The best rugby tracksuit bottoms and tops to wear this winter, whether you’re heading to training, or indulging your athleisure habit.
Best rugby tracksuits 2021
The tracksuit might have become a fashion and catwalk mainstay in recent years, but if you were playing rugby chances are you were ahead of the curve – after all, tracksuit bottoms and tops are essential bits of kit whether you’re heading to training on a cold winter’s eve or watching the game on the weekend.
But now that these comfy garments have moved out of the realms of purely functional attire and back to a place where you won’t get strange looks if you’re wearing one to the shops on a Saturday morning, there’s never been a better time to pick up a fresh pair of trackie bottoms or a slick new tracksuit top for yourself. Here’s our pick of the best…
Best rugby tracksuits 2021
Umbro England Alternate Anthem Jacket
Image: Umbro
+ Knitted collar and cuffs
+ Die-cut woven ventilation panels
– Prominent sponsor logo may put some off
England’s all-white home anthem jacket is certainly very nice for when Owen Farrell and company are lining up to sing God Save The Queen at Twickenham, but we think the alternate blue version has a bit more everyday utility for fans.
This design from Umbro features a knitted collar and cuffs for snug, sleek fit, zip pockets to keep your stuff safe, and die-cut ventilation panels on the back and underarms to keep you cool. The only downside is the presence of the large sponsor logo, which may limit its ability to be worn more casually, but your mileage may vary.
Canterbury Tapered Fleece Cuffed Pant
Image: Pro:Direct Rugby
+ Sleek, clean, wear all day look
+ Comfortable and warm
– Not that practical for training
Everyone needs a nice comfortable pair of joggers, don’t they? And these cuffed pants from Canterbury certainly tick a lot of boxes for those who want something that you can lounge around in at home, wear when you’re popping out for a walk or to the shops, and also take to training.
With their stretchy cotton fabric, slimline tapered look and warm fleece lining, they look and feel good, though the cuffed bottoms aren’t the best if you need to strip them off (or pull them back on) at training.
Macron Scotland Quarter Zip Training Top
Image: Pro:Direct Rugby
+ Performance fleece material
+ Thumb holes on sleeves
– Very much training/exercise focussed
Scotland’s gold-accented 2020/21 range from Macron really hits the right notes in terms of styling this year, and thanks to the relatively unobtrusive sponsor on the sleeve this quarter-zip top certainly looks the part.
With its performance fleece material it’ll also make sure you feel the part, keeping your temperature regulated no matter what you’re doing, while the thumb holes on the sleeves ensure this is a top that feels like it’s designed to help you get out and work out in comfort.
Adidas New Zealand All Blacks Mens Presentation Jacket
Image: Adidas
+ Bold Adidas branding
+ Easy-grip zippers
– ‘Tech ink’ blue not very ‘All Blacks’
This presentation jacket might be more ‘all blue’ than All Blacks, but it’s certainly a stylish thing, with the interesting ‘tech ink’ shade of blue being accented nicely by the classic silver fern and three prominent Adidas stripes on the sleeve.
It’s also very practical with a warm cotton/poly blend material, zip-up pockets and Adidas’ own ‘easy grip zippers’ so you aren’t fumbling with cold hands to get your phone or keys out after a night on the terraces or at training.
Canterbury British & Irish Lions 2021 Track Jacket
Image: Canterbury
+ Understated simple design
+ Vapodri fabric for moisture wicking
– Low-cut collar not great in the cold
The Lions 2021 range from Canterbury breaks from the norm by offering a variety of items in black, as opposed to the more traditional red, blue, white and green of the four home nations. That’s no bad thing to our mind as it means this track jacket hits the perfect sweet spot between performance and style.
So it’s made of moisture-wicking Vapodri material to keep you cool and dry, but the sleek black and red colour scheme, with no real ornamentation bar the Lions and Canterbury logos, feels extremely stylish.
Macron Wales Training Pants
Image: Pro:Direct Rugby
+ Shaped fit for freedom of movement
+ Zipped ankles
– Hard to wear anywhere else but training/games
If the classic fleece joggers are great for everyday use, they don’t exactly excel if you’re wearing them to training, or indeed to a game – raise your hand if you’ve never got your trousers covered in mud trying to put them on while wearing muddy boots after a game or session…
These Macron Wales pants solve this problem with zipped ankles that make it easy to get in and out of them without having to take off your boots, while the shaped fit gives you excellent freedom of movement. They’re probably not what you want to wear to the pub, however.
Under Armour Challenger Knit Trousers
Image: Under Armour
+ Moisture-wicking fabric
+ Zipped ankles
– ‘Next to skin’ fit not for everyone
Under Armour know a thing or two about keeping you warm and dry when you’re working out – it was how the Baltimore-based company made its name after all, and these Challenger trousers will do just that while also letting you move freely thanks to a four-way stretch fabric.
It also has ankle zips to enable you to quickly strip them off when it’s time to play, and get them back on when you’re done. B ut be aware, these are designed to be near-skin tight.
Adidas x Eden Park Track Top
Image: Adidas
+ Subtle logos for wear-everywhere feel
+ Ribbed cuffs and collar
– Definitely more fashion than fitness
We mentioned at the top of this guide that tracksuits had become a fashion staple, so we’re going to finish on something that’s definitively a stye-based choice, but one that still has rugby at its heart, as it’s a collaboration between Adidas and French fashion brand Eden Park.
Eden Park’s relationship with rugby is a deep and long-lasting one – the brand was founded by former France and Racing 92 player Franck Mesnel, and the brand’s logo is the pink bowtie famously worn by Racing players before major finals. Wearing this collab is not just stylish then, but showcases your rugby fandom in a very subtle and classic way.
Can’t get to the shops? You can download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.
Please follow Rugby World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.