Suddenly, the rugby shirt is everywhere. And it’s being worn by women.

You don’t have to look very far to spot one. Consider Chloë Sevigny rocking a J.Crew x The New Yorker version in white and navy, or Rihanna, who switched her on-repeat leathers and denims for a grey pinstriped Miu Miu jersey top. At Copenhagen Fashion Week, Danish trendsetters paired boxy button-collars with lacy slip skirts for effortless day-to-dark outfits. Dior styled Mia Goth in a ballerina pink and grey rugby top for its latest Lady Dior handbag campaign—a preppy, polished mash-up.

From the runway to athleisure, high street to thrift shops, there’s a rugby shirt for every taste and budget. In addition to prep stalwarts like Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers, unexpected players ranging from Dior and Loeffler Randall to Sea New York and JW Anderson have added the striped silhouette to their collections. Vintage styles are increasingly popular too, with shoppers preferring the gently faded colors of these pre-loved, worn-in styles.

“This fall, every brand has rugby shirts, including brands you wouldn’t necessarily expect” says merchandiser and founder of the Fashion Soup newsletter, Lindsay Sword. The rugby top works “because the colors are so graphic and visual,” says Sword. In other words, they work well in this Instagram age.

According to Google, searches for “rugby shirt” hit their peak in the first week of September this year. The last time they saw such popularity? 2007.

All this comes as women’s rugby is on the rise. The recent women’s Rugby Union World Cup saw record-breaking fan engagement, according to the BBC, captivating a TV audience of 12 million. In October, Mattel introduced Team Barbie, a collection of four dolls inspired by professional rugby players. Of course, these women, like their male counterparts, wear form-fitting polyester tees rather than oversized cotton long sleeves—they’re all the better to tackle and be tackled in. But nonetheless, rugby is experiencing new cultural cut-through, and these fashion styles, worn off-pitch, are helping the sport shed its historic boys’ club roots.

Ken Pickart, owner of Stylebidder, a second-hand retailer and vintage expert, attributes its resurgence to Aimé Leon Dore. “Designer Teddy Santis deserves some credit as the brand was instrumental in this nineties preppy style resurgence that we are currently in,” he says. The New York brand has become known for its renovation of Ivy League essentials, from loafers to varsity jackets and, yes, rugby tops—the latter was popular in the nineties and early ‘aughts thanks to Tommy Hilfiger and Polo Ralph Lauren. “When you factor in the general rise of interest in Y2K fashion amongst Gen-Z and the ‘old money aesthetic’ trend on TikTok, the rugby shirt is the perfect common-ground garment."

Originating in 19th-century England, the rugby shirt was born from the Victorians’ obsession with sport and propriety. Named for the posh public school from which the game—once dubbed “a hooligan’s sport played by gentlemen”—emerged, the earliest kits featured white flannel button-downs, chosen because they were easiest to clean. Flannel was soon replaced by a lighter-weight wool, and then heavy-gauge cotton. Team colors soon emerged, from the single hues worn by national teams like New Zealand’s All Blacks to colorful club stripes. It’s the bright, popping versions that are hitting the spot today, with New York brands like Rowing Blazers turning technicolor styles into their USP.

The rugby top found its way into American style in the fifties, when New Haven clothier J. Press started importing British versions before eventually crafting his own. Fans over the pond had started wearing their team’s rugby shirts on the sidelines—arguably the first iteration of sports merch. Ivy League students started borrowing the look. Thus, the foundations for classic American prep were laid.

And yet, today’s rugby wearers are rewriting the rule book. Women have made the silhouette their own, pairing the style with unexpected—and often extremely feminine—shapes that subvert the rugby shirt’s traditional, masculine appeal. “There’s a tension,” says Sword, which makes it compelling to style. The sturdy collar feels smarter than a T-shirt but is more relaxed than a button-down; it can be dressed up or down. “It’s also a great layering piece,” says Sword.

Author Erika Veurink, agrees. She loves rugby tops so much that she launched her own as part of a merch collection for her debut novel, Exit Lane. In colors of marigold and purple, she often wears it with a floral skirt. “There’s something so preppy about opting for a rugby instead of a sweatshirt,” says Veurink. “It adds interest to any outfit. There are so many variations for all types of personal style.”

Beyond its new-found fashion credentials, the rugby top has timeless appeal in sporty settings. If you’re not looking to join a huddle, consider a rugby the perfect midlayer for your fall runs, hikes, or gym sessions. In activewear, natural fibers, looser silhouettes, and fashion-forward aesthetics are on the rise with luxury brands like Mate the Label and Literary Sport reminding us that it feels good to look polished, even when we’re sweating. Adding a classic rugby to your wardrobe is therefore a savvy investment—style statement now, workout-wear forever.