Best rugby shirts 2021

These match-ready jerseys will look sharp whether you’re running out on the pitch or relaxing in the clubhouse afterwards.

Best rugby shirts 2021

If you really want to look sharp at training, then your common or garden replica jersey just won’t cut the mustard. If you want to train and play like a pro, then it can’t help to wear the gear that the likes of Maro Itoje, Finn Russell or Alun Wyn Jones wear when they’re competing at the highest level – and that’s where ‘Test’ and ‘pro fit’ jerseys come in.

Now, as anyone who has watched rugby in the last two decades will know full well, modern on field rugby shirts are a far, far cry from the baggy cotton jerseys of yore. Even ‘replica’ or ‘supporter’ jerseys these days feature a snug fit that often doesn’t leave a lot to the imagination.

If your physique has been more honed by the sofa than the power rack lately, and you want something a little more forgiving, you’d be better off with our round up of the best classic rugby jerseys. But if you want to stick with something closer to the on-field look, read on…

Best rugby shirts 2021

Umbro England Rugby 2021/22 Home Replica

Credit: England Rugby Store

+ Looks very similar to version worn by the pros
+ Squared off neckline
+ Silicone England cress and head-applied double diamond logo

After seven years with rugby mainstay Canterbury, England jumped ship to British kit supplier Umbro last season – Umbro might be more famous for the company’s long soccer pedigree, but the brand has a long history with rugby, having supplied various test teams in the 70s and 80s, including the British and Irish Lions.

After playing things safe last season, this year’s home shirt is a little more out there, with a bold red side panel that harks back to the classic England shirts worn in 2003 for their victorious World Cup campaign. 

Macron Wales 2021/22 Home Replica

Credit: Macron

+ Subtle sublimated chevron pattern
+ ‘Anrhydedd’ embossed on back of neck
+ Made of 100% recycled material

The Welsh Rugby Union switched to Macron from Under Armour last season, and that means that for the first time in the professional era, Wales have moved from a two-year kit cycle to annual releases – something that’s frustrating for fans but at least keeps things fresh on the pitch.

The new shirt is a slightly more modern take on the Wales recipe than last year’s super-retro design, with a subtle pinstriped chevron pattern on the top, low-profile collar and subtle touches, like the embossed word ‘Anrhydedd’ (honour) on the back of the neck. Like other Macron shirts this season, it’s made of 100% recycled material.

Canterbury Ireland 2021/22 Pro Home Shirt

Credit: Canterbury

+ 3D Injection Moulded IRFU crest
+ Vapodri fabric offers excellent moisture wicking
+  Sublimated graphics on sleeves and side panels

Ireland have been with Canterbury since 2016 and in that time they’ve created jerseys for Ireland that have been both traditional and a bit more modern and unconventional. 

While perhaps not quite as bold as last year’s black and green patterned shirt, this features an abstract pattern on the sleeves and side panels, complete with a low-profile collar design that is borrowed from the Lions 2021 jersey worn in South Africa.

Macron Scotland 2021/22 Replica Home

Credit: Macron

+ Purple and blue trim represents Scottish Saltire and a thistle
+ Made of recycled plastic bottles
+ Embossed thistle motif on back and sides

Scotland might play in dark blue but for 2021/22 they’re going green, as long-time kit partner Macron has created this year’s jerseys using Eco-Armevo – a polyester fabric that is made of 100% recycled plastic bottles. 

On the design front this is a more modern design than last year’s 150th anniversary kit, with striking blue and purple trim designed to nod the Saltire and thistle, while the back and sides of the shirt are replete with an embossed thistle motif.

Springboks 2021/22 ASICS Home Shirt

Credit: ASICS

+ Modern take on the classic collar
+ Iconic green and gold colours
+ Stitched Springbok and Protea badges

World champions, Lion tamers, All Black conquerers… South Africa might not have made many friends of neutrals in 2021, but the 2019 Rugby World Cup winners have shown why they’re still the team to beat. 

Still rocking the same iconic jersey that Siya Kolisi wore to life the Webb Ellis trophy two years ago, this design has an interesting, modernist take on the traditional neckline, with a striking angular white insert alongside a gold collar

Adidas New Zealand All Blacks 2021/22 Home Shirt

Credit: Adidas

+ Iconic black jersey
+ Comfortable pinstriped open collar
+ Made of Primeblue recycled plastic

The All Blacks jersey is the most iconic design in rugby, and one of the most instantly recognisable in sport, and as such long-term kit supplier Adidas doesn’t mess around too much with the formula.

This year’s jersey is even more subtle than most, with the only colour accent outside of the logos being a subtle white pinstripe around the open-necked collar. The jersey is also made of Primeblue, which is a material made of 50% Parley ocean plastic.

Le Coq Sportif France 2021/22 Replica

Image: FFR

+ Retro FFR logo
+ Large tricolore motif across side and back
+ Subtle patriotic touches

France’s stylish 2021 home jersey comes straight from French sporting institution Le Coq Sportif, and the brand certainly has a different take on rugby shirt design than many other suppliers.

The tricolore is a motif often used by Le Coq Sportif and that goes double when it’s a national team jersey, but this time they’ve really gone to the next level, with a large, swooping line of red, white and blue running from the side of the jersey up onto the shoulder.

Fiji 7s 2021/22 Nike Home Shirt

+ Striking modernist design
+ Masi art on sleeves
+ Worn to Olympic glory and beyond

Fiji are everyone’s second team, whether it’s 15s or 7s they are rugby’s great entertainers. And so the rugby apparel world exploded when it was revealed that they would become one of the very few teams in rugby to sign with Nike this season.

The hype was real, but the first Fiji Sevens shirt has not disappointed – worn at the Tokyo Olympics as the Fijian men defended their gold medal, this stunning, dynamic take on Fiji’s shirt is simply one of the best rugby shirts ever.

Japan Canterbury 2021 Home Jersey

Credit: Canterbury

+ Modernist take on classic hoops
+ Injection-moulded Brave Blossoms badge
+ Crew neck for added comfort

The Brave Blossoms took on the Lions in Edinburgh this summer, continuing the rapid trajectory of the 2019 Rugby World Cup hosts into rugby’s elite.

This jersey is the same as that worn by Japan as they marched to the quarter finals of their home tournament, with a modernist take on the classic white and red hoops, with gold accents and Japanese art sublimated into the design.

That completes our round-up of the best rugby shirts of 2021.

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