Know your gear

Rugby jerseys: Anything is now possible

There was a time — not so long ago — when all rugby jerseys were one colour, or at most had horizontal stripes, or contrasting colours on the collar and cuffs. There was also a time when all rugby jerseys were made of knitted cotton that became heavier and soggier as the game and players heated up.

Then adidas launched the 1999 World Cup All Black jersey with its Climalite® technology that absorbed perspiration to keep the players cool and dry — in the region of their jerseys, in any case. This was followed by the multi-coloured Stormers jersey with patches of colour never thought possible in rugby jerseys — but, by then, common in soccer jerseys. This lightweight jersey was made of polyester and the colours were sublimated or printed on, making any design possible. Rugby jerseys would never be the same again.

Since then, descriptions like sublimation, moisture management and breathability have become part of rugby strip terminology.

There was, however, a catch: the intricate designs made possible by sublimation could only be done on polyester — which does not breathe. Only cotton breathes, but cotton could only be knitted in straight lines.

But all that has changed. Canterbury has now developed a new fabric technology, called Techtex®, which enables them to knit any design under the sun into a poly-cotton jersey, provided that no more than four colours are used at one time. Poly-cotton is a mixture of polyester and cotton, with benefits of both.

Which provides a rugby team with a whole lot of exciting options to consider when selecting new strips, or customers when buying replica.

Bright and breathable

The new fabric technology makes it possible to knit any kind of design — be it a logo, brand name or just for styling — into a jersey.

Techtex® is a poly-cotton fabric that was developed by Canterbury and is manufactured locally. “It is strong, comfortable, breathable and absorbs moisture,” explains Canterbury’s SA marketing manager Wayne Stanford.

Techtex®, manufactured and developed in SA, is a further developmentof the New Zealand made fabric Temex®. Techtex® is lighter and stronger, while still giving the advantage of player comfort.

“The design to be knitted into the fabric is done on a computer and saved on a disk that can be kept and re-used forever — even if the colours change the following year. New colours are simply allocated at no extra cost,” says Stanford. “If you print on a jersey, you have to pay to have new plates made every time a colour changes.”

One of the main benefits of knitting a design into poly-cotton, is the fact that the fabric is breathable — the fibre opens when warm so that perspiration can evaporate and closes when it gets colder. This limits the loss of moisture and regulates the body temperature as it opens and closes.

The strength of Techtex® has been fully tested on the field. The Sharks have been playing Super 12 and Currie Cup matches in Techtex® for the past two years, and there has never been a jersey failure.

Benefits of polyester

There are also several benefits to sublimated polyester jerseys. Provided that the polyester used for the rugby jersey is of the highest quality — this was a lesson that Larry Miller of Springs Shirts learnt when he was offered inferior quality. That delayed his launch of a new rugby range by nearly a year — but orders can now be placed, he says.

“We cannot begin to stress the importance a buyer needs to place on the type and quality of polyester used in these new jerseys,” says Bernadine Abbott of 4th of July, manufacturer of PowerPlay jerseys worn by, amongst others, eight Super 12 and provincial rugby teams.

4th of July has been instrumental in researching polyester fabrics that provide all the right criteria when it comes to strength, moisture management, washing, comfort and cosmetic appeal. There are many different types of polyesters available on the market, but we believe that in Aqua Dry we have the one and only true moisture management fabric that far out-performs all others in the above areas.

“The days when polyesters were spoken of as plastic bags that do not absorb sweat, are long gone,” she says.

The Aqua Dry fabric absorbs moisture from the inside and wicks it away from the body so that it can evaporate — thus keeping the body dry and the player cool. “Cotton jerseys are known to hold moisture, creating a heavy, uncomfortable product that clings to the body,” says Abbott.

Aqua Dry also has a soil releasing property that ensures that the muddiest of games will not ruin a jersey — a mild 20°C wash will even return whites to white. “Due to the porous nature of the fabric, the washing and drying time is reduced by half.” The fabric does not shrink, and rugby shorts can be manufactured in the same fabric.

The benefit of sublimation printing — that can only be done on polyester — is the fact that it offers “fantastic design freedom, sharp colour and design definition. Colours will not fade as the colour is heat pressed into the fabric.”

Any number of colour combinations can be used to create a vibrant design. “The commercial nature of rugby requires a rugby jersey to be used as a promotional vehicle, and the higher the visibility component, the better,” says Abbott.

Branding and numbers can also be directly sublimated onto the garment at a cost effective price. This eliminates the weaknesses that are sometimes caused by large embroidered areas on knitted jerseys, which can create tearing.

Drawbacks

The problem with these innovations is that like in all highly specialised technologies, sublimation can become costly. And each design added, drives the cost up, explains Miller.

“However, it is important to understand what you are getting for your money — and I believe Aqua Dry offers the greatest value for money available on the market,” says Abbott. “We have now launched a standard range, in the moisture management fabric, but with limited design and colour options, at extremely competitive prices. The standard rugby jersey sells for an average of R115 — R135, but the customised product will cost R160 — R230.”

Due to the cost of sublimation and moisture management, Gilbert developed a knitted poly-cotton jersey for clubs and schools that is much more affordable. It is breathable, but cannot be sublimated and numbers and designs therefore have to be embroidered or attached.