Rugby first-aid kit list: the pitch-side bag.
Rugby means contact, studs, grazes and blood. Your pitch-side bag needs more dressings and tape than most sports. Here is a full list, what one national union recommends, and what to leave to trained people.
Rugby first-aid kit checklist
A Standard home kit for an adult amateur rugby team, as Benchkit builds it (45 items):
| Item | Qty |
|---|---|
| Wound care | |
| Plasters, assorted (fabric) | 40 |
| Knuckle & fingertip plasters | 10 |
| Blister plasters (hydrocolloid) | 6 |
| Sterile gauze swabs 10×10 cm | 10 |
| Non-stick sterile pads | 10 |
| Sterile wound dressing, medium | 2 |
| Sterile wound dressing, large | 4 |
| Adhesive island dressings | 4 |
| Sterile eye pads | 2 |
| Sterile saline pods 20 ml (wound & eye wash) | 6 |
| Alcohol-free cleansing wipes | 10 |
| Sterile cotton-tipped applicators (pack) | 1 |
| Hydrogel abrasion dressings (turf burn) | 8 |
| Petroleum jelly (anti-friction) | 1 |
| Clean water bottle for rinsing | 1 |
| Tape & support | |
| Elastic bandage 7.5 cm | 2 |
| Elastic bandage 10 cm | 2 |
| Conforming gauze bandage | 2 |
| Cohesive bandage 7.5 cm | 2 |
| Triangular bandage (sling) | 2 |
| Rigid sports tape 3.8 cm | 6 |
| Rigid sports tape 2.5 cm (fingers) | 1 |
| Pre-wrap / underwrap | 2 |
| Micropore surgical tape | 1 |
| Finger splints | 2 |
| Cold | |
| Instant cold packs | 4 |
| Reusable gel packs | 2 |
| Resealable bags (for ice) | 6 |
| Emergency | |
| Foil emergency blankets | 2 |
| CPR face shield / pocket mask | 1 |
| Emergency card (printed, in the lid) | 1 |
| Tooth rescue box / small sealed cup | 2 |
| Tools | |
| Tuff-cut scissors | 1 |
| Tweezers | 1 |
| Tick remover | 1 |
| Safety pins | 6 |
| Hygiene & protection | |
| Nitrile gloves (pairs) | 10 |
| Hand sanitiser | 1 |
| Waste bags | 2 |
| Disinfectant wipes (equipment) | 1 |
| Tissues (pack) | 1 |
| Cards & lists | |
| First-aid guide / quick cards | 1 |
| Concussion recognition card | 1 |
| Contents list (printed, in the lid) | 1 |
| Notepad & pen | 1 |
What rugby adds
| Added for rugby | Extra | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Rigid sports tape 3.8 cm | +4 | Strapping is part of rugby. Players go through tape fast. |
| Pre-wrap / underwrap | +1 | Goes under tape to protect the skin. |
| Sterile wound dressing, large | +2 | Cuts from studs and head knocks bleed a lot. |
| Tooth rescue box / small sealed cup | +1 | A knocked-out adult tooth has the best chance when it is stored correctly and seen by a dentist fast. |
| Hydrogel abrasion dressings (turf burn) | +4 | Grazes from hard or artificial pitches. |
What Scottish Rugby recommends
Scottish Rugby publishes first-aid equipment recommendations for clubs and schools. For the pitch bag, its list includes disposable gloves, disposal bags, hand sanitiser, gauze swabs, saline pods, antiseptic wipes, plasters and non-adherent dressings, blister plasters, paper stitches, a wound pad, a triangular bandage, tape and bandages, an aluminium splint, freezer bags for ice, a foil blanket, antiseptic cream and petroleum jelly. It also suggests sanitary towels and tampons when you work with female players.
Before the kit, it asks every club and school to have a medical emergency action plan, a named first-aid provider, and to know where the nearest public-access defibrillator (AED) is.
The Benchkit list covers the same ground. Two differences: we leave out antiseptic cream (we use saline and wipes for cleaning, and keep creams out of team kits), and the mouldable splint sits in the Advanced kit. Add either if your club's first-aid lead wants them.
Scottish Rugby lists trauma-bag items and medicines only for when trained medical staff or a match-day doctor are present. Its document says equipment should only be available if the pitch-side team has the skills to use it.
In England, ask your club's first-aid lead about the RFU's own guidance for clubs. We couldn't find a public RFU contents list to quote.
Blood, gloves and clean-up
Rugby has more blood than most sports. Pack enough gloves for several changes (10 pairs in a Standard kit), waste bags for used dressings, and disinfectant wipes for equipment. Shared bags should carry gloves in more than one size.
Head injuries
Follow your union's concussion rules. In UK grassroots sport the rule is if in doubt, sit them out: a player with a suspected concussion leaves the field and does not return that day. Keep a concussion recognition card in the bag.
One QR sticker on the pitch-side bag
Benchkit builds the rugby list, then lets anyone tap what they used ("3 × tape, 1 large dressing") in 10 seconds. Coaches and first-aiders share one refill list and get expiry reminders. Free for teams; the club licence shows every team's kit in one place.
Set up your kit, freeQuestions
What should be in a rugby first-aid kit?
Gloves, sterile dressings including large ones, gauze, saline, wipes, plasters, blister plasters, sports tape and underwrap, elastic and triangular bandages, instant cold packs and ice bags, a foil blanket, a CPR face shield, scissors and waste bags. See the full list above.
Is there an RFU first-aid kit list?
We could not find a public RFU contents list. Scottish Rugby publishes recommendations for clubs and schools, which we summarise above. Ask your club's first-aid lead about the RFU guidance that applies to you.
Why so much tape in a rugby kit?
Players strap ankles, wrists and fingers before and during games, and tape holds dressings in place. Tape also loses its stickiness over time, so check the dates.
Should a rugby first-aid kit include antiseptic cream?
Scottish Rugby lists it. Benchkit leaves creams out of team kits and uses saline and wipes for cleaning. Follow your club's policy.
Sources
- Scottish Rugby: First Aid Equipment Recommendations (PDF)
- Hockey Canada Safety Program: first-aid kit content list (via Hockey Alberta)
- St John Ambulance (UK): Deluxe sports first aid kit (archived copy)
- Sport and Recreation Alliance: UK concussion guidelines for grassroots sport, "If in doubt, sit them out"
First-aid information, not medical advice. Kit lists are guidance: what you carry should match the training of the people using it. A first-aid course (for example from St John Ambulance or the Red Cross in your country) is the best preparation. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.