Rugby jerseys are bought from a picture and judged in the twentieth minute of a wet Saturday. These four decisions are what decide the second part.

Seams are the whole specification

A rugby jersey is grabbed and pulled, so the load goes into the shoulder seam and the side seams. A standard overlocked shoulder opens before the season is out.

Ask a supplier what they reinforce and how. Twin-needle at the shoulder and the sides is the answer you want. If they talk about fabric weight instead, they are describing a leisure shirt.

The collar is the second failure point

Collars get hauled on, and a single-stitched one tears out and takes part of the yoke with it. A bonded collar with a reinforced placket survives it.

On a traditional cotton jersey the equivalent is a rigid twill collar and soft rubber buttons — soft because a hard button is a hazard in contact, which is a safety decision rather than a stylistic one.

Fit is tactical, not stylistic

Player fit is deliberately close through the body, because a loose jersey gives a tackler a handle. It will feel a size small to anybody used to buying shirts in a shop.

That is exactly why a supporter version needs a different pattern: longer, easier through the chest, comfortable over a base layer. Order both off one artwork; it costs almost nothing and it prevents most of the returns in this category.

Decoration decides what survives

Sublimation dyes the colour into the fibre, so hoops, quarters, sponsor panels and individual squad numbers all cost the same as a plain shirt and none of it can peel.

Heat-pressed numbers lift at the corners after enough washes. And sublimation needs polyester, so on a traditional cotton weave the answer is embroidery or twill applique instead — worth knowing before you design around it.

What to send when you ask for a quote

Your crest, quantity, whether the shirts are for players or supporters, the squad list if you want numbers, and any age groups. That is enough for a real quote and a mockup the same day.

A chest panel is a small canvas. Most crests need simplifying rather than scaling, and we redraw free.