Football shirts with built-in sun protection highlight the mistake that many make

With a mini heatwave on the horizon, new research reveals an opportunity to encourage better sun protection habits among UK football fans – with almost a third admitting to experiencing sunburn while actively attending matches of football, either at live events or watching screenings in pub gardens.

The research, commissioned by Kopparberg, found that 59% of us don’t apply sunscreen every time we attend a live football match or visit a pub garden to watch the game.

Kopparberg has launched football shirts with a built-in UV Protection Factor (UPF) of 40 and a range of SPF products to help Brits responsibly embrace sunny days. The range includes UV stickers that change color to indicate when it’s time to reapply sunscreen, along with SPF50 sunscreen sachets, which will be free in select UK pubs from this week.

The launch coincides with Kopparberg’s Drink Responsibly This Summer campaign. In partnership with Melanoma Fund, the UK charity, it aims to promote sun-safe lifestyles among Britons, while raising awareness of the charity’s important work.

Nancy Dales, Brand Manager at Kopparberg, said: “As sunnier days approach, raising awareness of sun protection is important. We were surprised to learn that nearly 6 in 10 Brits neglect to apply sunscreen every time they’re at a live football match or pub garden screening, which will be huge this summer with the EUROS. That’s why we’ve introduced our UPF40 football shirts and a range of SPF products as part of our ‘Drink responsibly this summer’ campaign. This ensures people can stay protected and safe while making the most of their summer.”

Michelle Baker, CEO of the Melanoma Fund, added: “Almost a third of Britons believe that professional football venues do not have adequate shaded areas and sun protection guidance for spectators, indicating a significant area for improvement. This underlines the need for football to become a more ‘sun protected’ sport.

“Sunburn doubles the risk of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, which is largely preventable by practicing proper sun safety, such as seeking shade, wearing protective clothing and applying SPF30+ sunscreen . That’s why our partnership with Kopparberg is so important, highlighting these issues and encouraging drinkers to adopt sun-protective habits this summer.”

The football shirts will be distributed at IF Up North in Leeds, Vodka Wodka in Glasgow and The Heathcote & Star in London, among other selected locations, with the rest of the product range available in various pubs across the UK.

Visit the page here for more sun protection tips organized by the Melanoma Fund.