#5 - The 5 Coolest Rugby Jerseys of All Time
Some rugby jerseys aren’t just fabric and stitches—they’re time capsules of triumph, heritage, and identity
Rugby shirts have an undeniable charm: they blend history, sport, and style in ways few other garments can. From iconic on-field kits to heritage-inspired collabs, these five are must-haves (or grails) for any enthusiast.
Over the next five weeks, I’ll take you inside the stories of the most iconic jerseys ever made—why they matter and why they belong in every rugby purist’s collection.
5. The 1965 Argentina Pumas Heritage Jersey by Nike (2015)
Why it’s iconic:
The Pumas nickname is the result of an error made by Carl Kohler, a journalist for the Die Transvaler newspaper in South Africa, while following the team during the 1965 tour. He tried to devise a catchy nickname for the team similar to existing international team nicknames such as All Blacks, Springboks, and Wallabies. Kohler was aware that the Americas had pumas, and as he was under pressure to submit his article, made a guess and called them "the Pumas", instead of the actual jaguar (which original name in Argentina is "yaguareté" but he refused to use that word as he was unable to utter it correctly)
The mistake stuck, and was eventually adopted by the Argentines themselves (although the UAR crest depicted a Jaguar until April 2023, when a stylized Puma figure started being used).
In 2015, while at Nike we released this special-edition jersey to mark the 50th anniversary of Argentina’s famous 1965 tour to South Africa—a trip that helped put “Los Pumas” on the international rugby map. The shirt honours the original design from the 1965 tour, with sky blue and off-white hoops but incorporates modern performance fabric and subtle commemorative details.
Key highlights:
• The crest was painstakingly replicated 1:1 with the original crest. We flew to Buenos Aires rugby museum to photograph and review the original shirt. Colour swatches were used to make exact matches to the blue and white. Inside the collar, a hidden inscription reads: ‘Los Pumas, 1965,’ a nod to the tour that changed Argentine rugby forever.
• Inspired by the England centenary jersey, we brough back the faux-collars that make modern jerseys look traditional, but have no real function, and false plackets.
• José Luis Imhoff, the father of current player Juan Ihmoff was interviewed first hand, to understand the importance of the moment in Argentine rugby. He was a part of the squad in 1965 and was in the stands in 2015 to see the historic win 50 years on.
Fifty years after their legendary tour, Argentina stunned South Africa once again in Durban—making this commemorative jersey even more special.
What’s your favorite rugby jersey of all time? Drop it in the comments—maybe it’ll make the list.