Rugby shorts are a type of shorts that are worn while playing rugby. They are designed to take the strains of the game and have traditionally been made from

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

, in 1971 Polyester shorts were worn by international rugby teams such as Wales.

Features

Shorts should be comfortable, as tight shorts increase the chances of sustaining a serious injury. The longer and baggier shorts are, the easier it will be for opponents to pull an opponent back. The colour and style of shorts are determined by the players club.

Purpose

Rugby shorts must be able to withstand punishment and should be thick enough to provide some protection while playing. Most have pockets and many have a drawstring to prevent them coming down when tackled. While the most popular material has been cotton, modern shorts can also be made from higher grade

polyester Polyester is a category of polymers that contain one or two ester linkages in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include some natura ...

with reinforced seams. The use of these shorts is increasing as they are lighter, more durable, more comfortable, and better retain their color compared to traditional cotton shorts. ;Variations

Tag rugby file:Tag.Rugby.Belt.jpg, Tag-rugby belt Tag rugby, Flag rugby or Rippa rugby is a non-contact team game in which each player wears a belt that has two velcro tags attached to it, or shorts with velcro patches. The mode of play is based on rugby l ...

shorts are generally lighter due to the non-contact nature of the sport and have tags attached with

velcro Velcro IP Holdings LLC, trading as Velcro Companies and commonly referred to as Velcro (pronounced ), is a British privately held company, founded by Swiss electrical engineer George de Mestral in the 1950s. It is the original manufacturer of ho ...

patches.

IRB Regulations

Law 4 of the

International Rugby Board World Rugby is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. World Rugby organises the Rugby World Cup every four years, the sport's most recognised and most profitable competition. It also organises a number of other international competit ...

(IRB) Laws of the Game of Rugby Union 2010 relates to the clothing that a player may wear while playing

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

. In particular: *Law 4.4 (c) states that: ''"A player must not wear any items containing buckles, clips, rings, hinges, zippers, screws, bolts or rigid material or projection."'' * Law 4.4 (f) states that: ''"A player must not wear shorts with padding sewn into them".''

Underwear

The use of hard plastic padding of any kind, including abdominal guards (box), is forbidden in most leagues. However, unpadded jock straps can be used to provide support and prevent groin injuries. In the United States, the high-padding of

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

has influenced some junior leagues to allow, or in some cases require, abdominal guards and jock straps.

Manufacturers

Canterbury of New Zealand is the most popular producer of rugby kit. Kooga is a very popular supplier, particularly to

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

teams. Paladin Sports is also a very popular manufacturer for both Union & League, as is Triple Play from Australia.

References

External links

Donnacha O'Callaghan tries to play with no shorts
{{Rugby union equipment Sportswear Trousers and shorts Rugby league equipment Rugby union equipment