Body Armour - To wear or not to wear?

[Beardy]

I wear body armour for most of my matches...

Tackling with your shoulders feels weird with pads, kinda feels like you didn't tackle them at all.

After the match you know you did actually tackle because you notice the marks left behind by the pads. Look like frickin stretch marks!

Not a good look

EDIT: Funny story, team-mate of mine turned up to annual club dinner dressed in a suit...... and shoulder pads.

 

[melon]

This is what Colin Meads said to a group of us when in Camp....

"At a young age you should learn to tackle without pads, week in week out getting your arms blue berry colored hit and bruised up actually hardens your upper body. He went on to say.... After continuously tackling tackling and more tackling the pain actually ease's till you cant feel anything, then you discover calluses on your shoulders and chest and that forms the natural body Armour....

Of course i never really got to see that on anyone..lol Anyway I'm sure if theres some of you out there thats got some funny story's from when they were in camp Reps [/b]

I think he was just trying to say to everyone don't be soft, and put hits on no matter what and as time goes on it'll get easier.

 

[DC]

i would probably wear shoulder pads if i was playing at the 10 rather than the 9 plus if you wear them on our team your considered a pussy!! haha.

 

[melon]

i would probably wear shoulder pads if i was playing at the 10 rather than the 9 plus if you wear them on our team your considered a pussy!! haha. [/b]

bah

 

[TRUE LEGND]

My friend wore those hard plastic B.M.X bike pads at 1 game was very funny it looked like grid iron pads.... Could only imagine running in to that

 

[melon]

What a lot of people don't realise is that in Rugby Union, shoulder pads with added in sternum padding is illegal, as well as compression short/torpedos with padding.

 

[TRUE LEGND]

What a lot of people don't realise is that in Rugby Union, shoulder pads with added in sternum padding is illegal, as well as compression short/torpedos with padding.
[/b]

In NZ they dont worrie about people wearing pads especially if they have injurys... I think you will find cracking down on people not wearing mouth guards is a bigger issue

 

[melon]

Padding doesn't help any kind of injury apart from minor bruising.

 

[Corywalker]

My view on body armor (only been playing rugby for 2 years) is that if you want to wear it, go ahead. There are many reaons why you would and wouldn't wear it.

Why you would:
- As stated before, for brusing or sore shoulders/chest muscles
- Maybe it makes you feel 'safer' as a state of mind (when i wear a scrum cap, i seem to use my head a lot more physically
- Indimidation, maybe your small in size, so you can wear the pads to make you look 'larger'

Why you wouldn't:
- People might, possibly, insult/make fun of you for wearing pads, thus making you a 'wimp'
- Decreased movement of your upper body and arms

Just my views.

 

[TRUE LEGND]

Padding doesn't help any kind of injury apart from minor bruising.
[/b]

Yeah the padding actually helps absorb the shock especially if your coming off a shoulder or collar bone injury. You'd want to compfort and pad it until it heels as much as possible. Sort of like X spring bok Joost van der Westhuizen who had a shoulder injury wore a shoulder pad on his lift shoulder until it heeled.

Also i found when i was playing and like someone previously said, it decreases your movements and you find you get very HOT quicker, and your radiator over heats resulting in fatigue. Benefits are, you tend to sprint into the tackle alot harder knowing you have protection there

 

[melon]

As I have said previously in this topic:

• For some people it brings piece-of-mind
• If you have a bung shoulder then shoulder pads aren't going to stop anything from happening. The only time shoulder pads will do anything for you is when you're shoulder is relatively strong and it will soften the impact minutely.
• The only thing that will ease the impact noticably is technique. The better the technique you have, the less the impact will hurt you and the more the impact will hurt the player you are tackling.

 

[TRUE LEGND]

As I have said previously in this topic:

• For some people it brings piece-of-mind
• If you have a bung shoulder then shoulder pads aren't going to stop anything from happening. The only time shoulder pads will do anything for you is when you're shoulder is relatively strong and it will soften the impact minutely.
• The only thing that will ease the impact noticably is technique. The better the technique you have, the less the impact will hurt you and the more the impact will hurt the player you are tackling.

