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Adidas Champions League Finale 10 Capitano
by ally_kats_mama
Without a doubt, the Chamions League is one of the biggest competitions in football. It is a huge deal in our house with all of us being avid Manchester United supporters. We always go all out for the final if they make it with flags, confetti - it is amazing! When the Champions League starts up Adidas will bring out a new ball for the ... competition and replicas are readily available in sports shops. I think every football fan looks forward to seeing the new design of the Champions League ball each year, I know both my husband and I do.
The ball I am reviewing is the Champions League 2010 Final ball. This ball is very attractive. It has a glossy finish and is covered in metallic blue stars which are each joined together. The ball has the Adidas logo and also "Finale" on it. It also boasts the Champions League logo making this the official ball for 2010.
The Champions League ball replica in 2010 was available in two sizes. And it cost us £14.99 from Argos. It came deflated so we had to pump it up ourselves which is easy enough with a football pump. We only ever use a hand pump to pump up balls as we found that when we used an electrical pump on a different ball it really stretched it too tight and eventually it ruined the ball. I believe an electic pump just causes a little bit too much pressure.
This ball was lovely when inflated. It was lovely and glossy and very slick which meant it glided across the grass with ease. However, this ball has probably been the least durable of our footballs. After just a couple of months of only using it in the back garden, the design started to flake off and crack, the ball would easily deflate and by the end of the summer it looked as though it has been in use for a good few years rather than a few months. Quality wise this replica ball was very disappointing. Adidas balls and Nike balls are worlds apart and Adidas in my opinion need to play catch up in the quality stakes as this ball just did not live up to what it should have been like
The ball was average weight and my husband found it easy to do tricks with and he said it moved easily through the air and crossed very well.
Regardless of the ball being asthetically pleasing and being technically quite good, the quality of it really let it down.
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Gilbert Zenon Rugby Training Ball
by Randal
Whenever you get a group of people together at a BBQ or a family gathering, and a rugby ball is obtained, you will always get people passing it back and forth in a sort of catch game between everyone. Hence, when we had a recent BBQ coming up at home, I bought this Gilbert Zenon Rugby Ball on the spur of a moment to provide some gaming ... fun, mainly on account that out last rugby ball was finally damaged by one of the dogs. At the time, they were only £4.99 in JJB Sports, reduced from £14.99. So for that price, and for what I wanted it for, it was a bargain.
The Gilbert Zenon Rugby Training Ball comes in 3 sizes, designated Size 3, Size 4 and Size 5. Size 3 (the one I got) is the smaller of the 3 and is more for children/teens. Size 4 is slightly larger, where Size 5 is the largest and is a full size version more suited for adults. I got the Size 3 version because it would also allow my kids to play with it as well as the adults.
The ball itself is made from a special combination of materials to give it toughness, waterproofness and durability - all good qualities that are required for a good rugby ball, where it is made up of a number of panels that have been stitched together. It is also very lightweight (as you would expect for a training ball for kids/teens age groups) meaning that it easy to throw and catch.
The outside of the ball has what can be best described as a rubberised pimpled grip, meaning that the surface of the ball is covered in small pimples. This aids the gripping of the ball when you catch or throw it, especially when it is wet. We've done some long range kicks with this ball when it was wet, and when you catch it at the other end, it just stops in your hands with that rubber pimpled grip, and doesn't just slip through.
Another good point is that when you do throw it, it also seems to hold its path well through the air, and doesn't seem to get too deviated by any wind, which is surprising given its light weight, but may also be that when you throw it right (a pointed end first like a missile with a spin on) the aerodynamics take effect with that pimpled skin, and give it a good flight path. Either way, it does feel good in your hands and during play.
In summary, for my needs, this was an ideal rugby ball, and my kids still get enjoyment from it now, bashing it around the garden. It is fully featured, tough and durable, and although I got it for the sale price of £4.99, I would have been happy to pay a full £14.99 for it. So a 5 star recommendation from me.
Review also on Ciao under Randal1.
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