http://www.teamworkersusa.com/rugby-shorts/
The Changing Face of Rugby Fashion
Remember the good old days? Pristine cotton rugby shirts flapping in the gentle breeze at Twickers with no sponsor in sight; collars turned up if you were a fly half and ripped off if you played in the back row; sleeves rolled up for wingers and cut off for the props; and the short Cotton Oxford drill shorts with button flys.
Now, let’s look a little closer………. Those ‘pristine cotton shirts’ that used to weigh as much as the player after a sharp downpour or a tackle in a muddy puddle; those shirts that used to inflate in the wind like a parachute, great if you had the wind at your back but made running into the wind akin to resistance training; and those shorts that were……..well……..just far too short to hide any modesty!
Fortunately those days are long gone and with the advent of technological advances in man-made fabrics virtually anything is now possible with a rugby kit. The moisture wicking fabrics not only keep the players dry from the external elements, but also wick any sweat away from the body, keeping the player dry and comfortable. These moisture management fabrics not only mean that you start the game with a lighter shirt, but also that you finish at the same weight.
The 2003 Rugby World Cup saw perhaps the biggest change in design for rugby shirts when Clive Woodward and co. introduced us to the skin tight rugby shirt, designed to make grasping a player’s shirt in the tackle more difficult. There were the inevitable teething troubles and in the first game, several shirts had to be replaced due to being ripped. However, further advances in these fabrics have now meant that these types of shirt are now even stronger that the traditional cotton type shirts.
It wasn’t long before the clubs were following suit and now teams at all levels throughout the rugby world can be seen in these types of shirt, which can vary from skin tight to semi-fit. Never fear though, for those of us who don’t like the prospect of running around for 80 minutes breathing in, the more traditional fit shirts are still available in the new technical fabrics.
Lastly, let’s look at the visual change in design of the rugby shirt. Historically, there were two choices: hooped or quartered, choices limited by the fact that the shirts had to be knitted by machines. Nowadays, with the introduction of a process called sublimation, any design no matter how outrageous (and Stade Francais have certainly been pushing the boundaries), can be printed on the shirt. All the logos are added to the shirt at the same time as the design, which means that this tends to be a favourable option if you have lots of sponsors. The downside to these types of shirts can be the long lead times, particularly during busy periods such as in the run up to the new season.
The humble rugby shirt has come a long way in the past 15 years and most suppliers now offer a wide range of options including choice of fabric, style, fit, design or even collar and what’s right for you is largely down to personal preference. We await with interest to see what further advancements can be made in the next 15 years.
About the Author
The Rugby Shack are specialists in great quality rugby gear at affordable prices. Based in Lancashire, in the North West of England our basic principles are simple… massive range of rugby related products, speedy delivery, exceptional customer service.
To find out more visit our specialist rugby store where you can browse our range of rugby products and buy online.
NWT $50 RALPH LAUREN BOY RUGBY SHIRT SHORTS SET SZ 3 M
|
|
Rugby [VHS] … |
|
|
SofaSports Guide to Rugby – Understand the Rules, Appreciate the Skills … |
|
|
Rugby – 24W x 16H – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys $33.99 WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l… |
|
|
Rugby Throw in – 36H x 24W – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys $51.99 WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l… |
|
|
Rugby – 24W x 16H – Peel and Stick Wall Decal by Wallmonkeys $33.99 WallMonkeys wall graphics are printed on the highest quality re-positionable, self-adhesive fabric paper. Each order is printed in-house and on-demand. WallMonkeys uses premium materials & state-of-the-art production technologies. Our white fabric material is superior to vinyl decals. You can literally see and feel the difference. Our wall graphics apply in minutes and won’t damage your paint or l… |
|
|
Rugby $14.45 … |
|
|
For Verizon Palm Pre Plus PDA DC Car Charger Micro USB $0.14 Compatible With bold 9700/Style9670/Bold9780,Curve 8900/Curve 8520,Pearl Flip 8220/8230,Tour 9630 Niagara,Kyocera:E1100 Neo/E2000 Tempo/S1300 Melo,LG:AX155/AX265 Banter/AX585,Rhythm/AX830 Glimmer/AX9100/CF360/CT810 Incite/GR500 Xenon/LG830 Spyder/LX265 Rumor2,Lotus/UX265/UX280 Wine/UX585/UX830/UX9100/VX11000 EnV Touch/VX9100 enV2/VX9200 enV3/VX9600 Versa/VX9700/Style9670/Bold9780 Dare,Motorola:XT6… |
|
|
NEW RAPID IC CHIP CAR CHARGER for SPRINT PALM PRE $0.40 Compatible With bold 9700/Style9670/Bold9780,Curve 8900/Curve 8520,Pearl Flip 8220/8230,Tour 9630 Niagara,Kyocera:E1100 Neo/E2000 Tempo/S1300 Melo,LG:AX155/AX265 Banter/AX585,Rhythm/AX830 Glimmer/AX9100/CF360/CT810 Incite/GR500 Xenon/LG830 Spyder/LX265 Rumor2,Lotus/UX265/UX280 Wine/UX585/UX830/UX9100/VX11000 EnV Touch/VX9100 enV2/VX9200 enV3/VX9600 Versa/VX9700/Style9670/Bold9780 Dare,Motorola:XT6… |
|
|
CAR CHARGER FOR SPRINT PALM PIXI PRE TREO 800w TREO PRO $2.76 LED charging indication Color:Black Compatible With Curve 8520,Curve 3G 9330,Pearl Flip 8220/8230,Tour 9630 Niagara,Kyocera:1300 Melo/S4000 Mako,AX500 Swift/AX585,VX11000 EnV Touch/VX5500/VX8360/VX8560 Chocolate 3/VX8610 Decoy/VX9100 enV2/VX9200 enV3/VX9600 Versa/VX9700 Dare,Motorola:IDEN Series i9 Stature,Q Series Q Global/Q9/Q9h,QA Series,RAZR VE20,RAZR2 V8/V9/V9m,ROKR E8/U9,V Series,Z Series Kr… |
|
|
GTMax Metalic Black 2-Port USB Car Charger Adapter 2A + Wrist Strap Lanyard $9.99 Use your car to charge any devices (digital cameras, PDAs, mobile phones, Tablet, USB accessories and more) that can rely on USB for power! This adapter plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter jack to become a powered USB port. Brand new GTMax charger. Input: 12v DC Output: 5.0V / 2000mA Short circuit protection. LED charging indication. 2 USB Port Plug never heats or overcharges the battery… |
