Many rugby players — both professional and amateur, and adults and children — choose to wear scrum caps during rugby for added protection.
Whether you’re a parent looking for your child, or an adult player looking for yourself, here are my top picks for the five best scrum caps (head guards/skull caps) as an amateur rugby player with 20+ years of experience.
Best Scrum Caps For Rugby, At a Glance:
- Canterbury Rugby Core Headguard
- Gilbert Air Headguard
- Optimum Origin Headguard
- Rhino Headguard
- Adidas Scrum Cap
Disclosure
Note: This article contains some affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my links. You will incur no additional cost. All costs and information are correct at the time of publishing and I will occasionally edit for freshness and accuracy. Always check the retailer for more information.
Best Scrum Caps for Rugby in 2026, Based on Experience
Here are my top picks for the best scrum caps and head guards for rugby, based on my own experience and thorough research.
Canterbury Rugby Core Headguard
Canterbury scrum caps are a popular choice and offer solid protection. They are often made of closed-cell foam and include a flexible earpiece for added protection. They also features a moisture-wicking liner to help avoid that ‘overheating’ feeling during a game. They’re popular among both junior and senior players, and I actually wore them myself during my scrum cap phase!
- Cost: £20-£50
- Sizing Options: XS-XL
- Amazon Rating: 4.6/5
Gilbert Rugby Scrum Cap
Gilbert is another top brand for providing rugby scrum caps and other rugby gear like boots. As you’d expect from a well-known, renowned brand such as Gilbert, the scrum cap is made of high-quality material and features ventilation holes. I love the design, with the striking green lining providing a sharp contrast with the black.
- Cost: £25-£40
- Sizing Options: S-XL
- Amazon Rating: 4.4/5
Optimum Scrum Cap
Okay, being truthful, Optimum are not my favourite brand for headguards. But, they are a well established rugby brand which offer specialist scrum caps or head guards for both adults and kids alike. I don’t see these quite as often in the professional game in all honesty, but they do provide some unique options for rugby players. While they’re not my favourite due to their slightly longer design at the top of the head, they are still legit options and are quite affordable!
- Cost: £20-£31
- Sizing Options: S-XL
- Amazon Rating: 4.5/5
Rhino Head Guard
Rhino has been providing rugby gear for many years and has established itself as a leading brand in the UK and beyond.
These head guards are one-size-fits-all, so keep that in mind. They also note that they are unisex, but in all honesty any gender can wear any head guard in rugby, it’s not something to be concerned about. The above design is pretty slick and isn’t too extravagant, so it suits many different types of players. Personally, I love the compact design here.
- Cost: £16
- Sizing Options: One Size
- Amazon Rating: 4.3/5
Adidas Rugby Scrum Cap
Adidas are probably the most premium brand on this list of the best scrum caps for rugby, but they’re also probably the most well-known across the world. Does that mean they’re the best? Not necessarily.
Other rugby-specific brands like Rhino or Gilbert probably have more authority in the rugby world, but it’s important not to overlook the quality of Adidas. These are definitely options for you if you’re looking for the best and highest quality scrum caps or head guards for rugby. When I’ve worn Adidas scrum caps, they’ve always been comfortable but not necessarily good enough to justify the extra cost. You can, however, expect top quality materials at least.
- Cost: £35-£48
- Sizing Options: XS-XL
- Amazon Rating: 4.5/5
How I Picked the Best Scrum Caps
To pick the top scrum caps or head guards for rugby, I considered factors such as the level of protection provided, comfort, durability, size options, cost and trustworthiness of the brand in general. With over 20 years’ experience in amateur rugby, trust me, I’ve bought enough rugby gear to last a lifetime. I rate the scrum caps primarily based on my own experiences, but I understand it is subjective, so I also looked at user reviews to get an idea of how well the head guards performed for other people around the UK and beyond – and excluded any that were rated poorly by real life customers. Based on this experience and research, I selected the top scrum caps that I believe offer the best combination of protection, comfort, and value for rugby players.
How to Choose the Right Scrum Cap for You
When determining the best scrum cap for you, there are many factors you should consider, including:
- Price: There are scrum caps for every budget, usually priced between £15 and £50.
- Size Options: Adult scrum caps are generally available between XS and XL, so be sure to check out the size guides and pick the right one for. A one size scrum cap can be risky, so be careful there.
- Design: You want to look good while playing, so choose a nicely designed head guard like the five I’ve listed above!
- Safety Features: While no scrum cap is proven to prevent concussions, some do provide more significant and high-quality padding than others. This can help you avoid cuts and flesh wounds while playing one of the most physical sports in the world.
- Breathability: Keep in mind that your head will get extremely warm in a scrum cap if you play during the summer months in 7s or it’s a warm day in general. To combat this, look for a scrum cap with good ventilation.
Do Scrum Caps Actually Help?
Rugby scrum caps are designed to provide protection to the head. While they do not completely eliminate the risk of head injuries, some suggest they can reduce the likelihood and severity of impact-related head injuries. So, rugby scrum caps can be effective in protecting players from head injuries to some extent. Keep in mind that research is limited in terms of their efficiency, so don’t forget that there is still absolutely a risk of head injuries when playing rugby even with a scrum cap. And I am by no means a medical expert, so I’m not the best person to answer that question.
Scrum caps are, generally, effective in reducing wounds such as cuts and grazes, as they provide a layer of protection. They aren’t, however, proven to help prevent concussion. More research is certainly needed.
Final Verdict
Generally speaking, the best rugby brands for scrum caps include: Canterbury, Rhino, Adidas and Gilbert. If you go with any of the above brands, you can’t really go far wrong.
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