27 May Are Rugby Players Allowed to Wear Leggings?
In today’s blog post, we are going to be discussing whether or not rugby players can wear leggings during a game of professional rugby – along with the many benefits of base layers and what base layers in different forms including, tops, shorts and leggings can bring to the game.
If you are wondering whether rugby players are allowed to wear leggings as part of their kit, then continue reading for all the information.
Can Rugby Players Wear Leggings?
During a game of rugby, it used to be the case that only female rugby players were able and allowed to play in leggings or tights. In 2021, the World Rugby law changed to allow for men to wear leggings too, before this new law came about male rugby players were not allowed to wear leggings during the game.
World Rugby revealed that the amendment was made because of concerns about possible abrasion sustained by players due to the usage of artificial turf at various levels of the game on various rugby grounds.
All rugby players can now wear leggings or tights during play. No matter what gender is playing the sport, the same rules apply.
Base Layers
The significance of wearing leggings in rugby is that they can come in the form of rugby base layers leggings. If you are wondering what a base layer is, then a base layer is a piece of clothing that sits underneath any other layers of clothing one might be wearing. They are made from specially designed and formulated fabric and are intended to fit tight and snug against the body to act like a ‘second skin’.
Base layers are particularly useful and beneficial to those who exercise and play sports, for example, football, cricket, running, and hiking to name a few. Base layers can also come in a variety of different clothing items including tops and bottoms. In bottom styles, you can often find base layers that come in rugby base layer shorts or leggings.
Our Mizos Fresco base layer range comes in multi-sport variants, to cater to all weather conditions, in the tops we have sleeveless, short and long-sleeved base layer options, for whatever season or weathers.
Why Leggings Can Benefit Rugby Players
Now that all rugby players are allowed to wear leggings, since the rule that male players cannot be abandoned last year – this can now help to benefit rugby players greatly. Male rugby players now being able to wear leggings is not just about equality and having the same rules apply to all, but it is in fact about helping with performance along with some other certain and undeniable benefits that these special layer materials can bring. Read below for the amazing benefits.
Regulates Body Temperature
Base layers are designed to mainly function as body temperature regulators. Allowing a person to maintain the right body temperature at all times, ensuring they do not get too hot or too cold when they are exercising.
Similar to a thermal layer, base layers can trap the heat and keep you warm – particularly useful when playing rugby in the cold and wearing base layer leggings. Unlike thermals, base layers also have the ability to cool you down too by wicking moisture away from the body.
Moisture Wicking
Base layers manage to wick moisture away from the body as they are made from a specially formulated and ultra-lightweight material, this allows the garment to soak up any moisture quickly and wick it and evaporate it away quickly out of the garment. This can help rugby players by ensuring they stay cool, dry and comfortable at all times during play, perfect for a perspiring player and when the weather is hot – allowing for a completely comfortable and enjoyable game.
Enhance Performance
A rugby base layer can help a rugby player or any sports person feel so comfortable that it can actually help to enhance their performance. If the incorrect layer or material of the clothing is worn for example then this can soak up any perspiration and weigh any player down. During training or a game, a player can lose 2.5 litres of sweat in an hour, depending on body size, so for some rugby players, it could be considerably more. Holding on to even one litre of sweat is enough to disrupt any sportsperson’s game, weighing them down and disrupting their potential to perform to their best – making them extremely uncomfortable too. Base layers are so amazing for those who play sports and it is why it is essential to own the right base layers and have them fit correctly.
Compression
Another reason why it is great that all rugby players are now allowed to wear base layer leggings is the compression support they provide to the muscles during play. A compression fit can help aid muscles during exercise, helping with any build-up of lactic acid in the muscles, allowing a player to play for longer, whilst helping to promote healthy blood flow back to the heart.
The compression fit also helps to protect and prevent muscles from injury, which is especially useful in a high contact sport such as rugby – where injuries are common.
Not only does compression benefit muscles before and during, but it also supports muscles after play too, by offering muscle support after playing rugby will also for a better recovery time and limits muscle fatigue so rugby players can get back to playing rugby as soon as possible.
Final Note – What Players Should Wear?
Base layer leggings of course are an optional piece of kit, but from the points mentioned above, it is clear that base layers have many benefits that should be utilised when playing the game of rugby. The mandatory items when playing rugby are rugby jerseys, shorts, boots and socks, so the choice of wearing base layers is one for the players to make.
Rugby leggings can be especially beneficial in the cold – to maximise the base layer’s ability to trap in heat and therefore keep a player warm, instead of just wearing shorts where bare legs are exposed to the cold.
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