Vintage Playing Kits: 1880s - 1915

Sean Fagan of RL1908.com

The playing kit of a rugby league player today may include a number of features that appear to just be embellishments, serving no function other than style and appearance. For example - the high collar, coloured piping to the top of socks and stripes on the side of shorts. All is not as it appears...

The first playing kits of club teams covered the full body. Most wore skull caps (possibly in team colour), the jersey, work breeches (strides/pants) that ended below the knee, long stockings (socks) and boots.

The top players wore belts around the top of the pants, others used tape or ribbon which would be tied into a knot. The side of the pants incorporated a heavy and strong seam. Tape would be stitched into and around the top of socks, so it too could be tied into a knot.

Though replaced by elastics later on, the modern use of coloured piping at the top of socks and the stripes on the side of shorts grew from the original functions of these stitchings. While the full-body style of player kit was soon lost from rugby league and union, its use has been preserved in the sport of American football.

Jerseys originally did not have high or turned-over collars. Tackling a fast running back was achieved with a throw from grabbing the player at the top of the jersey - known as a collar-stud tackle. To deceive defenders some players wore a loosely tied hankerchief around their neck, a fake collar or similar invention.

The 'whiskers tacklers' sometimes grabbed the loose fabric instead of the jersey. Many jerseys were ripped and players had to retire during games to re-stitch their jersey.

Back in England the more stylish club jerseys featured strong collars and reinforced lace-up fronts to protect against grasping tacklers.

Most players wore walking boots with leather bars nailed across the undersole to help with their footing and for pushing (in scrums etc.). Top players had different pairs of boots built for wet and dry weather.

The 'deluxe' version of football jerseys in the era were the ones that incorporated a chamios shoulder straddle. These were almost impossible to rip or for a defender to keep hold of. They incorporated a canvas insert let in at the shoulders of the jersey, and may also have helped reduce its weight when wet.

The best dressed rugby league team of the 1910s was Glebe. Their players had the full belt for the shorts, canvas top jersey and incorporated a badge. The clubs who wore two or three coloured hoops may have been reluctant to introduce the reinforced jersey as it could only be obtained in one colour. However individual players at Wests, Newtown, Souths and Easts can be seen in team photos wearing this type of jersey.

The high collar grasping tackle was becoming less frequent and this style of jersey lapsed from use (though some club designs in the NRL have followed the 'lines' of the style).

The typical jersey of the early 1900s was made of wool and was particularly heavy by today's standards.

Once wet, it was an extra load for the players to carry around the field.

This type of jersey continued in use until at least the early 1960s when newer materials became available.

While the use of shorts offered far more freedom of movement, it also exposed knees to grazing and infection (which could - and did - prove to be fatal).

Players would often cover their knees with bandings for some protection. The insides of the socks were also heavily padded to guard the shins. Jersey sleeves remained long throughout this era.