Rugby Ralph Lauren was established in 2004 (October to be exact), but it wasn’t without its controversy. Originally developed to compete with Abercrombie and Fitch and American Eagle, Rugby Ralph Lauren stepped on the toes of some more involved on the Rugby Pitch. Barbarian Rugby and Rugby USA were furious when Ralph Lauren copyrighted their names and in retaliation attempted to do the same, unsuccessfully, with Ralph Lauren.

The preppier style accompanied by a cheaper price-tag then normally associated with the Ralph Lauren logo hoped to spark interest in the more youthful demographic. Hence, the original store location in Boston, in the hopes to sway the Harvard alumni into adorning their line.

Two new stores opened this summer, bringing the total to eleven, one in East Hampton, New York and the other in Natick, Massachusetts.

Whether or not their line resembles anything remotely connected to rugby life (with the exception of the ever popular jersey), Rugby Ralph Lauren is gaining popularity with the non-athletic rugby enthusiasts. If Ralph Lauren wanted his line to really represent the Rugby lifestyle, they should have incorporated grass stains, rips and the odd blood splatter, now that is a REAL rugby jersey.

Discuss this post in the GlamBoulevard forums.

Lindsay
Email this author | All posts by Lindsay