Most rugby players have at least one large drawer in their house stuffed full of all the rugby kit they wear. You’ll find all sorts of stash in here, from their very first club training top they wore as a mini junior to the shoulder pads they wear for the first team at the weekends. But, what exactly does a rugby player actually wear on and off the pitch?
Rugby players wear a pair of rugby boots, cotton rugby shorts, long socks, underwear, a rugby jersey, and a gumshield. Sometimes players will also wear shoulder pads, a head guard and tape strapping. For training sessions and warmups there will also be training tops, and tracksuit bottoms.
That is just the start of it though, there are also tracksuits, polo shirts, vests, woolly hats, hoodies and even suits, shirts and ties, which are all part of the rugby players required wardrobe. In this article we are going to break down the rugby players wardrobe into three sections: ‘The Essentials’, ‘The Standard Requirement’, and ‘The Optional Extras’, in order to give you a clear idea of exactly what rugby players actually wear. Let’s go…
Rugby Kit: The Essentials
Rugby shorts
These need to be incredibly strong and durable in order to cope with the amount of times opposition players are going to grab onto them. Usually they are made of cotton and have either a drawstring cord, are elastic, or a combination of the two.
You should look out for shorts with a small pouch on the inside just underneath the main waist band, this is really handy for putting your gum shield in at half-time, during extended breaks of play or even after games just so you don’t lose it.
Personally, I don’t recommend shorts with pockets in them, it is too easy for players to get fingers caught in them which can cause surprisingly nasty injuries!
As you would expect Gilbert do a great range in shorts and some of my Gilbert shorts have lasted over a decade!
Long socks
Rugby players wear socks that pull up to just below the knee. Each club will of course have their own design but it is useful to have plenty of extra plain coloured pairs for training sessions.
Socks have to be hardwearing and are usually made of one or a combination of nylon, polyamide, coolmax or elastane these days.
Sock designs are getting ever more advanced with some sock manufacturers claiming their socks to be breathable, have mixture wicking properties, be supportive and allow freedom of movement. Personally, once the whistle has blown how my socks feel in my boots is the last thing on my mind!
However, it is nice to put on a new pair of socks and feel that you have got the latest technology on your side and the pricier socks are absolutely going to last longer and reduce the risk of you getting blisters on your feet.
My pick for rugby socks are the classic Canterbury hoop socks, made for rugby.
Underwear
This is clearly down to personal choice and there does not seem to be one single approach to this. However, in changing rooms these days I mostly see sports briefs rather than anything longer. This may be because of the chafing that baggy or unnecessary material can cause.
Personally, I don’t buy rugby specific underwear I just use general sports briefs which seem more than adequate.
A rugby jersey
These have changed massively over the years. Pre the 2000s players would wear a thick heavy cotton jersey that was often a little baggy.
However, Clive Woodward’s England team changed all that and began wearing much tighter shirts with a sticky type of grip on them so that opponents would not be able to grab onto the shirts easily and so that players would be less likely to drop the ball in wet weather.
Often made of 100% polyester, some manufacturers claim moisture controlling abilities and that their shirts allow air to flow close to the skin and draw heat away from the body.
Personally, my main priority is that it fits how I like it, and that it feels strong and durable but does not feel too heavy or thick, the last thing you want is for it to pick up moisture and become heavy on a rainy day or a hot day when you are perspiring more than usual. It is usually worth buying higher priced shirts for their improved performance in these areas.
Oh, and one last thing, gone are the old traditional collars that you would once have. These days most shirts feature round necks. This does make them less likely to be worn out to a non rugby event it does make them more practical for actually playing in.
Suggested reading: Are Rugby Shirts Business Casual?
Gumshield
Sadly, this is an essential piece of kit. I used to have to go to the dentist to get a decent fitted gum shield, however, these days, these self moulded gum shields from sports shops are just as good. You simply heat them up in boiling water soak for a minute and then bite into them to leave imprints. Leave it to cool for a few minutes and then voila, you have a gum shield.
