It usually has short sleeves, though long sleeves are common as well. URBA Rugby 2007 Finals in Argentina. Traditionally, rugby shirts have had a buttoned opening at the top, in a similar style to polo shirts but with a stiffer collar.

Rugby shirts were traditionally made using cottons and other manufactured materials, namely elastane. However, as synthetic materials have become commonplace in sportswear, we now see rugby jerseys made predominately from polyester materials.

The rugby shirt, shockingly, originated from the game of rugby. Players used to play the game in a white button-down shirt, white trousers and a bow tie. Naturally, after several games, it was decided this look wasn't quite right for the game. An alternative had to be found.

When rugby was first played in England, participants would often wear white flannel shirts, caps and trousers. Some players even wore monocles when they played. However, these materials and pieces of clothing were not fit for purpose due to the rough nature of the game. As rugby evolved, so did the uniforms.

1950's However, as the sport has evolved, so has the shirt. By the 1950's, the rugby shirt had become somewhat of a style statement. Their bold colours with contrasting collar proved popular both on and off the pitch.

Making rugby shirts this good is expensive, and at most other brands you'll have to choose; a shirt that's good, or a shirt that's affordable. And that's because it's standard practice for clothing brands to mark up their manufacturing costs by five times or more.

Both rugby union and rugby league have their origins in the style of football played at Rugby School in England.

Fabrics for rugby kit Most of our range is made from forms of polyester or a polyester/cotton blend (referred to as polycotton). This is because polyester is tough and durable, easy to care for (e.g. it doesn't crease) and has good natural wicking properties. Our polycotton blend is 65% polyester and 35% cotton.

Rugby is a 15-a-side team sport. The object of the game is to ground the ball behind the opponent's try line, into what is called the in-goal area. Rugby is played both with the ball in hand and by kicking the ball. However, when the ball is being carried in hand it can only be thrown or handed off backwards.

Also called rugger, Rugby football. a form of football, played between two teams of 15 members each, that differs from soccer in freedom to carry the ball, block with the hands and arms, and tackle, and is characterized chiefly by continuous action and prohibition against the use of substitute players.

Gant, the Connecticut-founded menswear label often credited with democratizing the button-down shirt, launched a new sportswear line in 1974 and called it “Rugger”, a nod to one of rugby's nicknames. Interestingly, the garment was appropriated by rock climbers, who saw tremendous value in the heavy cotton's durability.

With near certainty, the company claims that they have made “the most expensive t-shirts in the world”. T-shirt “D6-L7”, for example, clocks in at a tab of $1 049 000 (roughly R15 million). T-shirt “F2-L7” has a price tag of $5 500 000 (roughly R80 million).