My Rugby Shirt Disaster Phase
First off, let me tell ya, I jumped straight into buying a rugby shirt like it was candy. Saw some cool pictures online, teammates looked awesome, figured “Hey, how hard could picking one be?” Spoiler: I was totally wrong.
Grabbed the first one I liked the look of. Bright red, thick cotton, felt kinda stiff but looked decent hanging up. Cost a bit more, thought that meant quality. First practice session? Disaster.
Got sweaty quick – like, really sweaty. That thick cotton just soaked it all up. Felt like I was lugging around a wet towel. Could barely lift my arms for a lineout because the fabric under the armpits was pulling and binding. Hated every single minute. Realized then I knew squat about what actually matters.
Actually Trying Stuff Out
Decided I needed to figure this out properly. No more blind buys. Hit a few physical stores this time, tried on maybe ten different shirts.
- Looked closely at fabric tags: Pure cotton? Got sweaty just thinking about it.
- Stretchy bits: Checked for panels under the arms, along the back shoulders. Tried doing big reaches – pretended to tackle a sofa in the changing room. Staff probably thought I was nuts.
- Seam check: Ran my fingers along the inside. Thick, bulky seams around the neck and shoulders? Instant nope. Imagined hours of chafing.
- Fitting right: Realized “slightly fitted” is way better than super baggy or skin-tight. Need room to move!
Also paid attention to how the collar sat. Some stood straight up and felt like sandpaper against my neck just walking around the store. Others flopped down nicely.
The Moment It Clicked
Finally grabbed one made from mostly polyester mix. Lightweight, felt almost silky. Had stretch panels exactly where I needed them – underarms and across the shoulders. Tried my stupid “tackle the sofa” move again. Boom. Arms went right up over my head smooth as butter. Seams lay super flat, barely felt them. Collar? Soft and stayed put without strangling me.
Wore it through a full, brutal practice week. Result? Zero chafing (finally!). Sweat wicked away fast, didn’t feel soaked. Could actually focus on my game, not pulling my shirt down or rubbing sore spots.
What I Actually Learned
Forget just picking the coolest color or the most expensive one. Comfort and movement win every time. Get hands-on:
- Touch the fabric: If it feels heavy or rough now, imagine it sweaty.
- Move like you play: Do stretches, reach high, pretend to pass. Feel where it binds.
- Scrutinize seams and collars: Rubbery bits? Thick stitching? Hard collar? Run away.
- Check those stretch zones: Underarms and shoulders NEED flex. No flex = regret.
Turns out the “best” shirt isn’t about flashy logos or price tags. It’s the one that vanishes when you play. Lets you just focus on smashing tackles and scoring tries. Saved myself a lot of future misery and cash figuring that out the hard way. No more pretty shirt traps for me.
