Rugby Apparel Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented By Type (Upper Wear, Bottom Wear, Socks), By Distribution Channel (Offline, Online), By Region & Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 989.56 Million
CAGR (2026-2031)	11.91%
Fastest Growing Segment	Online
Largest Market	Europe
Market Size (2031)	USD 1943.82 Million

Market Overview

The Global Rugby Apparel Market will grow from USD 989.56 Million in 2025 to USD 1943.82 Million by 2031 at a 11.91% CAGR. The global rugby apparel market comprises specialized performance clothing and protective equipment, such as jerseys, shorts, boots, and scrum caps, designed for both competitive play and training. Key drivers supporting this sector include rising player participation rates in emerging regions and the growing commercialization of major international tournaments, which directly stimulate demand for official merchandise. The expanding reach of the sport is particularly evident in the women’s segment; according to World Rugby, in 2025, 49% of current female rugby fans joined the fan base within the last two years. This rapid demographic shift creates a substantial opportunity for manufacturers to increase sales of gender-specific kits and supporter wear.

Despite these positive indicators, the market confronts a significant challenge regarding the proliferation of counterfeit merchandise. The widespread availability of unauthorized, lower-quality replicas erodes the revenue streams of legitimate brands and dilutes intellectual property value. Manufacturers must navigate complex supply chain protections to mitigate this threat, which risks undermining consumer trust and profit margins as the sport’s global footprint continues to widen.

Key Market Drivers

The expansion of major international tournaments acts as a primary catalyst for the rugby apparel sector, creating cyclical surges in demand for official merchandise, replica kits, and fan apparel. These events function as global commercial platforms that drive consumer spending well beyond the host nations, incentivizing brands to release limited-edition tournament gear and expanded product lines. The financial scale of these competitions highlights their ability to stimulate market activity; according to World Rugby, May 2024, the 2023 Rugby World Cup generated a net economic input of €871 million for the host nation, France. This significant capital injection reflects the broader commercial ecosystem that manufacturers leverage to sustain revenue momentum between quadrennial events.

Simultaneously, increasing global participation rates, particularly in non-traditional strongholds, are fundamentally altering the addressable market for performance equipment and training wear. As grassroots initiatives take root in regions like North America, the requirement for boots, scrum caps, and durable jerseys rises proportionally. For instance, according to USA Rugby, July 2024, youth and high school registrations in the United States surpassed 50,000, marking a 12% increase from the previous year. This grassroots expansion is further bolstered by the visibility of the women’s game, which converts casual viewers into active participants and consumers. Highlighting this growing engagement, according to Six Nations Rugby, April 2024, the Women's Six Nations Championship recorded a 22% rise in matchday attendance compared to the previous year, signaling a robust market for gender-specific rugby apparel.

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Key Market Challenges

The proliferation of counterfeit merchandise significantly hampers the growth of the global rugby apparel market by directly eroding the revenue streams of legitimate manufacturers. As the sport’s popularity expands into new territories, unauthorized producers exploit this demand by flooding the market with lower-quality replicas of jerseys, boots, and scrum caps. These illicit products are often sold at a fraction of the price of authentic gear, creating a competitive imbalance that makes it difficult for official brands to maintain their pricing strategies and profit margins. Consequently, the capital that legitimate companies would otherwise invest in product innovation, team sponsorships, and market expansion is diverted toward brand protection and legal enforcement.

Furthermore, the widespread availability of fake apparel dilutes the intellectual property value and exclusivity that drive consumer loyalty. The scale of this issue is evident in recent consumer behavior metrics. According to the Union des Fabricants (UNIFAB), in 2025, 15% of consumers reported purchasing counterfeit sports goods, a diversion of sales that substantially undermines the financial health of the sector. This leakage of potential revenue not only affects immediate sales figures but also damages the long-term trust between fans and established rugby brands, as lower-quality counterfeits fail to meet the performance and safety standards expected by players and supporters.

Key Market Trends

Manufacturers are increasingly transitioning to sustainable production methods, utilizing recycled polyester, organic cotton, and ocean plastics to meet the rising consumer and regulatory demand for environmentally responsible sportswear. This shift toward circular economy models is reshaping supply chains as brands prioritize materials that reduce carbon footprints without sacrificing durability or on-field performance. Major leagues are now mandating these standards for official uniforms to align with broader corporate social responsibility goals. For instance, according to Major League Rugby, December 2024, the league partnered with Macron to launch 2025 season kits manufactured entirely from "Eco Fabric," a polyester material derived 100% from recycled post-consumer plastic. This commitment validates the commercial viability of eco-conscious high-performance gear in professional contact sports.

