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    Rugby players in gloves

    When I was a kid, in the mid-70s, my dad and his second wife had a flat in Cardiff overlooking the Arms Park. Not the big international one, but the smaller one nextdoor, where Cardiff RFC played their club matches, so you could watch them for free.

    Now, I'm not arsed about rugby. Never have been. So I didn't watch it much. I'd spend maybe a few minutes out on the balcony, then get bored and come inside to play with my Action Men.

    Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I got to see Gareth Edwards in the flesh, in the light blue/dark blue hoops, scoring tries and stuff. I'm glad I've got that memory.

    Another memory, more trivial but equally persistent, is that some of Edwards' team-mates - the guy who kicked the conversions, for a start - wore gloves. They were the kind with dark brown leather on the front, dark brown leather on the back, and a sort of brown waffle-weave cloth on the sides of the fingers. A very 70s type of glove. A bit like the ones Alan Partridge wears for driving ("extra purchase...")

    Now, I don't know whether that was a fleeting 70s fashion craze among sportsmen, like Keith Weller of Leicester City and his white tights, or what. All I know is, whenever I see rugby on the telly now (usually only for a few seconds, before I change channels), no-one is wearing gloves.

    Does it still go on?

    #2
    Rugby players in gloves

    Spearmint Rhino wrote:

    Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I got to see Gareth Edwards in the flesh, in the light blue/dark blue hoops, scoring tries and stuff. I'm glad I've got that memory.
    Blue & black, no? Hence the nickname of the, er, Blue & Blacks.

    I seem to remember the player you are referring to as well, I'll have to have a think/ask my dad.

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      #3
      Rugby players in gloves

      Spearmint Rhino wrote:
      Keith Weller of Leicester City
      This really confused me for a minute until I realised I was thinking of Keith Deller.

      Comment


        #4
        Rugby players in gloves



        "Grip mitts" as they are now known were all the rage amongst players who had feet for hands a few years back, but very few players wear them now.

        Also, fat ginger kids ruining the front of my mother's book.

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          #5
          Rugby players in gloves

          Is that you, Eggy?

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            #6
            Rugby players in gloves

            Can't be, he's not wearing a suit.

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              #7
              Rugby players in gloves

              It's not me for several reasons -

              1). I have never worn gloves on a rugby pitch.

              2). I always wore my socks rolled down my ankles, Dean Richards style.

              3). I hardly ever wore long sleeves.

              4). I was probably about 27 when that photo was taken and that is clearly a smallish child.

              5). I ain't no hideous ginger, got it?

              6). I have been assured that in a scrum cap, which I wore for the latter part of my (in)glorious career, I looked like Wilf Cech, as one OTF wag would have it.

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                #8
                Rugby players in gloves

                Notable players who currently wear easily identifiable gloves include... Alan Quinlan. Clever boy.

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                  #9
                  Rugby players in gloves

                  Harri Saer wrote:
                  Spearmint Rhino wrote:

                  Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I got to see Gareth Edwards in the flesh, in the light blue/dark blue hoops, scoring tries and stuff. I'm glad I've got that memory.
                  Blue & black, no? Hence the nickname of the, er, Blue & Blacks.
                  'Nerazzuri', surely...

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                    #10
                    Rugby players in gloves

                    Also Sprach Zaratoro wrote:
                    Notable players who currently wear easily identifiable gloves include... Alan Quinlan. Clever boy.
                    Ha ha ha.

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                      #11
                      Rugby players in gloves

                      Spearmint Rhino wrote:
                      Harri Saer wrote:
                      Spearmint Rhino wrote:

                      Don't get me wrong. I'm glad I got to see Gareth Edwards in the flesh, in the light blue/dark blue hoops, scoring tries and stuff. I'm glad I've got that memory.
                      Blue & black, no? Hence the nickname of the, er, Blue & Blacks.
                      'Nerazzuri', surely...
                      I think my childhood affection for Inter was due to them sharing Cardiff RFC's colours actually. Wellington was my favourite Womble for the same reason.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Rugby players in gloves

                        As long as they're legal, why don't they all wear gloves like gridiron receivers? It seems like it would help them catch the ball.



                        Also, linemen wear gloves to improve their grip and to provide some protection against a cleat ripping a hole in their hand.

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                          #13
                          Rugby players in gloves

                          Players just don't wear them. The only players who seem to wear them are usually absolute donkeys or are protecting a pre-existing hand injury, and even in the latter case they usually just tape it up. All the really, really skilful players, your Carters and the like and indeed the historically skilful guys even of recent vintage just don't need them. Never have, most never will. The sort of players do are guys like John Rudd, a winger who has managed to score about 3 tries in 3 years. They're just not the done thing and they seem to be more about confidence in your own skills or lack thereof rather than any tangible effect.

                          Also, the wide receiver's job is pretty much catching the ball and holding onto it during contact and when running, nothing else. Rugby players, especially those who touch the ball a lot during the match have to do a range of different tasks and I suspect the gloves actually hinder some of these, like feeling the ball to line it up properly for a kick from hand, or getting the right purchase for the spin pass.

                          Also, you look a fucking twat in them, especially if you're wearing short sleeves.

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Rugby players in gloves

                            Also, the wide receiver's job is pretty much catching the ball and holding onto it during contact and when running, nothing else. Rugby players, especially those who touch the ball a lot during the match have to do a range of different tasks and I suspect the gloves actually hinder some of these, like feeling the ball to line it up properly for a kick from hand, or getting the right purchase for the spin pass.
                            Some quarterbacks also wear gloves on both hands, so it is possible to get a feel for the ball with these gloves, but it is rare.

                            I assume that "stickum" is also banned in rugby.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Rugby players in gloves

                              Yes.

                              I think the attitude towards gloves are also linked into the historical prohibition on protection (other than a gumshield and a scrum cap/binding round your head to protect you from cauliflower ear, plus the old quilted shouldered shirt beloved of tight five forwards) in that they just have never been the done thing. I see some players now wearing shinpads and think "What a weed!".

                              Now you do see a fair amount of players sporting "underarmour" pads on their shoulders and chests, but they tend to be backs rather than forwards (a good example of this is Bryan Habana, quite why he needs them is beyond me). Scrum caps have no particular additional protection - they are literally cloth covered pieces of thin foam, but many players wear them for psychological reasons as well as to stop the aforementioned ear problems.

                              Is that picture of the Madden era Raiders? I seem to recall watching an America's Game about them where they explained how they had a guy who created arm bindings for the defence that were pretty much rock solid for extra smashing power.

                              Comment


                                #16
                                Rugby players in gloves

                                That's Lester Hayes. I don't know if he played for Madden, but his big moment was Super Bowl XV (I think) where the Raiders beat the Eagles and he had several interceptions, partially thanks to all the glue he had on his hands. The League banned that right after that. I believe Tom Florio was the coach of that team.

                                "It's not the done thing" seems to carry more weight in UK sports than here. Over here, the attitude toward any equipment innovations seems to be "let's try this until it gets banned." In a lot of cases, thats how our games evolved to what they are.

                                For example, in the beginning, there was no such thing as a baseball mitt. Those who wore them were considered pansies. But the first players to wear gloves were able to make catches that non-gloved players couldn't. Now we couldn't imagine baseball without them.

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