The Gilbert Rugby Training Ball GTR4000 came onto the scene in late 2016 to replace the popular Gilbert Zenon ball. While maintaining many of the values and strengths related to the Zenon ball, its major upgrade lies in the improved grip configuration.
The new textured TRI grip technology gives the player a better grip and allows for an easier catch, as more of the surface area is in contact with the hand. The pattern is now more defined and is harder to wear than the Zenon ball. Plus, the HYDRATEC waterproof laminated layers are designed to enhance the life and performance of the ball. With the classic four-panel design with hand stitching, it’s finished with Gilbert branding for a great look.
The ball is available in 3 colours red, blue, and black in size 5.
Tri Grip Technology
Hydratec for waterproofed laminated layers
Available in 3 colours red, black, and blue
Available in size 5
Ideal for use in clubs and school rugby.
Hand stitched, durable rubber surface.
The Gilbert Omega Match rugby ball replaces the biggest-selling Gilbert match ball, the Gilbert Dimension. Just like the popular Dimension Ball, the Omega is designed for and used by clubs and schools. The incredible functional rubber surface with the Gilbert standard grip makes it a great ball to handle in all weather conditions.
The Omega ball is available in three sizes and is entirely hand-stitched. It has a 3-ply polycotton and cotton laminate construction, giving it a superior feel, and is blue and black in colour.
It continues to use the Gilbert Truflight valve and remains a great ball at a great price.
The Rhino Cyclone rugby balls are high-quality training balls perfectly suited to clubs and schools in rugby unions across the world. Rhino has a world-renowned reputation for producing rugby balls to a high specification, and the Cyclone is no different. This Rhino Rugby Ball has a durable 3-dimensional grip, making the ball last longer, and can be used in all weather conditions.
We have the Cyclone Rhino rugby ball in sizes 3, 4, and 5. The balls are hand-stitched, which matches their high-quality status, as any imperfections are spotted at an early stage. The ball is constructed with a blend of natural and synthetic rubber, which is combined, and then a 3-ply laminate is heat sealed to the rubber outer to form a great bond and a truly balanced rugby ball.
The Gilbert Kinetica Match rugby ball has replaced the iconic Gilbert Revolution X rugby ball and is a great improvement. The Kinetica is an elite-quality Gilbert match ball at an affordable price. The Kinetica uses the very latest technology to produce a rugby ball of the highest standard and conforms to World Rugby specifications.
The grip on the Kinetica ball is the new Multi Matric Grip which gives better handling in all weather conditions. The valve is the latest Ellipse Truflight valve, which is only seen on top-quality rugby balls. The covering is also an improved G-X rubber compound surface, which gives better grip, control, and handling.
The Kinetica is only available in size 5 and is hand stitched. Compared to the Revolution X, it does retain the Copolymer 'Air-Loc' bladder and is constructed with a 3-ply polyester laminate.
NEW for 2020 and will become one of Gilbert's most popular elite match rugby balls.
The Gilbert Atom ball is a replacement for the very popular Gilbert Photon ball. This ball is made to the same exacting standards required to be a match ball used in good-standard rugby matches in clubs and schools. This high-quality match ball from Gilbert is available in size 5.
This hand-stitched rugby ball uses a standard-designed grip with a highly functional rubber surface.
The ball is constructed with a 3-ply polycotton and cotton laminate outer. It uses the Truflight valve, and as with most Gilbert rugby balls, it is hand stitched.
The Gilbert GTR3000 ball is a great training ball for club or recreational use. The 2-play rugby ball is now available to buy as a special 8-pack and offers the club player even better value.
This 2-play ball is constructed from polycotton and cotton outers and has a durable butyl bladder.
These Gilbert rugby balls are a size 5. Look out for other 8-pack deals in sizes 3 and 4.
The NEW Gilbert Barbarian 2.0 rugby ball is one of the top, best value match balls available from Gilbert. As with all high-end match balls from Gilbert, this ball uses the latest technology including the Truflight valve for improved accuracy. The Barbarian rugby balls has been upgraded to nearly match the Revolution X in quality, with an upgraded G-X rubber compound surface for improved feel and control.
The ever-popular grip comes as standard but, when used with the 3-ply core spun polyester and cotton laminate, rubber coated surface, the feel and handling is outstanding.
Well-known with its popularity, its commonly used in adult club matches and senior school games. Conforms to all World Rugby specifications.
The ball is hand stitched and is available in size 5. The colour is blue/green as shown above. Conforms to all World Rugby specifications.
The GTR3000 Gilbert Rugby Ball Size 5 has a great new style and technologies for improved handling and increased ball longevity.
