Among the first schools to do so was the Rugby School, one of the oldest educational institutions from the United Kingdom. According to their tradition, it was a contact sport which allowed for the player to touch the ball with their hand, however, in other schools rules stated that neither handling a ball nor making opponents trip over were allowed. This is what separated football from what was then called Rugby Football.
WHY THE RUGBY SHIRT HAS BECOME AN ESSENTIAL
When football and rugby decided to follow different paths, these also created different aesthetic patterns. Originally, there used to be an activity from which football and rugby derived, halfway between a sport and a ceremony without any fixed rules that were agreed on before each match but in the mid 19th century there was already a need to unify them to avoid the discussions to be longer than the game itself.
Initially, the clothing used in football and rugby were practically identical, however, rugby soon discovered that a more aggressive style implied new garments. In a time where t-shirts were considered to be underwear, the equipment tried to stay away from wool and flannels, which would get soaking wet in humid climates. It had to be made of cotton, with a stiff collar to keep its shape, and, at least in the beginning, without any buttons that could hurt their opponents. Rugby players no longer head the ball, which is why the tiny cap that footballers of the time used to wear to lessen the impact from the hefty balls were no longer necessary. Those hats were also a way of identifying each team’s players, which would thereafter depend on the shirts, which were decorated with horizontal stripes in opposition to football’s vertical ones.
The rugby shirt would eventually start to become popular outside the field as well but not as much for the teams but the schools they represented. The rugby shirt became a star item at the Ivy League, a style that Ralph Lauren picked up again in the eighties.
However, one of the brands that owe the most to rugby shirts never came through the Ivy League. In the seventies, Yvon Chouinard was a climber who had created a brand of technical mountaineering equipment, but he didn’t pay much attention to his clothing. In Scotland, he found some second-hand rugby shirts that surprisingly worked to perfection in the mountains; the collar prevented rope friction and it was made of cotton which was tear-proof.
Chouinard bought some shirts that he then quickly sold out in the United States among other mountain climbers and he then soon found himself immersed in the textile market, making his own shirts. When it came to choosing the name of his brand, he thought of his favourite climbing area, Patagonia. Since then, rugby shirts have become one of his brand’s essentials.
Rugby equipment has evolved to technical materials and new cuts designed to better performance, which are very different from the classic designs. The rugby shirt has forgotten its origin, but it has become an essential garment in the streets that renews itself each season through the ideas of Tyler The Creator or JW Anderson (the son of a rugby player). Accepted by streetwear brands, rugby shirts can be worn for sports just as they’re comfortable and appropriate for any type of situation.