These do get lost now and then and pliers are often seen tucking them beyond their ears or down the tops of their socks during breaks in play, sounds disgusting and yes, I guess it is!
Amazon do a good range, you can checkout the gum shields available here.
Rugby boots
Well, I say rugby boots but to be honest there is a very blurred line between the two. Traditionally rugby boots went up higher on the ankles, heavier and more sold looking, however, in recent years players are going for much lighter boots similar to that which footballers wear, although forwards boots still tend to be a touch more solid.
I always buy boots made by Gilbert because they are specialists in making rugby boots which means they are more fit for purpose than soccer boots and can handle the demands of rugby better.
The big difference between football and rugby boots though is underneath the boot. Rugby players have to wear studs that are safe and suitable for playing rugby in. They usually have a special kite mark on them to show they are safe, essentially these studs do not fray or become sharp after repeated use and are therefore safer.
Players can choose between different length studs (read the rules about studs here) and they may change their stud length depending on the pitch type, for example, players may wish to wear longer studs on muddy pitches and shorter ones on drier pitches. Personally, a good balance is longer ones on back and middle studs and then shorter ones on front studs – this prevents you from tripping over your front studs when running, or side stepping.
You might want to read our guide about the difference between rugby and football boots here, or you can check out the latest Gilbert rugby boots on Amazon here.
Rugby Kit: The Standard Requirement
In addition to all of the above kit then rugby players will also wear the following, fairly regularly, as standard:
Training tops
Often a club will have their own training top available form the club shop, pretty much every player will want to have at least one of these as it makes you feel part of the team, it supports the club and lets the opposition know that you are an organised bunch.
If you don’t have a club training top then buying a couple is a good idea, they will be worn when warming up, if a player is substituted, or obviously, to train in. Try to find ones without zips, or any extra things hanging off as these simply serve as an injury risk to other players. Players will often wear a breathable t-shrt under their training top or a normal rugby jersey.
Tracksuit bottoms
For wearing to training, or for bench duties, or even for casual wear. I prefer tracksuit bottoms with a cuffed hem, i.e. ones that are drawn in at the ankle by elastic, these just prevent loose bottoms from catching on the opposite boot somehow and tripping a player up – very embarrassing. Another feature I like is when there is a zip up the side to just below the knee.
This means that should you want to put them on or take them off quickly you can do so with the extra space this provides. Again I recommend not buying any with zips hanging out, Canterbury do a good range with zip-ups that are safely concealed.
A decent kit bag
As you can see there is quite a lot required to keep a rugby player on the pitch so it pays to have a durable, stylish kit bag to keep everything in. I prefer to have at least one section that is well ventilated as more often than not there is going to be some used kit and it helps prevent a kit bag from smelling if dirty kit can be kept separate and ventilated.
You also need a separate section for valuables, another section for shower gel, hair gel, deodorant etc… and then a final main section for your actual kit. I would want at least 50 litres for hauling all of my gear around in. A decent bag is a great investment and just makes all the travelling, changing and so on that bit easier.
Taping and strapping – Some players require this to provide extra support to particular parts of the body. Knees, shoulders, even wrists are often tape up. There is no magic to the tape though, it is simply elastic, adhesive, cotton, bandage tape.
Rugby Kit: The Optional Extras
A boot bag – It can be a bit annoying to bundle your dirty boots in with all the rest of your kit. So, a nice boot bag is a handy extra, even if you do just put the boot bag inside the main bag. I also like having a boot bag as some training sessions I don’t want to have to take my full kit bag with me and go to training already changed so a boot bag is just fine.
A base layer – These have grown in popularity in recent years. Essentially, they are a compression type garment worn under the rugby jersey which helps to either keep you warm and move moisture away from the skin efficiently in cool wet climates, or in warmer climates help to regulate your temperature and keep you cool. Made from polyester and lycra they mould to the contours of the skin and provide just that little bit extra support.
