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In the cold light of day, a rugby jersey may be viewed as a simple shirt. Colourful and durable of course, but dig deeper, and you’ll find a clear realisation that they are so much more than just a garment.
As the decades advance and rugby evolves, so do the jerseys. Up until the early noughties, a sodden rugby jersey would be heavy enough to render the lighter backs helpless due to its dead weight. In such a dangerous sport, the traditional rugby shirt, with its heavy cotton thread, stiff collar and buttoned opening at the top, was a source of danger in itself.
In a tackle or maul, if a defender’s head was at a certain angle against the oncoming attacker, an injury akin to third degree burn would be inevitable as the shirt scoured against the defender’s face – “jersey burn” to give it a name. Perhaps more sickeningly, the old-style jerseys had a cruel way of punishing poor tackling technique; the tough cotton being strong enough to rip the fingernails off a would-be tackler, should their grip slip and a handful of shirt was grabbed in a final, desperate attempt to stop the attacker.
So as the years have rolled by, rugby jerseys have evolved and transformed into what they are today: pretty much skin-tight, aerodynamic shirts – much to the collective annoyance of the members of the grumbling front row when they pack down in readiness for a scrum.
As the seasons have ticked by, the designs and colours of amateur rugby kits have become something to behold. For an old romantic like myself, there’s still a lot to be said for traditional patterns such as coloured hoops, quartered shirts, or chevrons, all in honest colour palettes. However, nowadays, some clubs have begun to incorporate a whole myriad of wild and psychedelic designs into their shirts. Florescent pinks, purples, yellows, oranges – popular choices perhaps with the aim of dazzling opponents – and if you spend a moment searching websites for Sevens rugby tops you’ll find a shirt design to suit anyone and everyone.
Yet perhaps to debate the visual aesthetics of the rugby jersey is to miss the point. Though clubs may invest in new sets of kit every few seasons or so as the sponsors change, the club crest on the front and the numbers on the back of them remain the same and symbolise the history of the club and players who have worn the jersey in the past. It is as if the club’s story is stitched into the fabric, the sweat of past players steeped within the collar.
I“t is as if the club’s story is stitched into the fabric, the sweat of past players steeped within the collar.
34 ALL SHAPES & ZEBRAS FROM TREORCHY