my small business.

1998

Background

For some background, I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1998 and was raised by a rugby mad family supporting the Sharks. We migrated to the UK, straight into Devon. We were delighted to find that the heart of rugby was strong in the South West and I spent my teenage years and college years playing at a casual level.

2021

The Start

Fast forward to 2021, I had just graduated from Bournemouth University with my Business Degree. Off the back of Covid the job market was all but non-existent, and so I decided to put to use the skills I had honed during my studies. As a devote rugby enthusiast, my wardrobe consisted entirely of a collection of rugby stash, and the hallowed quarter zip. However, despite my best efforts I could not find any products that catered to both. I spent almost 6 months studying market segments and researching how to start a business, and I focused on one goal: To make a product that I would wear daily.

2022

Taking a leap

At this point I had no experience in any graphic design or running my own business, but I was determined to make my dreams come true. The name comes from my favourite positions to play: Hooker and Flanker (it's usually Hooker after a heavy Christmas period, and Flanker when the pounds drop). I went through multiple iterations of a first product and after months settled on the now infamous Founders Edition Micro fleece. It was love at first sight! In order to get these made I had to place a minimum order of ten fleeces, so I took the plunge and placed an order.

2022

Chasing a dream

Once this order arrived I knew I was on to something great, the quality was next level and my first week of wearing I had nothing but compliments. I set about promoting on social media, and after a month I only managed to sell 7 but it was a start! Then my lucky break came, a Tiktok went semi viral and in a day I sold over 150 fleeces! I am still so grateful for all this support from strangers, and I knew this was something I needed to pursue.