Polo Ralph Lauren is to take on Abercrombie & Fitch with new fascia Rugby, aimed at preppy teens and college kids.

Ralph Lauren is understood to be targeting stores in US campus towns.

According to local press reports, the first Rugby outlet will open in Cambridge, Massachussetts, home of Ivy League college Harvard. Another store is mooted for Princeton, New Jersey.

Rugby is expected to appeal to devotees of Abercrombie & Fitch’s smart casual look and will a fill gap in Ralph Lauren’s brand architecture.

Ralph Lauren has recently been trying to tighten control over the brand’s distribution by opening its own stores.

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