Your cart is empty.
Built for XV. Not for many.
Rugby has a shorter kit list than almost any other contact sport, and a longer list of things people buy that they did not need. This is everything you wear, from the boots up: what each piece does, what the laws actually require versus what is habit, what it should cost, and the order to buy it in if you are starting from nothing.
What you actually need to start
Rugby is cheap to enter compared with most sports, and clubs know it. If you turn up to a first session with boots, a mouthguard and clothes you do not mind ruining, nobody will comment.
Needed on day one
- BootsFootball or soccer boots are fine to begin with. Do not buy rugby-specific until you know your position.
- MouthguardRequired for contact at essentially every club. A boil-and-bite is acceptable; a dentist-fitted one is better.
- ShortsRugby shorts or any tough training short. Not running shorts with a liner.
- A shirt you can destroyIt will be covered in mud and possibly torn. This is not a metaphor.
- SocksLong ones. Club socks come later.
Needed within a month
- Rugby socks in club coloursUsually bought through the club, not individually.
- A second pair of shortsBecause the first pair will be wet.
- A warm layer for after trainingYou will stand around soaked for forty minutes. Nobody warns you.
- A proper kit bagBig enough for wet kit that must be separated from dry kit.
Optional, and genuinely optional
- Scrum capPermitted, not required. It does not prevent concussion. It does reduce cuts and cauliflower ear.
- Shoulder paddingPermitted within strict thickness and density limits. Most players do not wear it.
- Base layerUseful in cold weather, a hindrance in warm. Governed by the laws on what you may wear.
- Headguard tape or ear tapeCommon among front-rowers and locks; almost unheard of elsewhere.
What the laws actually say
This is where a lot of confusion sits. World Rugby specifies what players may and may not wear, and the rules are stricter than most people assume.
Hard materials are prohibited — nothing rigid, nothing sharp, no buckles, no jewellery. Padding is permitted but must comply with strict limits on thickness and density, and approved garments carry an official mark. A scrum cap is legal; a helmet is not. Studs must meet dimensional requirements and cannot have burrs or sharp edges, which is what the referee is checking when they inspect boots before kick-off.
The practical version: buy padding and scrum caps that carry the World Rugby approval mark, keep your studs in good condition, and take your jewellery off. Scrum caps, mouthguards and padding covers what each piece does and does not do.
- Collar: hard-wearing, never a hood
- Shoulder padding, if worn, must be approved
- Sleeve: short for grip, long for cold
- Match shirt: cut close so it cannot be grabbed
- Shorts: tough, no pockets, no drawcord ends
- Socks and studs: checked before kick-off
The three tiers of kit
Every player ends up with three separate wardrobes, and keeping them separate is what makes the expensive one last.
| Tier | What it is | How many | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Match kit | Club shirt, match shorts, club socks. Often issued and returned. | One set | Never train in it. Match shirts are cut close in unforgiving fabric and wear fast. |
| Training kit | Tees, shorts, base layers. Yours, replaced regularly. | Two to three sets | Buy for durability over looks. It gets washed three times a week. |
| Leisurewear | Hoodies, polos, joggers. Worn to and from, and everywhere else. | As many as you like | This is the tier worth spending on, because it is the one you wear most. |
How many of each you actually need works through the rotation for a full season.
Boots
Boots are the one genuinely position-dependent purchase, and the reason to buy them last.
Forwards, especially the front row, need an eight-stud soleplate for scrummaging grip and usually a higher cut around the ankle. Backs want a lighter six-stud boot built for acceleration and change of direction. A winger in a prop's boot is carrying unnecessary weight; a prop in a winger's boot has no purchase in a scrum.
On day one, football boots are fine. Once you have a position, the boot buying guide covers soleplates and stud configuration, and soft versus firm ground covers matching studs to Canadian pitch conditions across a season.
What to buy first on a budget
If money is finite, and at sixteen to twenty-seven it usually is, the order matters more than the brands.
- Boots
- 120 (The only piece where cheap genuinely costs you)
- Training kit
- 90 (Two shorts, two tees)
- Warm layer
- 60 (You will use it more than anything else)
- Mouthguard
- 20 (Dentist-fitted is better but not essential at first)
- Socks and bag
- 30 (Club socks usually come through the club)
The full version of this, with a buying order and cost-per-wear maths, is in a rugby wardrobe under three hundred dollars.
What not to buy
- A scrum cap before you can tackle properly. Equipment is not a substitute for technique, and a cap can encourage exactly the head-first contact that causes the injuries. Learn to tackle first.
- Club-branded anything before you have chosen a club. Obvious, routinely ignored.
- Metal studs, until you know your grounds. Some pitches and most artificial surfaces prohibit them.
- A match shirt to train in. It is the most expensive garment you own and the least suited to repeated washing.
- Compression everything. Base layers help in cold and hinder in heat. When they genuinely help is a short read.
Almost every kit regret in rugby is the same one: something bought in week one that turned out to be for a position the player did not end up playing.
Fit, fabric and why kit fails
Two things determine whether kit survives a season: what it is made of, and how you wash it.
Rugby fabric divides into heavy cotton and cotton-rich knits (durable, comfortable, slow to dry) and technical polyester blends (fast-drying, lighter, less pleasant on skin and quicker to hold odour). Match shirts are almost always the latter; leisurewear is almost always the former. What rugby apparel is actually made of goes through the fabric families and how to read a spec sheet.
Washing is where most kit actually dies, not on the pitch. Cold water, inside out, no fabric softener, and never a tumble dryer. The full care system is here, and getting grass and mud out is its own problem with its own method.
Sizing
Rugby sizing is inconsistent between brands to a degree that would be a scandal in any other category. The same nominal size can vary by several centimetres across the chest, and a chart measured flat is not comparable with one measured on a body.
The fix is to measure once, properly, and buy against garment measurements rather than a letter. How a rugby shirt should fit has the four measurements and the method; why you are a medium here and a large there explains the underlying mess.
Common questions
What kit do I need to start playing rugby?
Boots, a mouthguard, shorts, long socks and a shirt you do not mind ruining. Football or soccer boots are acceptable to begin with. Everything else — scrum cap, padding, base layers, club kit — is optional or comes later.
Is a scrum cap required in rugby?
No. Scrum caps are permitted but not required. They reduce cuts and cauliflower ear and do not prevent concussion. If you wear one it must carry World Rugby approval, because hard materials are prohibited.
What is the difference between rugby boots and football boots?
Rugby boots generally have an eight-stud soleplate and more ankle support for forwards, built for scrummaging grip, while football boots are lighter with six studs. Backs can play comfortably in football boots; front-rowers really cannot.
Can you wear pockets or jewellery playing rugby?
No. The laws prohibit anything hard or sharp, including jewellery, buckles and rigid materials. Match shorts have no pockets for the same reason.
How much does rugby kit cost?
You can start for well under two hundred dollars if you already own boots, and around three hundred from nothing. Boots are the one item where buying cheap genuinely costs you, because the soleplate is position-specific.
How many sets of training kit do I need?
Two to three. Training runs two or three times a week and kit rarely dries between sessions, so one set means either damp kit or constant laundry.