Are Rugby shirts the next sporting frontier in fashion?

WORDS Cassandra Dimitroff PUBLISHED Sun, 7 Apr 2024 - 12:00 pm

Rugby has long been a part of the Australian cultural identity – particularly if you grew up in coastal Queensland like myself, where it was considered just about the only game allowed to be called 'football'. It's a sport that's been as pervasive in our daily lives and rituals as any (perhaps aside from AFL or cricket), but rarely has it transcended the realm of sports to enter the fashion lexicon.

We've seen plenty of athleisure and sportswear trends take hold of the internet over the past few years – whether it was football jerseys or F1 style or tennis fashion, we can't seem to get enough. But now it seems like another Gentleman's Sport is taking hold of our collective sartorial imagination – and rugby fashion is now popping up on the runways of fashion week and in the collections of micro-brands we obsess over online.

Perhaps the fascination with rugby fashion in particular comes from the fact that it sits neatly into Venn diagram of 'Athleisure' and 'Old Money' trends to appease both sensibilities at once. Off the field, the rugby aesthetic closely mirrors the 'Old Boy' wardrobes beloved and recreated time and again by the likes of Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Burberry and more. Whether donning a jersey, a pair of 'Ruggers' shorts or accessorising your polo with a knit vest or sweatshirt – it's all a part of the ethos.

Below, we show you all our favourite rugby-inspired pieces to add to the mix this season.