Kane Williamson 'modernises' protective gear after painful blow

Former Black Caps captain Kane Williamson has a very personal reason to be invested in protective gear in high-impact sports.

In 2012, a Dale Steyn delivery during Test against South Africa in Wellington split Williamson's box in half and caused the Black Cap to think about how protective gear could be modernised and improved.

"It was extremely painful and it just absolutely dropped me," Williamson said.

"I was hit, my box split, and that made it pretty clear that the protection players were relying on wasn't up to the demands of the modern game. That started the idea to create a product which can actually provide the protection required."

It was an incident which is all too familiar at every level of the sport, right from club cricket, through to international, where Australian Captain Mitch Marsh was last month ruled out of the T20 World Cup after being hit in the box by a fast paced delivery in training.

The moment stuck with Williamson and in the following years he helped assemble a team to bring science-backed design into the sports protection category which has changed very little in decades.

After years of research and development, the company is now releasing its first product: a New Zealand-made premium alloy box, engineered to withstand the extreme impacts of high speed projectiles across multiple hard ball sports including cricket, hockey, lacrosse, and baseball.

Co-founder Jason Low oversaw the initial development and testing of the box.

"We wanted to do this properly, so we took a scientific and data driven approach towards our research and development programme," Low said.

"For a long time, this space has leaned on tradition rather than proof. In testing, our box has handled ball speeds well over 200 kilometres an hour, while most existing options start to fail at around 100. That margin of safety gives players real confidence when they're out there."

The business is backed by a group of investors including New Zealand Cricket, while former Black Cap Grant Elliott is leading the organisation's commercial programme.

"We've put the box in front of a wide range of cricketers, from club cricket through to elite, and the response has been extremely positive," Elliott said.

"It's been built with care and rigour, and is for any cricket player, no matter their level. In my view, it's the best box in the world. It's comfortable to wear, durable, and does a great job of reducing pain on impact."

Williamson has been wearing the product throughout the summer and says the difference is obvious.

"A few months ago I took a quick one flush in the box and I remember thinking "that should have hurt more than it did".

"The most important factor is that it gives you confidence," he said. "When you trust your protection, you can play more freely."

Cover's launch is part of Williamson's long term ambition to leave cricket in a better place.

"For me, this is about helping the next generation. If we can raise the standard of protection, we can improve confidence, performance, and safety for everyone who plays the game."

More protective categories will follow from the company.

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