NRL 2021: Sold out Canberra Milk jersey to pull in $2.2m for Raiders

‘We have sold out, twice. We can’t keep up with sales.’ It’s no wonder Canberra’s nostalgic Milk jumper from the early to mid-1990s was voted the best of all time.

The Raiders’ nostalgic Canberra Milk jumper has sold out twice before the season has started and is poised to net the club a staggering $2.2m.

It comes just days after being voted rugby league’s greatest jumper by Daily Telegraph readers.

Canberra usually banks around $1m from merchandise but that figure could increase to $2m to $2.2m should Canberra secure expected on-field success.

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Mal Meninga and Ricky Stuart wore the great jersey many times.

That represents an extraordinary 120 per cent growth.

“We have sold out. We can’t keep up with sales. We have had to place more orders. We have no stock before the season starts. We have sold way more than we first thought,” said Raiders chief executive, Don Furner.

The Canberra Milk jumper was worn during the early to mid-1990s, including the Raiders’ famous premiership-winning 1994 side.

With Canberra Milk having returned this season as the major jersey sponsor, fans are expected to buy 8,000 to 10,000 jumpers this season - the most in the club’s 39-year history. Around 5000 jumpers have already sold before round one.

Former Parramatta forward Peter Wynn, of Peter Wynn’s Score sports shop, said: “Those Canberra Milk jumpers have been huge. Everybody wants that jersey. They are that popular people are pre-ordering for the next shipment. It’s been awesome.”

Canberra’s first shipment of apparel - including jumpers, T-shirts and shorts – arrived in late November and sold out in just four days.

A second batch arrived from ISC in late January and sold out through February. A third shipment is due soon but unlikely to arrive for Sunday’s round one match against Wests Tigers at GIO Stadium.

The jersey gets a rebirth in 2021.

The jersey enjoyed lots of success.

“We have been caught short with a lack of stock. People have put in all these orders for T-shirts, jerseys and shorts because they have Milk on them,” Furner said.

“It is a really popular and well-loved jersey and brand with a really popular logo. People are really nostalgic for that era because of our success and what it meant during the era when Mal (Meninga), Ricky (Stuart) and Laurie (Daley) were playing.

“It is an iconic jersey. This is shaping up to be our best merchandise season and if we perform well on the field then that will translate to more sales. We sell a lot on game day and the season hasn’t even started yet.

“Friends of mine wants shorts, jumpers and T-shirts but you can’t buy them. I can’t get them. We have run out, literally. Our biggest issue at the moment is getting the stock. Everything we have bought has gone. As soon as we launched the jumper, it flew.”

Canberra 1994 side also included Brett Mullins Ruben Wiki, Noa Nadruku, Ken Nagas, David Furner, Steve Walters, Jason Croker and Bradley Clyde with Tim Sheens as coach.