Rugby Shin Guards
Shin guards have been around the game for as long as they have been available for football players. They are made in the same fashion and serve the same purpose. Although a few backs wear them they are predominantly worn by the front row who are exposed to the studs of the opposing hooker when he strikes for the ball and somethimes their own hooker when he sweeps his foot around to gather the ball in the scrum.
First Shin Pads
The original shin guards were to protect against hacking which supposedly was one of the reasons football and rugby split. The players put a resin based product around the top of their boots and this evolved into a padding quite often newspaper which was put into the socks. The modern shin pads are made of moulded plastics with shock absorbing characteristics and undoubtedly offer much better protection than the old days.
