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Give your fan, family member or friend something to remember with our guide to the best rugby gifts you can buy…
Whether it’s Christmas, a birthday or another special occasion, it can be tough to work out what to buy for your favourite oval-ball aficionados. Luckily, this guide to the best rugby gifts is here to help.
We’ve pulled together loads of ideas to suit different budgets and tastes, for fans, players and kids alike. It’s an eclectic mix featuring clothing, playing accessories, wall art, a bottle of rum endorsed by a Welsh rugby legend, and at least one gravity-defying experience. In other words, there should be a best rugby gift for everyone in the list below.
Related: Best Black Friday deals for rugby players and fans
Also, many retailers have already started discounting in the run up to Black Friday (29 November), so – if you’re already thinking ahead to Christmas – don’t forget to look out for some bargains in our guide to the best Black Friday deals 2024.
RUGBY WORLD SUBSCRIPTION
Why subscribe? Not only do you get the world’s number one rugby mag delivered direct to your door every month – and never have to worry about missing an issue again – but you’ll also save loads on the cover price. Whether you’re buying a gift for your favourite rugby fan or treating yourself, this really is the gift that keeps on giving.
Price: from £21.99 for six months
Best rugby gifts under £20
VINTAGE RUGBY AD POSTER
It’s art in the form of old school rugby adverts, the kind we used to feature in the pages of Rugby World when print advertising was a thing. This is a great little wall feature for an office or garage – can take you back to the good old days.
Price: from £19.99
ENGLAND RUGBY WIRELESS CHARGER
Sports clubs will happily stamp their logos on all sorts of trinkets but – unless you’re a blazer-clad administrator – how much use does anyone really get out of rugby-themed cufflinks or ties? This England Rugby wireless charger, however, is a genuinely practical gift for a fan, capable of both powering up your phone and telling the rest of the office who you support.
Price: £20.00
ODDBALLS UNDERWEAR
If you want to be even more subtle about your rugby affiliations, nobody ever need know that your underwear is emblazoned with your favourite team’s badge. Launched in 2014, OddBalls partners with the RFU, WRU, British & Irish Lions and many others on its range of branded undies, and offers a broad range of rugby-themed designs for both men and women. Plainer styles are also available if you prefer your pants low-key.
Price: from £9.75
ENGLAND RUGBY STREET SIGN
Everybody knows where to find HQ because – although a recent high-profile sponsorship deal may suggest otherwise – the England teams’ home ground has exactly the same name as its location. Your loved ones can remind themselves of their favourite moments at the famous old stadium with this replica street sign.
Price: £8.00
Read more: Black Friday Rugby Deals 2024
Best rugby gifts under £50
ALUN WYN JONES’ RUM
Ryan Reynolds sells gin, Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson flogs tequila, and now the most capped rugby player of all time – aka former Wales captain Alun Wyn Jones – has his own brand of rum. Named after the Mimosa, a ship that carried 19th century Welsh settlers to Patagonia (where, coincidentally, Jones won his first Welsh cap), Mimosa Rwm Espiritu is infused with South American coffee. We haven’t tried it but if the man’s half as good at rum as he was at rugby, this could be a treat.
Price: £39.99
PRINCIPALITY STADIUM ROOFTOP TOUR
Open or shut, no part of any other ground bags more column inches than the Principality Stadium roof. Now you can experience the Cardiff landmark’s famous lid at close quarters, by taking a stadium tour with a difference. Scale gives you the chance to, well, scale the stadium roof to experience spectacular views of the Welsh capital. And, just in case the climb fails to deliver the thrills you seek, you can pay extra to zip wire across the canopy and/or “drop” back down to ground level.
Price: from £44.00
PERSONALISED RUGBY BEER GLASS
At this price we’re not sure we’d ever risk swigging a pint from it, but even if it’s never used this is likely to become the lucky recipient’s most talked-about vessel. As well as adding your own personalised wording, you can choose which country’s badge adorns the miniature rugby ball (intentionally) embedded in the side of the glass.
