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OK, the tournament might be over, and yes, France might have lifted both the U20’s and the senior Men’s Six Nations, but we know what you’re all thinking……… Who had the best stash?!
Think it’s time to get a sponsor on board and get a prize for next season. Until then, here’s my rankings on the shirts.
6. England
What were Umbro thinking with those side panels? Nothing is cohesive, from the random choice of colours to the varying thickness of the angled lines. The round collar completes this abomination—for what would have been better suited to a gym tee for an age-group side.
But I’m sure England fans won’t mind too much after finishing second in this year’s tournament.
5. Ireland
The worst Irish jersey in recent memory. The green seems pastel—slightly off from what it should be. The white panels on the arms add complexity to an already busy pattern on the front of the kit. The collar looks like the designer tossed a coin to choose between a round collar and an insert collar... and the coin landed on its side.
Irish fans can’t even take solace in their team’s performance this year, finishing below England on the Six Nations ladder.
4. Wales
A bang-average kit elevates Wales off the bottom of the ladder into mid-table range for the purposes of this article. A decent effort by Macron—keeping things simple, as they usually do—with great sponsor integration of the Vodafone logo. The red logo patch on the shorts is my favourite detail.
This could have ranked higher if it weren’t for the round collar with an odd sash over to one side. Oddly, Macron has used three unique collars for each of its teams in the Six Nations.
3. Scotland
This jersey received poor reviews from many Scottish fans, and rightly so, given Arnold Clark’s reputation for cornering the second-hand vehicle market in the country.
However, I can’t help but see the missed opportunity in what could have been an all-time great design. The classic collar, with a Barbos-style elastic insert emblazoned with the national flag, is incredible. Claymore swords are integrated into the pinstripes, creating a subtle but stylish shape to the jersey.
Had traditional purple replaced the two shades of teal used in the armbands and collar, this could have easily taken top spot.
2. France
After six years with Le Coq Sportif—a partnership that started with exceptional design and ended in court—Adidas has taken back the rights for the French national team in spectacular fashion. The stripes are magnifique, with white shorts and red socks making every ruck look like a waving Tricolour.
Down votes for the oversized collar featured in Adidas jerseys this year (famously so in the All Blacks jersey) prevent this from taking top spot.
1. Italy
An immaculate, simple jersey by Macron—doing the basics well with an excellent cut while keeping the Azzurri as the focal point. It is sublimated with Renaissance-style designs, the cherry on top being the famous finger of The Creation of Adam placed over the players’ backsides. Bologna-based Macron has reserved the best of its collar variants for its national side, featuring a classic button collar.
Simple, elegant, but also magnificently detailed. Italy’s kit is 2025’s clear winner!