Rugby shirts for men have a way of making sportswear look faintly aristocratic. A white collar above broad stripes suggests school teams and inherited wardrobes, even when the shirt is fresh off a shop rail. That association helps distinguish the rugby among the different types of polo shirts, but today’s versions offer more than a lesson in prep. Sweater knits soften the uniform, looser cuts change its proportions, and a zip at the neck takes it toward the track. There is plenty to choose from before anyone needs to learn the rules of the game.
Men's Rugby Shirts
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie & Fitch understands the appeal of looking as though the dress code has been loosely interpreted. Its oversized Rugby Sweater Polo, worn over a shirt and tie, lets broad green and cream stripes interrupt the formality. The cotton-blend knit blouses at the banded hem, making the proportions closer to a sweater borrowed from an older brother. Pleated trousers suit that slightly disheveled collegiate effect.
American Eagle
The stripes on American Eagle’s Shaker Stitch Rugby Sweater Polo get much of their character from the ribbed knit beneath them. Green and gray feel subdued enough for regular rotation, while the standard fit avoids an exaggerated silhouette. Worn with shorts and slip-ons, the sweater loses some of its school-uniform associations. It suits the man who likes a collared top but usually reaches for knitwear.
Drake's
Drake’s takes the rugby toward the track jacket with its Green Block Stripe Cotton Quarter Zip Rugby Shirt. The zip lets the collar stand higher, and the ribbed hem draws the cotton body back toward the waist. Wide jeans give that shorter-looking shape a useful counterweight. Made in Portugal, it has enough sporting character to change the mood of a wardrobe built around conventional button-downs.
GANT
Corduroy gives GANT’s rugby a country-sports inflection. On the Corduroy Collar Rugger, the textured collar sits against a wine-colored cotton body, with a matching corduroy locker loop at the back. The regular fit and jeans keep the effect casual. It is a more restrained expression of the rugby, with texture taking over the job usually assigned to stripes.
H&M
H&M’s green cotton rugby shirt shows how much the white collar contributes. Against a solid body, it gives the face a bright frame and makes a simple outfit immediately recognizable as rugby territory. Dropped shoulders and a relaxed fit bring the proportions up to date. The cream trousers and sneakers shown here let the green register fully, with little else competing for attention.
J.Crew
J.Crew saves its stripe for the placket. The detail peeks out of an otherwise natural-colored rugby shirt, giving a plain-looking top a small interruption. Ten-ounce cotton jersey supplies the weight, while rubber buttons and reinforced elbow patches keep the sporting references intact. Jeans are an obvious companion. For a smart-casual event, a tuck into tailored trousers brings the collar and placket into focus.
L.L.Bean
L.L.Bean’s Vintage Soft Rugby looks like the type of shirt that becomes a weekend habit. Garment-washed cotton jersey and a relaxed Traditional Fit encourage that impression, with a twill collar and rubberized buttons supplying the expected details. Navy and gray stripes are easy to repeat with blue jeans. A white T-shirt showing at the hem makes the outfit feel usefully ordinary, a clothing combination worth keeping on standby.
Polo Ralph Lauren
Polo Ralph Lauren has made the rugby’s social associations part of its vocabulary. The navy Iconic Rugby Shirt, with its white twill collar and embroidered Pony, delivers that timeless preppy style in one recognizable piece. Cotton jersey and a fuller Classic Fit give it a casual shape. Gray drawstring trousers make a particularly persuasive companion, treating the shirt as sportswear even as the collar hints at a stricter upbringing.
Rowing Blazers
Rowing Blazers’ Pieced Stripe Harrison Rugby looks as though several team wardrobes have been combined. Stripes change width and direction across the sleeves and body, turning the relaxed cotton shirt into the outfit’s main event. The brand specifies 285gsm organic cotton, giving the visual patchwork a consistent fabric underneath. Cream trousers and white sneakers let the competing patterns get on with it.
Sonoma Goods for Life
Sonoma Goods for Life offers a lower-priced route into the look. Its navy and blue Rugby Polo Shirt has a matching dark collar, which tones down the school-team effect of a white one. The cotton-polyester blend is machine washable, and the straight casual shape works with the beige trousers pictured here. This version fits comfortably into the everyday territory between a polo and a sweatshirt.
Taylor Stitch
Burgundy and brown give Taylor Stitch’s rugby an autumnal cast. The cream collar lifts the combination, while the relatively close fit keeps the cotton body from overwhelming the trousers. Made from organic cotton, the Rugby Shirt takes the sport’s most recognizable details into a quieter palette. The appeal is in how naturally it joins an existing wardrobe, particularly one already occupied by earth-toned trousers and workwear.
Todd Snyder
Todd Snyder’s Earthbound Stripe Heavyweight Rugby approaches sweatshirt territory through 360-gram cotton jersey. The Portuguese-made shirt has cut-and-sewn color panels and a self-fabric collar, with ribbing that draws the relaxed body in at the waist. Black trousers continue the darkest panel below the hem, letting the cream chest band do the talking. It is sportswear with enough graphic definition to make the rest of the outfit a straightforward decision.
Rugby Shirts from the Archive
