Know your tape ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is less than 24 hours away and with such little time left to wait until kick-off we here at FirstAid4Sport have compiled a guide to all the taping you’ll see take place on the field throughout the next six weeks. At 11:15AM (BST) tomorrow Japan take on Russia in the opening game of the 2019 Rugby world Cup meaning it’s been four years since England hosted the Rugby World Cup and endured one of their worst tournaments to date, England kick off their campaign against Tonga on Sunday. So over the next six weeks spectators are sure to see a number of big tackles and consequently a number of injuries, so here is a guide to the four most common types of tapping in Rugby and what tapes are used.
- Wrist Taping with Thumb support
Firstly, throughout the World Cup you’ll notice several players with their wrist tape continuing around their thumb for extra support, here are the three different types of tape used to enable this support. The base layer of the taping will be 5cm width tape, on top of this base layer you will see a layer of Premium Tan Zinc Oxide tape 3.8cm wide. Finally, the tape used to provide support to the players thumb will be a 2.5cm wide roll of tape.
- Wrist Taping
A simple taping of the wrist is a must for most rugby players as it provides pivotal support throughout the match for a muscle which is continuously used and can even provide added warmth on colder days. A lone taping of the wrist contains just two components the first being 5cm wide tape, with a layer of Premium Tan Zinc Oxide tape 3.8cm wide on top, ensuring constant support for the wrist.
- Leg Taping
Taping on the thigh is used to secure a foam lifting block, which provides an effective and safe way to lift and support a jumper at lineouts and kick-off. The blocks are designed to conform to the shape of your leg. So in order to securely fit your lifting block you should first secure the block with 7.5cm tape, after the block is secure a layer above and below the block of PVC Sock tape should be applied in order to stop the block from moving when used.
- Head Taping
Head taping is a more traditional alternative to a scrum cap and some players prefer to use tape to protect their ears during the scrums throughout the match. Head taping is similar to wrist taping and is built of just two types of tape, the bottom layer will be being 5cm wide tape, with a layer of Premium Tan Zinc Oxide tape 3.8cm wide on top. What Tape should you use? Here at FirstAid4Sport for all taping from 5cm to 7.5cm we recommend Straight Edge EAB tape which due to its use of adhesive that will last for several hours mean your tape will last throughout the match and with application being simple, quick and effective thanks to its easy unwind with strong adhesive, we strongly recommend using Straight Edge EAB. As well as Straight Edge EAB, to enhance you taping to its full potential here at FirstAid4Sport we recommend using Premium Tan Zinc Oxide tape which is coated in Rayon, a man-made fibre that is stronger than standard cotton zinc tapes. Being Rayon coated give the tape more abilities than a standard zinc oxide tape, its tensile strength increases its resistance to water and sweat as well as reducing its friction between the tape and clothing. Finally, to ensure your ready to go you’ll need PVC Sock tape a strong, hard wearing adhesive tape which is available in a number of colours meaning you can secure your lifting block as well as add more of your team colours to your kit.