How Rugby Jerseys Are Made

Traditionally, Rugby jerseys were made from thick cotton fabric. This provided strength and was relatively cheap but when it gets wet, cotton absorbs water and becomes heavier and difficult to play in.

The advent of polyester and other synthetic fabrics meant that rugby jerseys became tougher and less liable to becoming waterlogged. Jerseys have also become tighter in recent years to make them difficult to grab onto for a defender.

Most Jerseys are now made from cotton and polyester mixes, with more expensive jerseys being made of mostly polyester and cheaper jerseys making use of mostly cotton.

Polyester is made from coal, air, water, and oil. These substances are reacted to form a strong synthetic substance which can be used for many things, including in the manufacture of rugby jerseys.

Cotton is grown on large plantations and farmed. The World’s largest cotton producers include the China, India, and the U.S.A. Cotton is usually harvested using machines but is still picked by hand in some developing countries.


Sources: Wikipedia, Cotton.org

Samoa Rugby World Cup 2015

The Samoan Jersey was one of the less plain and traditional jerseys seen at Rugby World Cup 2015. It’s bold pattern sets it apart from other Jerseys.

Kit manufacturer BLK supplied the Samoan jerseys. They made use of 3 fabrics in the Jersey where the fabric has different roles. For example; in the side panels of the jersey, the fabric is especially breathable to take sweat away and the shoulder panels are especially tough to take the force of tackles without ripping.

The Samoan jersey is quite extravagant for an international rugby jersey and this suits the Polynesian islander playing style which makes use of ball skills and the natural pace and power of the islander players.

Sources: BLKsport.com   Image credit: BLKsport.com 

Japan Rugby World Cup 2015 Jersey

Japan were a surprise success at Rugby World Cup 2015, coming close to quarter final qualification but missing out on points difference but most people’s most vivid memory of the Japanese side was their heroic victory over South Africa.

The Japanese team went into the game having lost every one of their World Cup games since 1991 and playing against one of the top ranked sides in world rugby.

A spectacular try by Karne Hesketh, in the last play of the game, ensured Japan would go down in history as the instigators of the greatest shock in Rugby World Cup History.

The Japanese Jersey, like the Irish jersey makes use of Canterbury’s injection moulded crest and vapodri technology. It is a popular jersey with supporters because of its aesthetically pleasing red and white hooped design.

This is a Replica of the Players jersey. The only difference between this and the actual jerseys worn by the players is that this jersey has no number printed on the back.

This is a video of the winning try for Japan against South Africa.

Sources: Wikipedia.org, Canterbury.com   Image source: Canterbury.com  Video: World Rugby Youtube Channel

Ireland Rugby World Cup 2015 Jersey

The Irish Rugby World Cup 2015 jersey offered a new take on the classic  green jersey. It’s made out of Canterbury’s Vapodri technology and has a 3d Injection Moulded crest.

The use of injection moulding is a relatively new advance for rugby jerseys and it means the crests on jerseys can be 3d shapes rather than stitched in like traditional crests.

Injection moulding is a popular technique for shaping plastics. It involves forcing molten thermoplastics into a shaped mould. The plastic then cools and hardens into a negative of the mould. Injection moulding is popular for mass production because of its speed and accuracy.

A mould for injection moulding is usually made from steel or aluminium. Steel moulds are expensive to manufacture, with one mould costing up to hundreds of thousands of Euros but once made they can be designed to last for over a million uses. Aluminium moulds are more suitable for lower volume uses as they are cheaper to manufacture but don’t last as long.

The Vapodri technology used in  the fabric of the jersey is designed to keep the wearer cool and free of sweat.

Here is a video of highlights from the Ireland game against Italy in the Rugby World Cup 2015.

Sources: www.canterbury.com, Wikipedia.org

   Video source: World Rugby Youtube Channel

Rugby Jerseys

Anywhere  there is rugby, there is jerseys. They mark out one team from another, one set of supporters from another. The jerseys of international rugby teams are more than just jerseys, they represent their country and its people. The colours of these jerseys have changed little in the last 100 years and have huge history behind them.

This is an advertisement from Adidas’ 2015 Rugby World Cup Advertisement campaign. In it they show their jersey for the New Zealand team. The All Black colours of the New Zealand Team are world famous; the team take their “All Blacks” name from it. The famous jersey is a part of their success. The retired New Zealand captain Wayne Shelford described the jersey as “more than a shirt”

The jersey of New Zealand, like all others in this year’s world cup was designed, developed, and manufactured all over the world. It’s made up of all sorts of materials and the geography of this and every other jersey is what I will explore in detail in this blog.

 Sources: adidas.com, Wikipedia.org

Introduction

Hi, I'm Joseph and this is my blog on the geography of the Rugby World Cup 2015 jerseys.