Rugby Clothing – Hardwearing Clothing for Hard Men
Rugby has a unique hold on our imagination that is perhaps encapsulated in the old joke about it being a ruffian’s game played by gentlemen. A close-quarters full contact sport, rugby clothing has had to evolve to be as tough as its players but still retain a certain old-school charm that makes it acceptable to wear around town. With the ever-increasing profile of televised rugby competitions and the high visibility of the Six Nations, it’s perhaps not unusual that fashion houses are cottoning on to the style implications of the sport. New rugby-orientated designs have hit the markets, but there’s still something about the classic Rugby shirt that holds a place in our hearts.
Rugby is a team sport, forging strong bonds between not just players in any given team, but among players in any given match. Unlike football, which could be argued to thrive on individuals shining within their teams, rugby encourages cooperation and shared tactics. This is equally true of the heavy impact of the forwards pushing back the opposition and the fluid grace and teamwork of the backs.
If individuality can be said to be subsumed to some degree in the tight teamwork on the field then, how best can team members stand out? The answer comes in the highly distinctive bright colours and bold contrasts of the designs. Rugby clothing not only has to be hard wearing, but to stand out. With so much fast and frantic activity taking place, you need to be able to spot your teammates without hesitation so that you can be ready to act and do your part.
Specialist sporting shops now produce rugby clothing in a number of fitting styles – from the classic cuts, to women’s fits and the newer close fitting styles and the so-called extreme fit used by professionals. These last, newer, takes on classic rugby equipment take a leaf from the more skin-tight clothing designs introduced in other sports to give opponents less opportunities to grab hold of them. Alert to the enduring popularity of the classic design and the bright patterning possible, most vendors make a point of highlighting how good the designs look, both on and off the field, while engaging with people looking to buy in bulk for their teams by engaging with them to create custom designs.
You don’t have to be a rugby hard man or woman to wear these clothes, but we dare you to pull some on and not, even for a moment, puff out your chest and dream of victory.