[/b]

But what happens if your protecting an injury on medical grounds and you have to wear pads by doctors orders And Ive seen that plenty of times where I'm from not cause your technique failed you in tackling but injuring your self at work... Also the rugby pads here are IRB approved labeled so in contrast its not actually illegal to wear them in rugby

These are the IRB approved rugby pads

 

[melon]

I didn't say rugby pads were illegal. I said certain pads were illegal and I outlined the type. Please read exactly what I say and then proceed to comment ...Actually, i've just realised that have within the last year or two, the IRB has started to approve certain pads such as the pic you found...so I stand corrected.

Oh and what do you mean "what happens if your protecting an injury on medical grounds and you have to wear pads by doctors orders"...do I really have to spell out what they should do?! They should listen to their bloody doctor and wear them!

 

[TRUE LEGND]

Oh and what do you mean "what happens if your protecting an injury on medical grounds and you have to wear pads by doctors orders"...do I really have to spell out what they should do?! They should listen to their bloody doctor and wear them!
[/b]

It answer's your paragraph 2 question about the bung shoulder...

Aslo who told you sternum padding is illegal, as well as compression short/torpedos with padding is also illegal?? thats utter rubbish

 

[candybum]

i dont wear because simply... i've always put down american football for wearing pads... i didnt want to contradict(?) myself... plus it always felt better without pads

 

[melon]

It answer's your paragraph 2 question about the bung shoulder...

Aslo who told you sternum padding is illegal, as well as compression short/torpedos with padding is also illegal?? thats utter rubbish [/b]

HA! It's not utter rubbish. I'll tell you what's utter rubbish...YOU! you're a complete f***tard!

I said that I stood corrected but you decided to take it to the next level and insult me.

Sternum padding was outlawed originally because certain people would put steel bars in it and people (including the wearers, but more so the people being hit) got injured. However as I said, I stand corrected, and certain sternum padded shoulder pads are now IRB approved.

I challenge you to find IRB approved compression shorts with padding in the thighs. If you can, "bah" will disappear from this board.

 

[Cusker]

My View:

I'm a small guy play scrum half. 168cm,80kg and i have never worn pads because i think that you are so up for a game you have so much adrenilin flowing through you it just takes you over. When i tackle i don't think, just do then think "Why the F**K did i tackle him.It's all about heart at the end of the day for rugby players, how much you want it. But honistly i think it is part of rugby getting your body up to a certain standard to take all that is thrown at you on a rugby pitch.

 

[SaintsFan_Webby]

I'm a small guy play scrum half. 168cm,80kg and i have never worn pads because i think that you are so up for a game you have so much adrenilin flowing through you it just takes you over. When i tackle i don't think, just do then think "Why the F**K did i tackle him.It's all about heart at the end of the day for rugby players, how much you want it. But honistly i think it is part of rugby getting your body up to a certain standard to take all that is thrown at you on a rugby pitch.
[/b]

I disagree.

I've worn pads almost all the time I've been playing, and while I'll readily admit that defense isn't my favourite part of the game, it isn't because I would shirk my tackles without them.

I've had massive shoulder problems in recent years, and without padding I wouldn't feel confident playing at all. While I realise perfectly well it padding does not make you invincible, I do think it can give you sub-conscious confidence when coming back after injury. It will also physically aid you to some extent. While it won't prevent all injury, as long as you maintain correct technique it will absorb some of the impact.

I don't buy into padding around the arms and chest particularly, because from a personal point of view I like to have as much mobility as possible due to the positions I've played.

I also wear a headguard and I have a similar view on that. I'd rather not wear one to be honest, but I badly ripped my ear once and was advised to play with one from then on. If wearing extra protection is what I need to do in order to play then so be it, I've no worry about being thought of as softer than another person if they choose not to.

 

[Cusker]

I see your point,but even if i got injured i would never wear padding:
1. I need the movment
2. I got the confidence in my body.
The only way i would wear it is if a doctor told me to.

But at the end of the day it's your own view.

 

[melon]

If it brings piece of mind to a player, and boosts the confidence of a player, then so be it.