Rugby league shirts have changed a lot since the sport was first introduced in 1895. In the past, long-sleeved shirts were worn made of cotton, which became very heavy when wet and were traditionally designed with av shaped or stamped to distinguish them from their Rugby Union. counterparts
Today, rugby league jerseys are made from synthetic materials such as polyester. This makes them much lighter and less absorbent, which means they won’t get heavy when they get wet. Today’s rugby league jerseys are also very tight fitting and slippery due to their synthetic material. This is to make them less easy to grab, making it easier for players to break through tackles.
Rugby league is often seen as more of a working-class sport. Played in over 30 countries, it is only played professionally in the UK, France, Australia and New Zealand. This is somewhat ironic since while other countries have the sport at a semi-pro level, the sport is routed in its concession to the professional game.
After the first divergence of football codes, the Rugby Football Union was formed. This organization had a very strong amateur policy that did not allow players to be compensated for time off work while playing or training and also prohibited the charging of match tickets.
This led to the formation of the Northern Rugby Football Union, as many of the northern teams were made up of working-class people who could not afford to take time off work to play. Later, the Northern Rugby Football League was formed with playing rules that are a modification of those of the Northern Rugby Football League.
In short, today’s Rugby League shirts are as different to their historical counterparts as the game is.