The evolution of athleticwear as everyday clothing has been moving along at a steady clip for ages, but in just the past five or so years it’s really taken off—and it appears we may be nearing the peak. Tennis skirts became a summertime staple in 2019 before becoming a full-on tenniscore craze just a few years later, thanks to Zendaya’s sexy, tennis-centric movie Challengers. But for fall 2025, it appears there’s a new champion sport in town that everyone wants to embrace: rugby. And I have to admit, I’m not at all surprised.
The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris definitely deserve some of the credit (though I’d give most to Ilona Maher), as does Taylor Swift, who rocked a rugby shirtdress with knee-high boots last year. But rugby shirts were also a big trend back in the late ‘90s/early 2000s, a time period it seems we’re all trying to relive through our clothes these days. With so many other fashion trends of that era making major comebacks—slip skirts and dresses, baguette-inspired bags, eclectic layering—it is entirely unsurprising that rugby shirts would be coming back around for another turn in the spotlight.
Just in case you didn’t hold on to your old J. Crew ones from back in the day, here are eight classic rugby shirts to help you embrace rugbycore like a total pro.
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