The leopards will be roaring when England’s players compete on the international stage in their new kit.

For the first time, Table Tennis England Official Clothing Supplier Butterfly has created bespoke kit to be worn by England players in tournaments across the world for the next two years, starting at the European Championships which begin in Russia tomorrow.

The traditional three leopards which have been the symbol of English table tennis down the years feature prominently in the eye-catching and innovative design which is revealed for the first time today.

The kit has both red and black home and away versions and, as well as the leopards, features the logos of Table Tennis England, Butterfly and Tees Sport, the Butterfly partner for specialist equipment in the British Isles

England stars Paul Drinkhall, Tin-Tin Ho and Maria Tsaptsinos had their first sight of the kit during a photoshoot at the top of the Orbit in London’s Olympic Park and were delighted with what they saw.

Drinkhall said: “It’s great to have our own unique kit and hopefully we can get some great results in it.” And Ho, who has since withdrawn from the squad due to injury, added: “It’s nice. I think we’ll look more like a really good team and we’ll get noticed more.”

Maria Tsaptsinos’ reaction was: “It’s amazing to get a bespoke kit. It’s individual and will stand out – it’s much better than it was before.”

England No 1 and national champion Kelly Sibley is also a fan. She said: “I like it. It’s nice that we have our own bespoke kit. It means a lot representing your country and the kit is special to you, so it’s nice to know no one else has the same kit.”

Table Tennis England Chief Executive Sara Sutcliffe said: “We’re delighted with the design of the new England kit and very grateful to Butterfly for producing a unique kit which we hope will inspire our athletes to deliver their best performances on the world stage.

“This kit reflects many of the values of Table Tennis England, particularly that of Respect – by featuring the three leopards so prominently, we are insuring the traditions of our sport and the roots of our organisation retain their rightful place.

“The kit also highlights our values of Ambition, Excellence and Teamwork – we aim to make great strides on the international stage in the next few years and we believe this kit will ensure our athletes will be noticed for their appearance as well as their results.”

Alan Ransome OBE, speaking on behalf of Butterfly, said: “We have been very pleased to co-operate with Table Tennis England to produce bespoke kit for the team, which is manufactured using Micro DryFit specialist material which is designed to keep the skin dry even in heavy match situations.

“We are delighted to learn of the reaction of the players. It makes sense for us to be associated with the England team as the majority of the players are using our equipment every day.”

The kit is brand new and a special consignment has been brought in in advance for the use of the England team in the European Championships. The first batch will be for sale from Tees Sport from November. It will be shown on the Tees Sport website and pre-ordering is available from today.

Click here to see more of Michael Loveder’s superb pictures from the ArcelorMittal Orbit