In my thirty plus years playing rugby, I have never knowingly played with anyone who shaved their legs, so, I was rather surprised when I started to research this issue that there were in fact plenty of legit reasons for rugby players to shave their legs. Here they are with my ‘expert’ verdict tagged on the end:
- The aerodynamics of shaved legs increase running speed
In cycling, shaved legs have been proven to make cyclists quicker. Outsideonline.com reported that:
‘Cyclists saved between 50 to 80 seconds over a 40km/24.8-mile course’
– Active.com
My verdict: Well, it may well work in cycling but in rugby I just can’t see that its going to make any significant difference. I’ve never heard of any rugby player mentioning anything related to shaving their legs for speed, and in this day and age I am sure they would as I reckon there would be plenty of potential sponsors out there and some easy money to be made.
I imagine Jonny May, or Louis Rees Zammet could make a few quick bucks out of this! Incidentally, we have an awesome guide to wing play for beginners with video located here.
- Grit and mud come out of cuts on smooth legs more easily.
This does make a good deal of sense. I currently play expat rugby in Asia and I play on a lot of dry hard pitches which cause no end of scratches. I have lost count of the times that I have come off the pitch and had a beer pitch side and the mud has become caked over joining up all the hairs on my legs, nasty. It then requires a thorough washing before you can deal with the scratches and cuts effectively.
My verdict: OK, so this reason makes sense. I’ll give the leg shavers this one, 1-0.
- Sports massages become much more comfortable.
Sports men and women do everything they can to aid their bodies recovery and so regular sports massages are a bit of a no brainer as they reduce DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness and improve flexibility, that is according to the highly respected British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine (BASEM) who report:
“We found no evidence that massage improves measures of strength, jump, sprint, endurance or fatigue, but massage was associated with small but statistically significant improvements in flexibility and DOMS.”
– British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
Unfortunately, for brutes like me who give a Chewbacca a run for their money they actually can be a tad painful and awkward with all the wincing. Depending on what oils’ are or aren’t used, and the masseurs expertise, it can simply feel like all the hairs on my body are being individually pulled, not fun!
My verdict: Another legit reason, 2-0. The only problem is, I am not sure how I would reach to shave my back, or care enough to keep doing it on a regular basis. The vast majority of rugby players I know just simply wouldn’t go for a massage unless they were injured. This sounds like something professionals have to worry about a whole lot more.
4. Shaved legs hurt less when removing strapping.
You have probably noticed that some players wear a huge amount of strapping on parts of their body to either protect from further injury, protect from future injury or as a way of providing support for lifters in a lineout. Whatever the reason, no matter how tough the player, ripping it off from hairy body parts post games hurts so some players shave the affected areas to avoid the issue entirely.
My verdict: I suspect regular rugby players don’t need to shave these body parts as the free body wax from past games probably means they have no hair there already. Furthermore, a bit of hair pulling is not likely to bother any of the macho types I play with.
Also check out: Can you play rugby with stitches?
5. In readiness for a magazine photo shoot or club calendar.
In these days of professional rugby and players with spiralling profiles and egos it is not uncommon to see a top player on the front of a magazine for which they have clearly had a shave for. I guess, it is a fair call from the director paying you for the shoot.
My verdict: Well, this reason only affects a small handful of players and I don’t think anyone is gong to be shaving for a club calendar.
6. To stop opposition players pulling them.
Oddly enough as a youngster playing under 12s rugby we were told that any players we played against with hairy legs were most likely over age and that we should pull the hairs on their legs after we had tackled them. I was never quite sure if the coach was joking or not!
My verdict: I’ve been punched, kicked, had teeth knocked out but never had the considerable amount of hair on my legs pulled so I say this is not a legit reason to shave your legs in rugby.
7. It improves appearance by enhancing muscle definition.
I couldn’t write a post about shaved legs in rugby without mentioning Gavin Henson. The original ‘poster boy’ of Welsh rugby in the 2,000s. Gavin openly admitted to shaving his legs and liberally applying fake tan. At his peak no one could really bring him into question such was his talent and ability to turn a game.
My verdict: If you are as talented a Gavin Henson then of course do as you please but I’m not sure for your average rugby player playing in front of one man and his dog needs to be concerned with how defined they look.
8. The psychological edge.
Whilst Gavin Henson might not have been the sharpest tool in the shed he may well have had a point when he said that ‘I like to look good. If I look the part it helps me to perform’. I think we can all agree with that, when we look good we feel good, when we feel good we generally perform any task we are undertaking better.
My verdict: I think I have to give Gavin this one. Incidentally, you may wish to read our guide to wearing shin guards in rugby which some people believe also gives a psychological edge.
9. For team building purposes.
For non rugby players this last reason may seem a bit daft, over the top, or like just plain bullying but shaving off an eyebrow, for example, is a classic stunt performed on the bus on the way home when someone has had too much to drink and fallen asleep.
And this is not just saved for amateur players either. Gloucester rugby club famously have an initiation for ALL players whereby they either have to try and drink 8 pints of milk in 20 minutes or they have to shave off all of their head hair!
My verdict: Team building is a valid reason to shave hair off, besides, you’ll never drink 8 pints of milk in 20 minutes, just get it done!
Overall, then, that makes a total count of five legit reasons for rugby players to shave and four non legit reasons for them to shave. Who knew! You might also be interested in Do Rugby Players Wear Helmets.
Photo Credits:
Featured image: Unshaven legs Diego de los reyes lacasa, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