Price: from £29.99
ENGLAND RUGBY OXFORD COTTON SHIRT
High street suit moguls Charles Tyrwhitt are official partners of England Rugby so have their own dedicated range. The pick of the lot is this classic striped oxford cotton, a staple of every rugby fan’s wardbr
Price: £29.00
BRITISH & IRISH LIONS XMAS JUMPER
Lions tours come around even more rarely than Christmas, so why not kill two birds (turtle doves, perhaps?) with a sweater that’ll keep its wearer feeling festive for many a December. There’s no shortage of rugby-themed Christmas jumpers out there, of course, though the appeal of several other designs depends on your tolerance for puns as tortured as “oh scrum all ye faithful” and “rucking around the Christmas tree”.
Price: £32.00
Best rugby gifts under £100
THE BEST RUGBY KIT MONEY CAN BUY
The European Rugby Bordeaux third kit is the best rugby shirt money can currently buy and we will not hear anything to the contrary. Made by Kappa, the stripes and slight collar are inspired.
Price: From €85
NEW ADIDAS FRANCE KIT
While the rest of the world was still wearing traditional rugby kits, the Serge Blanco’s legendary French team of the ’80s was breaking the mould with its stylish, three-striped Adidas designs. Now, after a brief flirtation with Le Coq Sportif, Les Bleus are back with the German manufacturer, and it’s a match made in heaven. You don’t have to support France to see that the team’s training kit has a certain je ne sais quoi – we’re big fans of this effortlessly cool Anthem jacket.
Price: Variable (£100 for Anthem jacket)
bound wool rugby polo
Rugby shirts off the pitch are not just for match days at Twickenham or for doing some painting and decorating. They can be for nights out on the town or days in the pub, as shown by the good people at Manchester-based bound.
Price: £90
HISTORIC NEWSPAPER COMPILATIONS
Newspapers. Remember those? Even though the modern world supplies us with all the information we could possibly require in an instant, the internet can’t compete with print when it comes to piling on the nostalgia. These leather-bound books are assembled from over a century of newspaper reports, and paint a picture of the ups and downs of your favourite team. Books for a selection of club and international sides are available, and feel appropriate for older members of the family.
Price: from £61.99
Read more: Back to school rugby: a buyer’s guide
Best gifts for your kids
RUGBY BALL LIGHT
You probably have a strict “no rugby balls in the house” rule but you may want to make an exception for this distinctive lamp. Featuring authentic Gilbert branding and available in England, Scotland, Wales and Australia designs, the lamp can be personalised with your child’s name to make it feel extra special. It will also work as a gift for grown-up kids.
Price: from £84.95
ENGLAND BRXLZ MINI STADIUM
If you have a young rugby fan in your house, chances are they enjoy knocking things down – let’s face it, it comes with the territory. But if they also like building things up, we reckon they’ll enjoy the chance to construct their very own miniature Twickenham. With approximately 1,167 pieces to work through, this BRXLZ set (definitely not Lego) should keep them busy for ages.
Price: £35.00
RAM SOLO SKILLS RUGBY BALL
The unpredictability of a rugby ball’s bounce makes for excellent entertainment but it’s not so great when you want to throw it against a wall and catch it. This Solo Skills ball is designed with a flattened end so you can practise with yourself – basically, it’s great news for parents looking for an excuse to get out of a muddy chuckabout in the back garden.
Price: £15.00
Read more: The best boots for rugby: a buyer’s guide
Best gifts for players
ATAK COMPRESSION GRIP SOCKS
Normally socks are the fallback gift you hand over when you can’t think of anything else to buy, especially at Christmas. These grip socks are different, however, because they may actually help an aspiring player’s game. The soles are impregnated with silicone pads designed to reduce slippage within the boot, resulting in enhanced comfort and reduced risk of blisters. Expect a great big thank you if they work.
Price: from £14.99
RHINO GAMEDAY RUCKSACK
Take some of the stress out of matchday with a bag that’ll allow you to carry your kit in style. At 32 litres, this Rhino backpack should be big enough to hold the kit you need, with plenty of zip compartments to keep accessories like gumshields and phones safe. It also has a laptop/tablet sleeve, ensuring it’s also versatile to use for school, work and everyday errands.
Price: £38.99
DAN CARTER SUPERTEES
The days of kickers building a sandcastle to prop up the ball are long gonis good news for this article, seeing as a bucket of dirt would make a terrible gift. Nowadays, if you know someone who wants to perfect their place kicking, you could do worse than buying them a practice tee. The Dan Carter range offers plenty of different designs, though – full disclaimer – they’re unlikely to make you kick like the All Blacks legend.
Price: £13.99
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