Common Mistakes When Buying Rugby Balls (Clubs and Coaches)

Mistake 1: Buying too few balls for the squad

This is the most common mistake, and it costs clubs more time and money in the long run than almost anything else. A training session with too few balls means players are standing around waiting instead of working. In skills sessions and passing drills especially, you need enough balls to keep every player active.

A rough guide for training sessions:

Many clubs underestimate how quickly balls go missing, lose air pressure or wear out. Buying a slightly larger stock upfront is almost always more cost-effective than buying replacements one or two at a time throughout the season. A set of RAM training balls bought in volume gives you better value per ball and enough to run sessions properly from day one.

Mistake 2: Using match balls for daily training

Match balls are built for match conditions. They perform well on match day, hold their shape under pressure and meet competition regulations. But they are not built to be dragged through mud five times a week, kicked against posts repeatedly, or left in a damp kit bag overnight.

When clubs use match balls as their primary training ball, two things happen. The balls wear out much faster than they should, which drives up replacement costs. And players spend the most technically important hours of their week with a ball that is already past its best.

A good dedicated training ball like the RAM Gripper 2.0 is specifically built for repeated use on any surface. The rubber casing handles wet grass, artificial turf and muddy pitches without losing grip or shape. It also requires minimal maintenance, which saves time across a full season.

Mistake 3: Getting the wrong ball size for the age group

Ball size is not just a formality. Using a ball that is too large for younger players changes how they hold it, how they pass and how they catch. It forces them to grip the ball differently than they will once they move up to the correct size, which means they are reinforcing handling habits that will need to be corrected later.

The fix here is straightforward: always match the ball size to the age group you are coaching. If your club runs multiple age groups, make sure each group has the right size in their ball bag, not just a mix of whatever is available.

Mistake 4: Choosing brand name over actual performance

Brand recognition matters in rugby. Certain names carry weight on the touchline and in the changing room. But brand name alone does not tell you how a ball performs in your specific conditions, at your level of play, or within your budget.

The questions worth asking before any purchase are more practical than that: What surface will this ball be used on most often? What weather conditions are typical for the training ground? Does the grip panel suit the hands of the players using it? Will this ball hold up to three sessions a week for a full season?

Gilbert balls are a good example of a trusted brand with a solid range across training and match use. But even within a single brand, there is a big difference between a top-end match ball and a club training ball. Knowing which category you actually need saves money and avoids buying kit that is either over-specified or underbuilt for the job.

Mistake 5: Ignoring the conditions the balls will be used in

A ball that performs beautifully on a dry indoor surface in September will behave very differently on a waterlogged pitch in January. Clubs that buy purely based on dry-weather performance often find themselves mid-season with balls that are slippery, heavy and difficult to handle when conditions deteriorate.

Before buying, think honestly about your training environment across the full season. If your pitch drains poorly, if you regularly train on artificial turf, or if your sessions often take place in the rain, these factors should drive your purchasing decision just as much as price.

Mistake 6: Not separating training balls from match balls in storage

This sounds minor but causes real problems. When training balls and match balls are stored together, they get mixed up. Match balls end up in training sessions by accident, and by the time you need them for a fixture they have already taken more wear than they should have.

A simple fix: use different coloured ball bags or label your ball bags clearly. Keep match balls in a separate location and only bring them out for the final phase of training or on matchday. This also makes kit audits faster and reduces the chance of arriving at a fixture short of the right balls.

Mistake 7: Buying custom balls without checking the grip zones

More clubs are investing in custom rugby balls with club colours and branding. It is a good investment for club identity and kit uniformity. But a number of clubs make the mistake of approving a design without checking where the print sits on the ball.

If the club logo or sponsor print overlaps with the grip strips on the ball, it reduces the tackiness of those panels. The ball looks right but performs worse than the base model it was built on. Before approving any custom design, ask to see a layout that confirms the print area does not cover the grip zones. Any reputable supplier should be able to show you this as standard.

Mistake 8: Skipping maintenance and shortening ball life

Balls last longer when they are looked after. This is obvious, but in a busy club environment it is easy to let basic maintenance slip. Balls get thrown back in the bag muddy, stored while still wet, or left inflated for months without a pressure check. Each of these habits shortens the lifespan of the ball.

• Clean mud off balls immediately after training, before it dries. Dried mud is abrasive and harder to remove cleanly.
• Dry balls at room temperature. Avoid radiators, car boots in summer heat, or direct sunlight, all of which degrade rubber and bonded seams.
• Never store wet balls in a closed bag. Leave them to air dry fully before putting them away.
• Check air pressure at the start of every training week. A ball that is significantly over or under-inflated handles differently and wears unevenly.
• Treat leather match balls with leather conditioner after any wet weather use to prevent cracking.
• Rotate your ball stock across sessions so that wear is distributed evenly rather than concentrated on the same few balls every week.

Mistake 9: Buying everything from one category without mixing

Some clubs go all-in on premium match balls for everything, which is expensive and hard on the balls. Others buy the cheapest training balls available and never give players any time with a quality match ball before a fixture. Neither approach is ideal.

The most practical setup for a club running weekly training and regular fixtures is a mixed stock: a solid volume of durable training balls for the bulk of every session, and a smaller set of match balls kept in good condition for matchday and the final phase of training. This gives players the right tool for each part of their week without burning through kit unnecessarily.

Mistake 10: Leaving purchasing until the season has already started

Pre-season is when clubs are busiest with player registration, fixture scheduling and kit ordering. Ball purchasing often gets pushed back, and clubs start the season short. This leads to rushed decisions, paying full price for urgent orders, or running the first weeks of pre-season with a ball bag that is half empty.

Ordering four to six weeks before pre-season gives you time to compare options, take advantage of volume pricing, and receive everything before the first session. It also means that if any balls arrive damaged or are the wrong spec, there is time to sort it before it causes a problem on the training ground.

Frequently asked questions about buying rugby balls for clubs