Fantasy Rugby Geek’s 2019 Rugby World Cup Stash Watch

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It’s RWC time! Here at Fantasy Rugby Geek, living up to our name as Rugby Geeks, we have a bit of an obsession… with stash. We know we’re not the only ones, and we’re in good company along with the good stash-loving folks at The Eggchasers Rugby Podcast and the magnificent Rugby Shirt Watch (which is a must follow for anyone stash-inclined) as we can’t help but analyse, scrutinise and spend an inordinate amount of cash any new rugby shirt that takes our fancy.

So, without further ado, and offering absolutely zero use to your fantasy team, here’s our overview of who is leading the way in the international rugby sartorial stakes ahead of the Rugby World Cup, and if any of these kits take your fancy, then head to Lovell Rugby who are offering some brilliant offers on international and club kits (including a free RWC ball with international shirt sales)! Get involved!

Argentina

We start with an absolute beaut. Argentina and Nike have produced some absolute stunners over the years, and this years home shirt is no exception. Simple, understated and classic, and the collar is the icing on the cake. Hands down the best of this year’s shirts. The alternative kit less so, it has divided opinion and is definitely a departure for Los Pumas. Let’s just focus on the home kit, sometimes less is more!

Argentina’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Australia

The home kit is the classic gold and green Wallabies shirt, using what appears to be Asics’ template style rugby shirt. Simple and straightforward. The away ‘Indigenous’ shirt has a bit more to write home about and should be a big seller in Australia, let’s hope that they actually get the chance to wear it!

Australia’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Canada

Canada have treated us with two gems this year courtesy of Canterbury. The home is classic scarlet red and benefits from a simple no-nonsense approach. The away is a simple charcoal black, and along with one of the best crests in World Rugby, looks magnificent.

Canada’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

England

As always, the makers of England’s kits have limited room for creativity, but there are some nice flourishes on this year’s home kit including some intricate designs on the new V-neck collar and some detailing on the sleeves. The alternate kit has a bit more about it, primarily red but with navy sleeves and shoulders, one of England’s stronger away kits in recent memory…

 

England’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Fiji

Fiji’s kits are gems this year. The ISC produced kits are a classic white home shirt with some subtle grey patterns on the sleeve with black sleeve and trim detailing (replete with FLYING FIJIANS logo!) and with an inverse copy in black for the alternate. Great looking kits.

 

Fiji’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

France

Le Coq Sportif’s second version of the French kit in their new manufacturing deal with FFR, and they’ve gone for a “less is more approach”. France’s bold new badge takes centre stage on a simple plain royal blue shirt with white collar. The alternate kit is even more minimalistic being a plain all white shirt. Pleasant but uninspiring. 

France’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Georgia

Another Canterbury effort. They’ve kept it very simple this time around, utilising the same template as the Ireland home kit, with the home shirt maroon with a white trim and the alternative being the inverse, white with a maroon trim. Slightly unadventurous, but still a nice looking kit from Canterbury.

Georgia’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Ireland

Some more great Ireland kits from Canterbury. The home shirt is classic emerald green with some subtle detailing on the sleeve and shoulders, while the away kit features black sleeves and shoulders and a subtle green and white patterning on the torso. A fantastic set of kits.

 

Ireland’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Italy

Italy have long had some of the best looking rugby kits, but in recent years Macron have failed to live up to the standard. However come the Rugby World Cup, they have really stepped things up, and this years kit is the best Macron have produced for the Azzuri, both home and away. With such a classic colour palette, less is more, and both the home and away are minimalistic and all the better for it. Top work Macron!

 

Italy’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Japan

Japan’s RWC kit in 2015 was the stuff of legend, to the extent that it sold out completely after their famous giant killing of the Boks. Their 2019 kits are once again a thing of beauty, with the home taking the classic red and white hoops and adding some Ironman vibes, while the away takes the traditional alternate kit royal blue and navy blue hoops and superimposes some geometric designs. Another iconic set of kits for the Brave Blossoms.

Japan’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Namibia

Using the Namibia’s standard normal royal blue shirt, Mizuno have produced a fairly unispiring shirt for Namibia. A solid effort, but outclassed by a lot of the Canterbury and Adidas kits.

Namibia’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

New Zealand

If there is one kit that the makers have limited creative license, it is the All Blacks, and even by their standards, this year’s shirt is a minimal affair. A round collared, plain black shirt with subtle fern leaf motifs tailored into the shirt. The alternate is the inverse, switching around the black and whites. Simple and classic.

New Zealand’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Russia

Canterbury have produced Russia kits this year. The home is red and utilises Caterbury’s recent shirt template, but with a pattern running horizontally across the lower chest (tackle line??). The away is the same design but in navy blue.

Russia’s kits can’t seem to be bought anywhere currently, but we’ll post anywhere you can get it when it gets released.

Samoa

Samoa have had some highly creative kits over the years, but for 2019 they are playing it safe with some simple and understated kits. The home shirt is a plain blue effort with red trim on the sleeves and traditional Samoan patterns on the left sleeve. The away kit follows the same template but is primarily white. A solid if unspectacular set of kits.

