Fresh off the news that Italian sports brand Diadora were being forced into administration, the global economic crisis has claimed it’s latest victim as Canterbury Europe have suffered a similar fate.

Traditionally associated with Rugby, Canterbury had been making great strides into the football world and were the official kit manufacturers of Portsmouth and Deportivo La Coruna among other teams.

Accounting firm KPMG have been appointed administrators for the New Zealand based group.

“The European business will continue to trade under the administration whilst we try to find a buyer for the business and assets,” said KPMG partner David Costley-Wood.

He added that the firm had also been hit by the weaker value of the pound increasing the cost of its imports from East Asia.

The firm will continue to employ 14 people while a buyer is found.

Canterbury’s businesses outside Europe are unaffected, although KPMG added that the parent company, New Zealand-based Canterbury Group, was itself looking “for a potential acquirer or new investor”.