Cut Your Rugby Taping Costs

Over the past two to three years it has become popular to tape around the thighs of some rugby players to aid lifting during lineout.

Rugby Union is played from September to April and often in inclement weather.  Holding a player up during lineout can be dangerous, they may slip due to wet skin, muddy hands or just an awkward lift.

Taping around the mid thigh with EAB (Elastic Adhesive Bandage) became commonplace with the international squads and this filtered down to all levels.  For some local teams, the cost of this practice is almost prohibitive, with a roll of 7cm EAB costing anywhere between £2.00 and £8.00.

This year especially, teams are feeling the pinch as fuel and heating costs soar.  Even getting the team to the match can be twice as expensive as last year.

One of the saving graces, as discovered by the Carlisle 1st XV squad last year, is handball wax.

Rubbed on the thigh around the area that would normally be taped, it offers enough grip and is easily removed.

Handball wax offers more than just grip, it has many advantages over EAB tape:

• Tape rolls and comes loose during the match as it becomes wet and muddy.
• Tape pulls the hairs from the skin and repeated use in the same area can even cause skin problems such as contact dermatitis.
• EAB is not very good at sticking in the damp and players often tape over it with electrical or zinc oxide tape.  Restrictive taping around the powerful muscles of the Quadriceps and Hamstrings, can result in injury.
• EAB tape takes up quite a bit of room in the already bulging "physio's" touchline bag.

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