 

Samoa’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Scotland

A middling couple of efforts from the Scots, where Macron have yet to set things truly alight since taking on the Scottish kit design task. The tartan on the shoulders and sleeves add a nice touch. Solid if unspectacular!

 

Scotland’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

South Africa

Sharing a number of similarities with the Australia kit (not least the same Asics template), the Boks home shirt is the classic Green with Gold collar. A timeless classic that it is very hard to get wrong. The alternate kit this year works really well with the same template as the home, but switching the green with a slightly off-white colour. Two great kits.

South Africa’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Tonga

Another Mizuno kit, that utilises the same template as the Namibia shirt. Classic red and white for Tonga in a solid if unspectacular effort.

Tonga’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

United States of America

These. are. very. nice. Canterbury are back doing the US Eagles kits and have produced their nicest kits for the RWC this far. Using the traditional US Rugby colour palette of white, navy blue and red, both the home and away kits a have a classic but modern feel.

USA’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Uruguay

Sporting a Rugby World Cup shirt manufactured by South American sportswear manufacturer Oxbridge, the Uruguayan kits are solid if unspectacular. A classic sky blue home shirt with a flourish on the collar with a yellow trim, with the alternate kit swapping sky blue for white. Pleasant enough but very much stuck in the pool stage when compared to some of the other kits on show.

Uruguay’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

Wales

Wales have produced some great kits this year. The home jersey is red and features a four-quadrant design, chosen to represent the four corner of Wales coming together, while the away kit is bold when compared to the dark grey – or ‘anthracite’ to give the colour its official term – kits of recent years. It’s a dark green colour, which is a nod to the third colour on the Welsh flag and enjoys all the same features as the home strip. Interestingly the WRU have decided to only put the famous three feathers logo on the senior mens and womens kits and it will not appear on any of the age-grade or Sevens ‘pathway’ kits, in order to make the ‘an aspirational emblem’ for players as they pass through the system with aspirations of one day pulling on the famous red jersey.

 

Wales’s kits are widely available in the usual places including here at Lovell Rugby

So there you go, it certainly won’t help your fantasy team, and we won’t take it personally if you completely disagree with our assessment, but that is the Fantasy Rugby Geek’s stash review of the 2019 Rugby World Cup!

One more thing…

We can’t let you get away without mentioning that Fantasy Rugby Geek has its own selection of stash. So please head over to our Merch section to check out our range of Trucker Hats, Mugs, Polo Shirts and more…

It’s you buying bits like this that helps support us and keep Fantasy Rugby Geek up and running, so your support no matter how small is hugely appreciated.

 

Fantasy Rugby Games for Rugby World Cup

A summary of the top games that you can play fantasy rugby for the Rugby World Cup…

  • The Rugby Magazine – Stats rich salary cap style game – Check out our review here
  • PlayOn – Daily Fantasy for Rugby – Sign up today here to receive a free $22 entry with a first-time deposit – Check out a previous review here (Rugby World Cup review coming…).
  • SuperBru – An old favourite with salary cap fantasy rugby among other games and sports – Check out our review here.
  • The Irish Times – Salary cap game with a €3000 top prize – Check out our review here.
  • The Daily Telegraph – Salary cap game with a £5000 top prize – Check out our review here.

Pre-tournament articles

In case you missed any of our other pre-World Cup articles, make sure you check out the following to help guide your pre-tournament preparations…

Get free tickets to The Rugby Show

The Rugby Show is a two-day gathering at the Ricoh Arena, home of Wasps, in July 2020. The Rugby Show already has a fantastic range of phenomenal speakers from across the professional game. The likes of Lawrence Dallaglio, Maggie Alphonsi, current England World Cup duo, Joe Marler and George Kruis and World Cup winner Sarah Hunter will be talking about their own experiences, about coping with injury, maintaining fitness, nutrition, providing demonstrations on how to improve your skills as a player and more. The line-up also includes recent MMA convert James Haskell, Premiership regulars Jimmy Gopperth and Tommy Taylor to name a few.

Registration has now gone live and as an ambassador of the Rugby Show, Fantasy Rugby Geek is offering you FREE ENTRY to the event (which usually costs £15 for an adult ticket). Click this link https://the-rugby-show-2020.reg.buzz/fantasy-rugby-geek and enter the following code TRS20GRASSROOTS to book your FREE tickets now!

Looking for more Fantasy Rugby insight and Resources?

New for the 2019/20 season, we are proud to present the The Fantasy Rugby Handbook. An exhaustive collection of wisdom and experience gained from over a decade of fantasy rugby playing. Primarily aimed at less experienced players but with enough nuggets of wisdom and insight for even the most grizzled fantasy rugby veteran. There is something here for all players. The eBook is available to download now for just £3.99 on Gumroad as a PDF and on Amazon in Kindle format (Free on Kindle Unlimited) – check it out!

If you want some more sources to help you finalise your decisions, go to our resources page where you’ll find all the 2019 Rugby World Cup fantasy games, all the stats sources, injury news, team news, fantasy relevant rugby betting odds and tons of other useful information.

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