A better question would be: “Do I feel alright in this?”
Once upon a time women rugby players had to wear men’s kit; there was no alternative. Now sportswear companies line up to offer their services to clubs and national women’s teams.
Here are a few, in strictly alphabetical order: Adidas; Admiral, Canterbury, Castor, Kukri, Macron, Nike, O’Neills, Umbro.
These specialists come from all over the place: Altrincham, Beaverton (Oregon), Bologna, Cheadle, Chorley, Dublin, Herzogenrath (near Aachen), London, Manchester etc. (It’s good to see several still based in the north-west of England, once home to many a cotton-mill.)
Material matters
Just look at the lengths the manufacturers go to to find a profitable selling-angle. Here are a few materials and manufacturing methods on offer.
Adidas: Recycled Polyester, AERO READY, Doubleknit Construction, Cotton/Cotton blend.
Canterbury: Polyester (& blends), Organic Cotton, Vapordri, Thermoreg, Performance Cotton, Flatlock seams, Jaquard fabric, Loop collars.
Kukri: Recycled Polyester, Kohilo Technical Cloth, Duolite, Heavy Cotton, Mesh Panels, Moisture Wicking, Reinforced Stitching
O’Neills: Koolite Fabric, REPREVE, Performance Polyester, Cotton Moisture Management, Thermal Regulation Soil Release.
Take your pick.
This is how some national sides and clubs have resolved the issue:
Australia – Castore
Canada – Macro
Fiji – Umbro
France – Adidas
Ireland – Canterbury
Italy- Macron
Scotland – Macron
South Africa – Nike
USA- Macron
Wales – Macron
Down at club level the PWR looks like this:
Bristol – O’Neills
Exeter – Castore
Glos-Pury- Macron
Quins – Castore
Tigers – Castore
Lightning – Kukri
Sharks – Macron
Sarries – Castore
While Trailfinders (along with the men’s team) claim to make their own, under the brand name Revolution Refined! There’s nothing like being different.
I hope my details are all up to date.
Big business
Clothing is now a central part of the game.
PWR players are all given their name and number on the jersey. Before numbers became the fashion, shocked fuddy-duddies claimed they made them look like prisoners. Now we feel lost without them.
To the basic items we can add training kit, alternate strips; track-suits; hoodies, leisurewear, and, most profitable of all, replica kit. The ‘alternate’ has now become the away strip, so worn not just when a colour-clash is likely, but for half the season’s matches. This is another valuable source of income for hard-pressed treasurers.
Every fan can now don her nation’s shirt (with cunning modifications) and even specify the name of her favourite player on the back.
Just like football.
But formal and evening wear is reserved for the players alone. Just think of all the glitzy apparel the Red Roses have donned over the past year.