The textured TRI grip gives the player a better grip and allows for an easier catch, as more of the surface area is in contact with the hand. Plus, the HYDRATEC technology are designed to enhance the life and performance of the ball.
The size 5 GTR3000 ball is only available in blue and is hand stitched. It has a 2-ply construction and a durable rubber compound surface.
The Gilbert Kinetica match rugby ball has replaced the iconic Revolution X match ball, and we have it available in this easy-to-buy 3-piece pack. Gilbert has developed a great-quality match ball using the latest technology to produce a ball with an incredible level of performance suitable for serious club rugby players.
Using the durable standard grip formation, this is one of the best rugby balls available.
Pre-Kicked with a 3-ply polyester laminated cover and in seam valve.
This pack contains 3 x size 5 Kinetica Gilbert rugby balls.
The Lusum Aquilifer Match Rugby Ball is one of the highest-spec balls on the market, using the very latest designs and manufacturing techniques to create a ball that can be used in any condition.
The Max Grain grip gives the ball superior handling, and using the latest Lusum graphics and colours improves the player's peripheral vision. This ball is a great alternative to the Gilbert Barbarian ball and is much more affordable.
These 3-piece rugby ball set ensures you buy the best ball at the best price.'Velocity Amplifier technology 4-layer constructionSuper top quality in seam bladderMax Grain gripPre-Kicked to ensure the ball is match-readyAvailable in size 5
Each ball comes in its own personal cloth bag and a free ball adaptor.
New Design Now in Stock
The Aquilifer rugby ball is one of the best-quality match rugby balls available. Using the very latest designs and innovations in core materials, producing a ball that could grace the elite stage.
Lusum has utilised a colour that improves the awareness of players. The research and development team tested many different colours before finding one that improved the peripheral vision of players of all levels, from junior to senior. This ball is a fantastic alternative to the Gilbert Barbarian ball while also being much more affordable.
The handling of this Lusum rugby ball is rated as first-class and has a Max Grain grip. The Aquilifer is Pre-Kicked to ensure the ball retains its shape when used in any condition. The rubber surface is specifically designed with 16 grades of rubber using 'Velocity Amplifier' technology for a ball that gives the best flight.
Through development, Lusum has the best aerodynamic shape calculated to give the maximum number of sweet spots.
'Velocity Amplifier' technology
4-layer construction
Super top quality in seam bladder
Max Grain Grip
Pre-Kicked to ensure the ball is match-ready.
Available in size 5
Free needle adaptor and individual bag with every Aquilifer ball.
The Aquilifer is such a high-quality ball that it deserves to be looked after, so Lusum provides an individual mesh bag to store your ball in. This ensures the grip stays at its best for longer.
The Aquilfer rugby ball is probably one of the best rugby balls ever produced. It is of such quality that it could one day be seen at the highest level.
The Aquilifer ball is pre-kicked to ensure the ball is match-ready. This ball is a great alternative to the Gilbert Barbarian ball and is much more affordable.
This rugby ball set comes with the following:10 x Aquilifer match balls10 x Individual cloth bags for each ball 10 x Ball-needle adaptors 1 x Lusum Breathable ball bagEach ball comes with its own personal cloth bag to ensure the ball retains its original grip. We also provide a free needle adaptor with each ball.
The Aquilifer ball consists of the following:'Velocity Amplifier technology 4-layer construction Super top quality in seam bladder Max Grain grip Pre-Kicked to ensure the ball is match ready Available in size 5 only
Rugby is one of the UK's favourite sports, attracting large audiences to domestic, youth and international games. Rugby as a youth sport has developed significantly over the last decade in the UK, helping to improve the amount and calibre of young players being introduced into the game.
Sports Ball Shop are committed to providing an unrivalled range of rugby balls, featuring the leading brands and a variety of prices, sizes and specification.
Gilbert Rugby Balls
Gilbert have been involved with the sport since 1823 and have been supplying the official rugby world cup ball since 1995. They were again the supplier for the 2011 rugby world cup in New Zealand. They are also acknowledged as the official match ball supplier and are the preferred choice for 8 of the top 10 rugby playing nations, including England, South Africa and Australia.
Lusum Rugby Balls
Lusum balls were created in 2011, by a group of players, coaches and technicians including an aerodynamicist. The coaches were frustrated at paying for balls that were obviously marked up to cover sponsorship deals.
Lusum decided to never pay sports sponsorships to players, clubs or leagues like other brands do. Because Lusum does not pay sponsorship, you pay up to 25% less for your ball - without having to compromise on the quality and performance.
Mitre Rugby Balls
Mitre is one of the best known rugby manufacturers in the world, producing and distributing thousands of balls across the world each year. If you're looking for high quality, long lasting training balls that represents excellent value for money, then Mitre is the brand for you.
Webb Ellis Rugby Balls
The name of Webb Ellis has been associated with rugby since 1823. Their head office is still located in the birthplace town of Rugby. Webb Ellis are continuing to analyse hundreds of hours of footage to guage the performance of their balls, in all conditions.
They then use this data to produce rugby balls suitable for all levels of the game. Technology is always changing yet Webb Ellis still manage to be a leader and their RAPRA engineered rubber formula is a fine example. This formula is designed to repel water, to ensure the player gets the best grip in wet conditions.
Steeden Rugby Balls
Steeden was first established in Queensland Australia, in1958 by Ray Steeden. They produced leather footballs that are now the world's biggest brand in Rugby League. Steeden is now not under the control of the Grays family which also includes Gilbert Rugby, as the Steeden brand is managed within Europe by a new independent company.
Steeden were the official ball supplier to the Rugby League World Cup 2013.
What Makes a Rugby Ball?
The other day we were asked a question about rugby balls and why you would pay £100 plus for a Pro quality match ball rather than £10 for a good quality training ball, surely they can’t be 10 times better can they? So we had to explain the differences and why the Pro ball was so much more expensive, although we still couldn’t justify paying in excess of £100 for any type of match ball.
Materials
During my visit to one of the biggest rugby ball manufacturers in India, I watched the whole process of manufacture, from the mixing and macerating of the rubber compound, adding the grip, stitching the ball and the final quality check. It was fascinating to watch and I would recommend to anyone, if given the chance to view. The rubber compound is normally a mixture of 2 types of rubber - 1 which has more elasticity and the other is stronger. There can be many different grades of rubber used but generally they come from 2 types of tree giving different properties from each. When macerated and rolled out, giving a stronger and more durable material that changed the way rugby balls were made. Originally made from a pigs bladder then from a heavy leather material (which became heavier in wet conditions), the new method was developed in association with a delightful chap called Dr Raj, whom I had the pleasure of meeting. His passion was there to see and he was immensely proud of what he had created and rightly so. The rubber sheets were approximately 3 to 4 mm thick at this stage and then went into the bonding section of the plant. This is where the strength is given to the ball and layers of material are bonded to the rubber compound. This also gives something for the stitching to work with at the later stitching stage of ball manufacture. If stitching directly into the rubber compound without the added material, when the ball is inflated the seams would split easily as the stitching would cut through the rubber. The added material gives this the strength to hold.
Layers
When looking to buy a rugby ball you may have seen the description as stating this is a '2 Ply' ball or '3 Ply' or even '4 Ply' also known as Quad Core Technology or whatever marketing jargon they decide to call it. The term ply refers to the layers of polyester cloth material that are layered on top of each other and then applied to the rubber sheet previously made. These are glued together at high pressure in a heavy press machine with rollers and a liberal amount of glue. The ply of the ball gives the ball longevity and is often overlooked when purchasing the clubs rugby balls.
2 Ply is generally used on training balls
3 Ply is used on best quality training balls and most match balls
4 Ply or Quad Core is mainly used on Pro quality match balls and is thought of as the highest level available
If more layers are added the ball becomes too heavy and less reliable so that is why you would not see a ball being constructed with a '5 Ply' mix. The ply and rubber layers are then cut into manageable sheets approximately 40cm x 70cm.
Graphics
The graphics on the ball are the most visual part of the ball which can often mean it sells well or not at all. Most of the rugby balls available today are made in Jalandhar, in the north Indian state of Punjab. There is a certain amount of brand snobbery within rugby clubs across the world and many pundits suggest the ball is of inferior quality, should the brand name GILBERT is missing. This is of course nonsense in my opinion but as Gilbert spends many millions on marketing this means their balls get the most exposure on TV, Internet and written press. The graphics are applied to a cellophane sheet with a rubber based ink. This sheet is applied to the rubber side of the bonded sheet produced earlier. The ink is rubber based as it then becomes part of the ball when heat in the next stage. This would not be the case if standard ink was use and applied on a transfer, a process which can be used to add club crests at a later date when the ball has been stitched.
Grip
There are many different types of grips which can be applied to the rubber side of these sheets and is selected by each brand during the design process. I had never considered how a grip became part of the ball before and was fascinated to see this stage of the ball development. There are various grips available and it is down to personal choice which you feel is best
Standard Grip
Dual Grip
Tri-Angular Grip
3-D Grip
Aerosensa Grip
Max Grain Grip
The list is endless but the most common is the standard grip. Brands will claim their grip is best in all conditions or may specify a particular grip for a specific ball and weather. The grip configuration is designed and embedded onto a metal sheet. How this process works if as follows:
The 1st layer has one flat metal sheet
On top of this a layer of bonded material and rubber sheet is placed. Cloth side down
The grip sheet is then added on top, with the grip side facing down onto the rubber surface, with the flat side of the metal sheet facing up
This process is then repeated until the maximum amount of layers is created.
At this point the block of layers are added to a machine which heats and presses at the same time.
A '2 Ply' ball needs to be baked for 5 minutes, a '3 Ply' ball is baked for 6 minutes and a '4 Ply' ball is baked for 7 minutes.
Panels
The sheets are removed from the 'oven', are allowed to cool and are ready for the next stage with the graphics and grip applied. This stage is the final process to be completed in this factory and is the cutting of the panels. A machinist layers the cooled sheets (one at a time) onto his press in front of him. When he is happy with the positioning of the sheet, he applies the press cutter which has a force in excess of 2 tonnes applied. The hole for the valve is also added by the cutter at this time. The waste material is removed and the 4 panels are stacked and wrapped with an elastic band to ensure they stay part of the same set.
Bladder
The pack of 4 panels is now sent to the next stage and can be in a different factory altogether, although the majority are still manufactured in the 2 biggest plants, as previously mentioned. The quality of the bladder can have a major impact on the longevity of the ball and how it plays too. There are generally 2 choices of bladder available but, it can be hard to find which is used in your ball as manufacturers use marketing jargon to make their balls sound different from all other balls
Latex Bladder - These are softer and have a natural feel which ensures the ball retains the shape for longer. They can allow air to permeate though the skin though and the ball will need re-inflating more often but the air lose is often offset by introducing 'Air-Loc' valve to the ball.
Butyl Bladder -These are more durable and are often used on training balls and the lower end match balls as they retain their air for longer.
The positioning of the bladder outlet is determined at an earlier design stage and can be 'In-Panel' or 'In-Seam'. Training balls and many match balls have 'In-Panel' design and the best quality match balls have the 'In-Seam' design. How to find out which you ball has is quite easy:
In Panel - The valve to the bladder will be positioned in the centre of a panel.
In Seam - The valve to the bladder is positioned within the seam/stitching of the ball. Players say the best balls to play with in matches are 'In-Seam' as they have a better flight path and are more stable when kicked.
The bladder valve is carefully positioned and glued in place, then allowed to dry for at least an hour
Stitching
This is the stage where the shape of ball is formed. The stitching can be applied by a highly trained machinist or by an even higher trained and incredibly patient hand seamstress. Unlike football the majority of rugby balls are hand stitched as the shape doesn't allow machine to be used in this process. If a machine is used at all, the final stitches are still applied by hand, which can then allow the manufacturer to claim they are hand stitched. The stitching used is water resistant, UV stable and is very durable
Inflating and Testing
Small samples of training balls are taken to be fully inflated and tested to ensure they retain the air for a given period. They can be kicked too with a machine to give a realistic test, without the need to take the balls outside onto a muddy field. The higher quality match balls have a higher sample of balls taken for testing and most are pre-kicked by machine, to get the ball ready for play. The ball pressure is specified by the manufacturer and is written around or close to the valve of the ball. This can differ greatly between manufacturers and also between match and training balls, so should always be adhered to. When inflating you rugby ball take care and add a small dot of glycerine into the opening of the valve. When the needle is inserted this takes the lubricant down into the valve making damage to the valve or bladder less likely. Never use water or saliva as these do not lubricate the valve and with saliva can add debris to the valve, allowing air to escape. We had 2 customers that claimed their rugby balls were faulty so, we got them back for inspection. One had what looked like remnants from someone's lunch within the valve and when we suggested the needle was lubricated with saliva whilst the user was eating a bag of crisps, the guy was very embarrassed; the other ball had been lubricated with Vaseline. So, the valve had so much Vaseline within it, they couldn't get a seal on the ball, allowing air to escape. Lesson learned by both to use glycerine in future.
Is a Pro Ball worth so much more than a training ball?
The use of 4 ply makes them higher quality as does the use of the best bladders. The graphics and rubber compounds tend to cost the same though. The stitching costs are a fraction higher on pro quality balls as the highest paid seamstresses are employed and more time is taken on each ball. The stitcher will often only finish 12 pro quality balls a day, so the costs are definitely higher. The pro balls are also used in high profile competitions are often given for free as part of the marketing and sponsorship package; this can add huge sums to the cost of the ball for the end user. In our opinion the £100+ balls are overpriced and are not worth that much as you can get a similar quality ball for much less as it won’t have the marketing spend associated with the ball.
