The Airodynamix Range of rugby protection was developed with the rugby player at the forefront of every design decision. Not only was the range designed by rugby players, but in-depth research and analysis was carried out to identify exactly what the rugby player required in protection.

The research indicated that the majority of players were unhappy with the current selection of protective wear, and that many companies were producing protection which would be more suitable on the American Football field rather than on the rugby field. Therefore, the Airowear design team developed the Airodynamix range of protection, incorporating both input from rugby players, with innovative ideas of their own.

For example, a common complaint for Shoulderpads generally they are extremely hot during play. This is hardly surprising when you have a 10mm block of foam between your shoulders and your playing shirt!   Airowear looked at various ways of creating an airflow which would cool the shoulders during play without compromising on the protection. By combining perforated foam (Airotech) with a Lycra®mesh, air is able to pass through the foam to cool the shoulders, leaving the player dry, cool and comfortable.

Another development which is used regularly on rugby playing shirts is the use of specialist moisture wicking fabrics which actually pull sweat away from the body. This allows the body to breathe and reduces the weight of the shirt.

When your body produces excessive amounts of sweat, it means it is using its energy to try and keep cool.  This is energy that could be used to perform.  If the sweat doesn't evaporate quickly, the rugby player’s core body temperature heats up and produces more sweat.

By using specialist fabrics such as Coolmax® Lycra®, the shoulderpads can reduce the amount of moisture by up to 30%, allowing the rugby player to use their energy to play rugby, and not on trying to stay cool.

Similar innovative ideas have also been incorporated into the Airodynamix Headgear. Again Airotech foam construction creates an airflow which cools the head without compromising protection. The small oval pieces also allow a close, comfortable fit, with the elasticated chin strap allowing the player to breathe more easily without feeling restrictive.

The result: Protection which is subtle, comfortable and unrestrictive.

Research & Development

In-depth research identified what rugby players were looking for in protection. Key words which were used in our design brief include: Technical, Innovative, Subtle, Cool, Comfortable, unrestrictive, lightweight.

Design input from professional international players such as Jamie Noon to amateur club players, ensured we designed protection suitable for players at all levels.

Product Prototypes – The development stages of the project produced numerous prototypes which were put through stringent testing to identify which materials performed best. Both foam and lycra were tested for strength, comfort and flexibility to ensure only the finest materials were selected.

Final Release – New and innovative rugby protection from Airowear Rugby. We feel the final release of the Airowear Airodynamix range encompasses all those key words that were included in the original design brief, providing the player with technologically advanced protection which doesn’t restrict their play.