Developments of the Rugby Shirt

You have seen them on the players for years but now Rugby shirts are just as popular of the field as they are on. Traditionally Rugby shirts where made for just that, playing rugby. Traditionally made out of thick cotton the shirts had to withstand the toughest of conditions. As the sport is played in winter the shirt would usually be exposed to rain and mud, thick cotton shirts became very heavy for the players.

Since the very first rugby shirts where produced nearly every aspect has been redesigned. Originally rugby shirts had horizontal stripes while the football/soccer shirts had vertical stripes. Traditional shirts had v necks with quite stiff collars, however with the development of modern fabrics and the game turning professional every aspect of the shirt has been looked at and redeveloped.

Rugby Shirts to this very day still carry the logo on the chest. Generally this will be on the left side, and in today’s modern game the sponsor’s logo has taken its position on the right side and or sleeve. Many people believe rugby union shirts and league shirts are the same however to the trained eye there are subtle differences. One of the more notable ones seen before the games turned professional was that of the long V coaler. Originally rugby league shirts adopted the long V coaler as they where cheaper than the traditional Rugby shirt. League shirts tended to be more colourful with patterns, the reason to this is somewhat unclear however many people believe it was to try and differentiate themselves from the rival code. Other people believe that this was more sales driven with the teams often changing their shirts every couple of years in the hope that fans will purchase the new designs.

Modern Rugby shirts for both professional teams unprofessional are generally produced by a small collection of brands. These include Nike, Adidas and probably the most famous rugby brand/product in the world been Canterbury of New Zealand rugby shirts. All of these manufactures have switched to more modern materials such as polyester. This provides benefits to the players in the tackle situation as defenders find it hard to grab the attacker as the material is slipperier. The shirts also provide a closer fit which also makes its harder for the opposition to tackle or grab the shirt of the attacking player.

Rugby shirts today are worn just as much of the field as they are on. Whether you want to support your favourite team or wear as a fashion statement the Rugby shirt is perfect for all those social occasions.