Apparel brands are simultaneously embedding wearable technology, such as GPS trackers, biometric sensors, and NFC chips, directly into jerseys and training kits to provide real-time performance analytics and enhance fan engagement. This integration moves beyond simple moisture-wicking properties to create "connected" garments that offer value-added digital experiences for supporters and critical data for coaching staff. The commercial application of this trend is evident in high-profile international collaborations designed to deepen the relationship between teams and their global audiences. According to Canterbury, November 2024, the brand unveiled the British & Irish Lions jersey featuring an integrated Near Field Communication (NFC) chip to unlock exclusive digital content for fans, signaling a new era where apparel serves as a direct digital interface.

Segmental Insights

The Online distribution channel currently stands as the fastest growing segment in the Global Rugby Apparel Market, primarily driven by the global expansion of e-commerce infrastructure and high smartphone adoption. Customers are increasingly utilizing digital platforms to access a comprehensive range of team kits and specialized equipment that physical retailers often do not stock. Furthermore, major athletic brands are prioritizing direct-to-consumer sales models to improve profit margins and deepen brand loyalty. This substantial growth is underpinned by the convenience of remote shopping and the ability to easily compare products across multiple virtual marketplaces.

Regional Insights

Europe maintains a dominant position in the global rugby apparel market driven by the sport's extensive popularity and high participation rates in key nations such as the United Kingdom, France, and Ireland. This regional leadership is supported by the presence of well-established professional leagues and tournaments that generate consistent demand for team kits and protective equipment. Furthermore, the strategic influence of World Rugby, the international governing body headquartered in Dublin, reinforces the region's centrality to the sport's development and commercial expansion, ensuring sustained market growth for apparel manufacturers within Europe.

Recent Developments

• In April 2025, Castore was confirmed as the official technical kit partner for England Rugby, taking over from the previous long-term supplier. The British sportswear brand finalized a multi-year contract to design and manufacture match playing kits, training wear, and travel apparel for the senior men’s and women’s squads, as well as the pathway teams. This strategic collaboration marked a substantial expansion of the company's influence in the international sector, uniting the national team's players and coaching staff under a single technical identity. The agreement underscored the brand's commitment to investing heavily in the sport's top-tier global competitions.
• In November 2024, Macron announced a landmark partnership with Major League Rugby to serve as the official apparel partner for the United States' top professional rugby competition. Through this comprehensive deal, the Italian manufacturer agreed to outfit every franchise in the league with match kits, training apparel, and a range of supporter merchandise. This collaboration was established to enhance the commercial consistency of the league and support the sport's development in the North American market. The partnership aligned the league’s teams under one technical supplier, ensuring a unified standard of equipment and retail products for players and fans alike.
• In July 2024, Canterbury of New Zealand introduced a new performance boot collection named "Stampede," engineered specifically to improve stability and traction for forward players. The footwear incorporated a newly developed outsole technology designed to maximize power output during physical contact and set pieces. Additionally, the boots featured bio-based materials to enhance comfort and fit, reflecting a focus on sustainable manufacturing practices. The product launch was supported by a marketing campaign emphasizing the technical benefits derived from player testing, demonstrating the company's ongoing dedication to specialized research and development within the competitive rugby equipment and apparel sector.
• In June 2024, Adidas revealed new jersey designs for the All Blacks and Black Ferns to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of its partnership with New Zealand Rugby. The design process involved revisiting archival kits, resulting in the return of a white collar on the men's jersey, a feature requested by players to acknowledge traditional aesthetics. The apparel utilized advanced recycled materials and was launched alongside a complementary lifestyle range for supporters. This product introduction highlighted the sustained commercial value and technical innovation present in one of the longest-running sponsorship alliances in the global rugby apparel industry.

Key Market Players

• Adidas AG
• Nike, Inc.
• Canterbury of New Zealand Limited
• Badger Rugby Limited
• Decathlon SE
• Grays of Cambridge (Int) Ltd
• Kooga NZ Ltd
• Macron E-Commerce & Retail SRL
• Olympus Rugby
• O'Neills Irish International Sports Company Limited

By Type	By Distribution Channel	By Region
Upper Wear Bottom Wear Socks	Offline Online	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Rugby Apparel Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Rugby Apparel Market, By Type:

• Upper Wear
• Bottom Wear
• Socks

• Rugby Apparel Market, By Distribution Channel:

• Offline
• Online

• Rugby Apparel Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE