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Rugby is a game of contrasts, and the best rugby shirts reflect that duality. On the one hand, it’s a sport played almost exclusively by dudes built like The Rock, who crash into one another over and over again with the unremitting fury and general chaos of a hotly-contested round of Hungry Hungry Hippos. On the other, it was invented by a bunch of prepsters at a British boarding school, which means it has all the peculiar etiquette and collegiate traditions of something like rowing baked right in.
Rugby shirts, similarly, are built thick and tough to survive opponents yanking on ‘em for 80 minutes straight, but they’re also refined and collared like their close relative the polo shirt. And they’re Swiss-army-knife versatile: you can throw one on alone with jeans or chinos or shorts, or you can sub it into just about any situation you’d normally wear a V-neck sweater (think over a button-down or under a blazer) to give your look a little extra ruggedness.
Bottom line, you need one. And, wouldn’t you know it, your pals at GQ have done all the heavy lifting for you. Cop one of the best rugby shirts for men below, wear it with everything, rack up the compliments. It’s that simple. Scrum on.
The Ol’ Reliable Pick
You want something classic and preppy and built to last? You go with Ralph Lauren. And, as you might expect, Polo Ralph Lauren’s rugby shirt is damn near definitive: the stripes are thick, the knit is burly, the buttons are rubber (to prevent them popping off mid-tackle), the collar is begging to be popped. But the biggest selling point of all is the fit—trim but not tight, with enough room to wear one of Ralph’s just-as-iconic Oxford shirts comfortably underneath.
The Respectable Rebel Pick
At the center of prep’s recent revival is Noah, a brand that’s been inspiring downtown cool guys to dress like private school rejects since 2015. So when designer Brendon Babenzien (formerly of streetwear’s crown jewel Supreme) makes a rugby, you know it’s not going to be a simple recreation of some Ivy Leaguer’s who earned his BA in ’66. This made-in-Canada joint swaps out the traditional buttons for a slick zipper and adds in a hoodie-like kangaroo pocket, giving the erstwhile prep staple a jolt of much-needed energy designed to appeal to recent graduates and dropouts alike.
The 75-and-Humid Pick
Todd Snyder’s penchant for breathing new life into hall of fame-level menswear is indisputable, whether it’s suede trucker jackets or a slimmed-down, office-appropriate corduroy suits. The cozy melange gray cotton makes this rugby more like your best heavy-duty tee, while it’s still got all the typical cues you expect from a rugby shirt—namely, the contrast collar and placket, and those hefty horizontal stripes.
The Archival Pick
Eager to tap into Brendon Babenzien’s singular aesthetic at a more approachable price? J.Crew—where Babenzien is currently steering the ship as men’s creative director—should be your new favorite one-stop shop. This rugby shirt, which is inspired by the label’s own ‘80s-era archives, cranks up the volume on what’s already a colorful shirting proposition by doing it up in 5 (!) colors packed into one bold, flag-like design—then rotates the traditional horizontal stripes 90 degrees for extra intrigue. The result is a statement piece you’ll want to wear all fall, and for less than a Benjamin, at that.
The Extremely-Right-Now Pick
Rowing Blazers has made its name on faithful reproductions of iconic sportswear, from David Hockney’s striped rugby shirts to Princess Diana’s cheeky jumpers. So it tracks that this rugby shirt looks exactly like the version your dad would have worn in the 1970s, down to the primary color combo and big chest stripe. And because it’s made out of a seriously beefy 14 oz. cotton, it’ll last long enough to become a vintage grail your own kids will want to inherit.
The Classic-As-They-Come Pick
If you’re looking for authenticity, Barbarian is the way to go—the company’s knockabout gear has been put to the test on pitches the world over for four decades and counting. The brand’s rugby shirts are made in Canada out of premium 12 oz. fleece and feature all of the details you’d expect from a shirt designed to follow you into battle—which means it’ll hold up just fine accompanying you to the farmer’s market too.
