Tights

crossref


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Question: is a player allowed to wear leggings only - i.e. NO SHORTS ?

(spotted in the wild at the weekend)
 

Phil E


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No.

They must wear what is listed in Law 4.2
There are then additional items that are permitted, including tights or leggings.

Law 4
A player wears a jersey, shorts and underwear, socks and boots. The sleeve of a jersey must extend at least half-way from the shoulder point to the elbow.


Additional items are permitted. These are:
k. Cotton blend long tights or leggings, with single inside leg seam under their shorts and socks.
 

crossref


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clearly the correct answer in Law.

in practice what should a referee do ?
 

Phil E


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Not being smart, tell them they have to wear shorts.

If they don't, they cant play.

Exactly. Spot on, same as if they didn't wear a shirt.
 

Zebra1922


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Definitely get some shorts on, no-one wants to see a rugby player (or any bloke for that matter) in leggings only.
 

Stu10


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clearly the correct answer in Law.

in practice what should a referee do ?
Follow the laws, and wearing tights and no shorts can create an unfair advantage IMHO because potentially harder to tackle (not unreasonable to grab shorts in a tackle).
 

Jarrod Burton


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Tights are much harder to grip than a pair of shorts or legs IMO

I'd be keen to see what WR would do if professional teams started wearing lycra bike shorts instead of the current looser style.
 
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