Hoodies – You can play touch rugby in these or just wear them to and from training as they are nicely lightweight and easy to throw over any kit. A true non-essential but a great gift for any rugby player.
Vests and singlets – I am a big fan of these for gym workouts, after training sessions, or for casual wear – great for showing off the guns at the beach too! I normally lookout for breathable fabric, sections of mesh fabric for improved breathability and quick drying, side vents and a dropped neckline to avoid feeling choked. These are usually made of a mixture of polyester, cotton and rayon, you just need to find the design you prefer.
Headguards – Personally, I have never worn one but they are increasing in popularity for obvious reasons. If/when my kids start playing contact rugby I shall want to be getting them used to wearing one. These are made of high impact absorbing foam, are lightweight and quite inexpensive.
Look out for a soft chin strap and an area around where your ears would be with a meshed section, otherwise you risk not hearing teammates which will no help your game one bit! Plenty of famous players, backs and forwards have been known to wear them, for example, Stephen Larkham, James Haskell, Cheslin Kolbe and Maro Itoje amongst many others.
My personal choice would be the ‘Rhino’ brand as they have been the leading producer of rugby specific padding, i.e. tackle bags, tackle pads and scrum machines for decades. I wouldn’! trust my head with anyone else!
Lineout supports – These are essentially wraps that are positioned around the mid thighs and players that are being lifted in the lineouts wear them so that they can be lifted more easily. Traditionally players would make lifting easier by wrapping tape around their thighs to provide some form of grip but these lineout supports are growing in popularity.
Flip-flops/sandals – It’s nice to pop on a pair of flip flops when you are jumping into the shower and even for just wearing after training and going home in. Look for slip on style or at least a very simple method for fastening them up.
Jackets and fleeces – Hopefully you will never be hanging around on the side-lines long enough in order for one of these to be necessary but it sometimes happens so having a decent jacket or fleece to put on is worth having and may be too a waterproof jacket too. Justbe warned that no matter how hard you try these are likely to get muddy pretty quickly and so will likely not be suitable for general wear around town as well.
Hats, caps, gloves and scarves – Depending on your climate and the length of time you think you will be standing still for then these can be nice extras to have. In fact, on a freezing Sunday morning coaching mini rugby I would definitely be wanting a wooly hat and maybe even some gloves, but, if you are reading from the land down under then a cap is going to be more useful.
A decent suit – Rugby players are quite fond of a good suit and there are many occasions to wear one. Some teams insist that their players wear one after games, indeed my junior team had me wearing a suit after games from about age group under 13 and upwards. There are also presentation evenings, sportsmans dinners, the annual club ball as well as plenty of other reasons to have a decent suit ready to wear at any time.
And of course, that means you will also need shirts and ties to go with. I know the amount of gear required for rugby can seem never ending, however, I think that is about it. I hope I have covered pretty much everything a rugby player wears – that is rugby related at least! You might also be interested in: 10 Tips For Beginner Rugby Players
I am just going to wrap up this post with a few frequently asked questions:
What Do Rugby Players Wear Under Their Shirts?
Rugby players wear any combination of the following under their shirts: a base layer, which is a Lycra tight compression vest/shirt, thin high impact absorbing shoulder pads (less than 1 cm thick and made by approved manufacturers), joint supports, and any extra taping to support shoulder joints that the player feels they require. You will also find rugby players who wear nothing under their jersey still.
Do Rugby Players Wear Shin guards?
In general rugby players do not wear shin guards. A clash of shins is now where near as likely or as worrisome as a clash of heads. What is more there might be an element of bravado about not wearing protective gear in rugby.
Why do rugby players wrap tape on their thighs?
Rugby players wrap their thighs with tape so that they can be lifted more easily in the lineout. Basically, it is far easier to propel someone upwards if you have a secure area to grasp hold of. Wrapping tape helps provide this secure area.
Photo Credits:
All Blacks Jersey American International Group, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Socks and boots Steven Lilley from Halifax, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
