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Original poster

Washing the whole team kit

138 replies

PurpleBirch · 24/09/2023 22:30

DS has joined a new rugby team and they have a very organised WhatsApp including a rota of all the parents’ jobs. Fair enough, I’m very happy to participate mannjngbyhe car park, cooking food for after etc. This includes taking turns to wash the whole team shirts. Is it just me or does it seem a bit silly to take home 20 dirty teenage size shirts to wash and dry instead of each taking their own and wearing them to the match the following week?

There are more than enough shirts per player. It’s our turn in a couple of weeks and I’m already hoping for good weather!

I want to question the logic but DH thinks just do it and don’t rock the boat.

Do any of your DC teams do this?

OP posts:
Littlebluebird123 · 24/09/2023 22:33

It's quite common. Only one load of dirty stinky stuff every few months instead of having to put one grimy outfit with your regular wash.

Rossannah · 24/09/2023 22:34

Surely if there are 20 kits to wash then it is only your problem once a season. Wash them and sit back and have yours washed for the next year

PuttingDownRoots · 24/09/2023 22:35

Some clubs don't like issuing kits as its expensive and kids leave and don't return the kit.

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ChicoryDip · 24/09/2023 22:36

My guess would be that because the numbered positions are important in rugby it makes sense to keep the full set of shirts together as they don't 'belong' to a particular player and can change depending on the position allocated that week.

Obviously it risks a full set of shirts being MIA because Billy's mum washed them last week and has now gone on holiday and forgot to let Bob have the shirts but it minimises the risk of odd shirts being lost.

anothercupparosytea · 24/09/2023 22:37

Very common. The strips stay together, all ready for the next match - can't be forgotten / left at wrong parents etc. Takes a very small extra effort to make your contribution to the team.

rockpoolingtogether · 24/09/2023 22:37

Sounds a fairly good idea to me if everyone does their fair share. Do you have to do the socks and shorts too?

Magnalux · 24/09/2023 22:38

Yes it’s standard, if everyone had to take and wash their own jersey there’s no way you’d have 20 at the end of the season! People will lose them, forget to wash them, quit and keep them etc.. also if a few players can’t make a match on any day you’re down that amount of jerseys for the subs

EverybodyLTB · 24/09/2023 22:39

My kids don’t have this but once in a while it comes around for my neighbour and I loan out my washing line - the sheer volume is just something else. I tend to offer to take half and do it myself as it’s bags and bags of it. Not often though, and we’re friends so I don’t mind. I have filthy sports kits for just my own kid coming back home all the time and I put them in to soak for ages and then do them individually on a light load/quick wash. I feel like everyone could just do this. I can imagine some parents would find it so overwhelming faced with bags and bags of muddy kit.

RightOnTheEdge · 24/09/2023 22:50

That sounds awful!
My kids play football and everyone just wears their kit home and washes it and wears it again next week.

No one ever loses it or forgets it.

cardiganboo · 24/09/2023 23:13

I'd be shitting my pants that I'd wreck them!

LostMySocks · 24/09/2023 23:15

It's really common in rugby even in adult teams. I played when I was younger and in all of my clubs we had to take turns. Ensures that single shirts don't go missing and that they all fade/get accidentally dyed the same colour. Lots of people just took them to the launderette ... many did a service wash.
The new style shirts are so much lighter to lug home than the traditional heavy cotton ones.
Teams linked to richer clubs sometimes have a kit washer.

theduchessofspork · 24/09/2023 23:17

Excellent opportunity for your son to help out and learn to use the washing machine.

But yes it is normal.

JaneJeffer · 24/09/2023 23:18

That's the way it's done.

MrsTerryPratchett · 24/09/2023 23:19

I want to question the logic but DH thinks just do it and don’t rock the boat.

I assume he's doing it. Or better yet, DS.

mondaytosunday · 24/09/2023 23:36

The kids weren't allowed to take match shirts home - they'd forget to bring them or go missing, and not every player played every match. So safer for one person to take them home to wash.

tapdancingmum · 24/09/2023 23:58

My DD plays football, and I'm in charge of the kit, both home and away. We only have 16 shirts and more than 20 players, so if they all took it home, we wouldn't have enough kit for the following week.

We get home from a match, and I chuck all the shirts in and hang them on the airer before doing the shorts. As it's a sports kit, it dries quite quickly, but I am grateful that I have two airers (one outside) to put it on. If the players were in charge of washing their own kits, the team could end up losing it or it not being done as its scrunched up in the bottom of a bag. Occasionally, one will take their shirt home if they've had to leave early, but they've always let me know so I can keep track of it.

If it's muddy, I find a cold synthetic wash the best as if you do it hot the mud sets and doesn't come out. If it's a far away match and we are late home, I pop it in a bucket of cold water so it doesn't dry before washing. Don't use softener in it as that can ruin the numbers - I use powder and a splash of that laundry cleanser.

caringcarer · 25/09/2023 00:14

Normal with rugby. You'll only have to do the grimy wash once each season. Soak in Oxy first to get stain out.

Testina · 25/09/2023 00:38

“I want to question the logic but DH thinks just do it and don’t rock the boat.”

Then stop worrying about it and let him crack on 🤷🏻‍♀️

PinkArt · 25/09/2023 00:41

As others have said, DH thinks it's not a problem then it's his job. Easy fix unless/ until DC is old enough to do it.

HerRoyalNotness · 25/09/2023 00:43

We only have one set of match jersey’s so a parent aka me, takes them home after every tournament. Thankfully that’s only 5 times (we’re in the US and don’t have enough players for weekly games at the moment)

IvorTheEngineDriver · 25/09/2023 02:06

Our rugby team operated the "everyone washes his own kit" system. Didn't work. Some idiot always forgot or had some wierd reason why his shirt was still filthy. The rota for doing the lot once every few weeks strikes me as a much better idea

BettyBoomer · 25/09/2023 02:22

RightOnTheEdge · 24/09/2023 22:50

That sounds awful!
My kids play football and everyone just wears their kit home and washes it and wears it again next week.

No one ever loses it or forgets it.

Yep, same here. For footie and rugby. Everyone turns up at each match with clean kit. No-one has ever lost it. This has been from aged 4 to aged 15…

mathanxiety · 25/09/2023 02:22

If DH is happy to do it, I see no problem.

Wink
Ragwort · 25/09/2023 02:26

Very common ... bought back memories of my DS's rugby days Grin.

featherlampshade · 25/09/2023 03:13

It is a common thing, although my grandmother used to collect our local teams kit every week and wash it herself!