The referee is required to inspect and approve both the field and player equipment prior to each match.  The referee is empowered to disallow play until the field is deemed safe for play, and also is required to disallow any player’s participation until identified unsafe/prohibited playing equipment/uniform is corrected.

Field Equipment

Gear for a rugby pitch is quite simple, consisting of lines on the field, flags and two sets of uprights.

Field markings/lines are discussed in the "The Pitch" section.

On the sidelines are flags marking the important lines of the field, for players’ reference.  The midway line has a flag on each side of the field, spaced 1m back from the touch line.  The 22m line has a flag on each side of the field, also spaced 1m back from the touch line.  All four corners of the try zone are marked by flags, which are placed at the exact points on the field.

Uprights are standard, H-shaped goal posts.  The uprights are always located on the try line, which does pose a collision hazard for players, and can serve to complicate play when kicks are made.  Uprights always will be padded.  Unpadded posts make a pitch unplayable.

In the game, each side of the field will have one Touch Judge, or Assistant Referee, whose duty it is to monitor when the ball goes into touch, and indicate so through the use of a touch flag.  Touch judges in games in our youth league usually will be an assistant coach from each team, or a player who is familiar enough with the game to perform the duties (it’s easy).

Player Equipment

Click here to go to our page of links to equipment outfitters/stores.

Basic player equipment consists of boots, socks, shorts and a jersey.

Boots: These can be any style, any color, as long as they meet basic safety specifications.  Rugby boots may have screw-in or molded studs, but may not have a screw-in toe stud.  Boots that are in extreme disrepair, especially boots where the plastic sole is beginning to shear from the upper, present a cutting hazard, and the referee may compel the boot to be repaired, or may not allow it (and its wearer) in the game.  See here for a number of available boots.

Socks: These can be any style, any color.  Fort Hunt Rugby plays in high-rise, over-the-calf black socks.

Shorts: These can be any style, any color.  Shorts with metal fittings, rings, or rivets are not allowed.  Shorts with any kind of inflexible or rigid hard plastic or metal construction (think zippers), whether visible or not, are not permitted.  Belts are not permited in any form.  Fort Hunt Rugby plays in black rugby shorts; see here for a proper rugby shorts example.

Jersey: Any style or color is permitted.  Tear-away jerseys are not permitted.  Fort Hunt Rugby plays in player-owned club jerseys.  Our jersey design changes every single year, so each is a limited edition, a unique collectible piece of Fort Hunt Rugby history.

Optional Player Equipment

Mouthpiece: This is optional but highly recommended for all touch rugby players, and is mandatory for all Fort Hunt Rugby tackle players in practice and in games.  Get your mouthpieces here.  Dental and mouth injuries are unlikely in a touch practice or match, but accidents can happen, and a mouthpiece will go a long way toward reducing the severity of the injury or will prevent it altogether. We cannot guarantee this, but it usually is the case.  Dental and mouth injuries also are highly unlikely in a tackle practice or match; nevertheless, mouthpieces are required for all players in a tackle practice or game.  The mouthguard must be personally fitted to the player--no borrowing from a buddy, and no popping in a brand-new, unfitted mouthpiece.

     --  We recommend players buy the boil-in-water, mold-to-your-teeth kind of mouthpiece. No straps may protrude from the mouth, so cut off all excess. These are available at most sporting goods stores for a few dollars each. If in doubt about a mouthpiece, talk to your family dentist.

     --  Players should have at least two fitted and ready mouthpieces at all times, so when one gets lost the other is immediately available.

Wrap/Bandage: A player may have any form of wrap or bandage on any part of their body, as long as it does not contain or cover hard plastic or metal.  These will be subject to referee inspection.

Padded shirt: These are rugby-specific undershirts which contain modest shoulder and torso padding.  These are permissible to wear only under a jersey.  See here for some examples.

Scrumcap: This is a full-head cap which is analogous to a wrestling cap.  Its primary function is to protect ears from compression and tearing injuries, to which scrum/forward players are more susceptible (this type of injury is extremely rare at the youth level).  Its secondary purpose is to serve as a very modest form of general head padding. This is not a helmet.  See here for an example.

Shinguards: These are available to wear for all players, but usually the only player who may need to wear them is the #2/hooker, given his/her job in the scrum.  Given the fact that scrums are often uncontested in youth rugby, a youth rugby hooker does not need to wear shinguards.  Shinguards are not recommended for any other players.

Gloves: All players may wear gloves to assist with grip. There are many types of sports gloves, and football-style gloves are not permitted, ony rugby-specific gloves.  All gloves will be subject to referee inspection.

Prohibited Player Equipment

Players must remove watches, rings, bracelets, and necklaces prior to both touch and tackle practice and play.  Players with pierced ears must remove the earrings--taping over earrrings is not permitted.  Any other body piercing, if visible or likely to become exposed during practice or play, must come out or be firmly taped down.  All will be subject to referee inspection.

For touch rugby, players may wear eyeglasses, but only sports goggles.  All eyewear must be secured on the player through the use of a retaining strap.

For tackle rugby, no form of eyeglasses is permitted, whatsoever.  This is non-negotiable.

No player may wear external, "headgear" dental equipment in touch or tackle rugby.

Any form of cast or bracing which contains a hard material, such as plaster, hard plastic or metal, is prohibited, whether under a player’s clothing, or encased in a cover.  No player may play with any form of cast.  Braces for knees and arms are permitted, but only if constructed of flexible plastic and fabric.  All will be subject to referee inspection.

A toe stud on a player’s boot is prohibited.

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