Buyers Guide - Top 5 Essentials for Rugby Players

Whether your rugby season is just about to get underway in earnest, or it's halfway through the campaign, we all need the essentials for rugby when it's time to take to the field.

Lots of kids and a few adults will take up rugby possibly for the first time, or perhaps coming back to the sport after a few years absence.

But what do I need to take to rugby training?

Don't worry, Rugbystuff.com is here to help and this blog is dedicated to the top 5 bits of rugby kit that are most essential to have, not only to get you started in rugby, but to get it done in comfort.

If you’re happy with your kit, you’ll play better, and if you’re a back you’ll probably subscribe to the theory – look good, feel good, play good!

1. Rugby Boots 

Without a doubt the most essential piece of kit you’ll own.

No rugby boots and you’ll be left for dead scrabbling around in the mud, as the studs on the sole of the boot provide you with all the traction you need to stay upright and in the game.

Choose Firm Ground, otherwise known as moulded or FG boots, for harder surfaces and artificial surfaces – they’ll be gentler on your feet and stave off any blisters from hard surfaces.

If you’re in the front five of the scrum you’ll want to wear Soft Ground or SG boots all year round for extra traction in the scrum, preferable something with at least 8 screw in studs.

For the rest of the positions, you’ll want to switch to Soft Ground boots in approximately September or October depending how much rain your local area has encountered.

Again, looking at the forwards, once things start to get really mucky you’ll want to change your studs our for a set of 21mm rugby studs – these can’t be beaten for grip.

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2. Mouthguard 

Also known as a gum shield or gum guard, a rugby mouthguard should be the one of the pieces of kit you’ll never want to be without.

If you have kids, get them used to wearing them from a young age – they take a bit of getting used to but if it becomes a habit from a young age, you’ll be set up for wearing one for life.

Remember, you only get one set of adult teeth so look after them!

A little known fact about mouth guards is they also help prevent concussion as well as your teeth – this is because in a high impact situation you jaw may hit your upper teeth with quite some velocity.

Of course a mouth guard helps negate this, and some even have pads built in between the molars to boost up the protection.

We stock a massive range of mouth guards from the leading names in protection - Opro, Safejawz and SISU.

They all can be fitted at home using the boil and bite method – submerge in hot water for the prescribed time and then bite, suck and press all at once to gain the optimum fit.

This process can be repeated until the mouthguard stays in place on the upper teeth and does not drop down.

3. Shorts & Socks 

Nothing fancy, just a pair of rugby socks and shorts in your team colours will be perfect for playing and training.

The socks will give your shins a little bit of protection from scrapes and bashes when pulled up.

Grip socks are also available, which can help reduce the risk of slipping within your boot and prevent injury's such as blisters

Rugby shorts are nice and tough and are designed with a contact sport in mind. Not too much stretch so they are good in the tackle and scrummaging situations.

Traditional cotton drill shorts are almost all gone these days, replaced by 100% polyester rugby shorts, usually with stretch panels.

They are more comfortable, stay light when wet, breathable and keep their colour much better.

4. Baselayer 

With rugbystuff.com being based in the Northern Hemisphere, it starts to get pretty chilly for rugby around about November, so a quality baselayer top - and even shorts - will pay dividends with your happiness on the pitch.

They’ll help keep you warm but light and give you better range of motion than lots of layers.

Especially worth considering for backs and wingers – your work rate is a little lower than the forwards and with a bit more standing about you’ll feel the cold more.

Props will definitely want some baselayer shorts – a bit of chaffing on props thighs can be debilitating!

For training consider a pair of compression leggings - they’ll not only keep you warm but will give compression to your entire leg muscles.

The benefits being increased blood flow which will help reduce injuries and speed up the recovery process from a hard session – you could even sleep in them for that extra post training recovery.

5. Protection

Not on the immediate rush out and buy list but protection in the way of shoulder pads and a headguard might be worth considering.

World Rugby laws on protection allow for 10mm of padding on head guards and across the shoulders and only 5mm across the body.

A rugby headguard is the obvious choice for second rows and back rows.

As a lock, your head and ears can take a pummelling at scrum time between two props, and as a back row especially open side flankers heads will take quite a few knocks as they are usually putting their head in the wrong place at the bottom of rucks.

Shoulder pads could be considered by any position, it’s not guaranteed but they may help reduce shoulder injuries through impact and if nothing else they leave you feeling like Terminator as you run out on the pitch!

So get your rugby boots and mouthguard sorted and get down to your local rugby club now.

Rugby is great sport which teaches outstanding values and discipline along with a tremendous social side, and don’t forget a kit bag to chuck it all in, and a rugby ball and kicking tee if you’re going down the park to practice your shots at goal!