Ranking the 9 most gloriously iconic Great Britain kits in history

The Great Britain rugby league team are set to return next year, it seems, with talks ongoing about the Lions set-up being resurrected to replace England’s men’s and women’s teams that will tour Australia in 2025.

Love Rugby League revealed earlier this week that the Lions are set to make a comeback in 2025: and it has sparked debate on social media about whether the concept of Great Britain returning after five years in the wilderness will be a good thing, or whether it will make any difference at all.

But one thing can’t be questioned when it comes to Great Britain’s rugby league team is that they’ve always had beautiful kits.

Love Rugby League has decided to take a look at some of the most iconic Great Britain kits from over the years, and we’ve ranked them from worst to best. Let’s take a trip down memory lane..

9. 1998

One thing that always stands out when looking at pictures pre-2005 is the bagginess in the shirts! These days, jerseys are that tight that they almost look like they’ve been sprayed on. The ’98 kit was pretty smart, but the main sponsor’s logo was front and centre of the shirt, more so than the Lions crest.. We suspect Lincoln Financial Group would’ve been pretty happy with the exposure, anyway!

8. 1997

The shirt the year prior to our ninth-placed pick was pretty similar, with Asics remaining as the kit manufacturer for 1997. Again, it’s mad to see the logo of the main sponsor so high up in the shirt: but it’s smart nonetheless with a thick red collar, you never really see those collars anymore – probably because they were easily grabbable!

7. 1974

This kit is absolutely lovely. Simple but effective. Maybe it would’ve got a higher ranking if it had white socks to go along with the shorts and shirt: but it’s a stunner, with an enormous badge that we can get behind.

6. 2007

Sam Burgess. He’s the first person you think of when you see this shirt, isn’t it? He announced his name to the world with a thunderous hit on New Zealand enforcer Fuifui Moimoi. It’s by far the tightest top in this list! A smart design from Puma, to be fair.

5. 2004

Probably the most iconic Great Britain shirt of the modern era. Again, simple but effective. The classic blue and red chevron with a huge sponsor in Gillette (don’t sing it, don’t sing it, don’t sing it) emblazoned on the front. The British Isles and Lions crests look superb on this shirt, too.

4. 1994

There’s a helluva lot going on in this jersey – almost too much – but that might be what actually makes this a beauty? John Smith’s as a main shirt sponsor, too.. This shirt just gives you a nostalgic feel of British rugby league. The player wearing it wasn’t too bad either, eh?

3. 2006

You knew this shirt was coming. A truly iconic shirt from a Test match (and series!) that will live long in the memory for any British and Irish rugby league fan, with Brian Noble’s side beating Australia 23-12 in Sydney in 2006. Others may refer to the game as ‘Mason v Peacock’.

2. 1992

What an absolute beauty of a rugby league shirt. British Coal, Umbro, Lions crest: major rugby league nostalgia. The pattern on the shirt is simply stunning. And for the man wearing it, well.. Legendary player in a shirt to match.

1. 1993

It almost looks like some sort of retro football top: but this takes top spot for us. Everything about it is just glorious, from the blue and red old school collar to the number printing on the baggy, long sleeves. Again, Umbro, John Smith’s, golden lion. We’ve ran out of superlatives for this one.

Anyway, now this throwback feature is done, it’s time to head over to eBay to see if we can get our hands on them!

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