Wales Rugby at the Principality: What Men Should Wear

Wales play three home games at the Principality this November, one each Saturday: Japan on the 7th at 4.40pm, New Zealand on the 14th at 2.10pm and Australia on the 21st at 8.10pm. They're the November round of the new Nations Championship. That's an early start, a teatime start and a night match, and a man getting dressed for each of them has a slightly different problem to solve.

The general Principality rules, from road closures to why the shoes matter most, are in Principality Stadium Days: What to Wear in Cardiff, and the women's version of this guide is What to Wear to Wales Rugby at the Principality This November. This one is for the men, most of whom will be in the same jacket from lunchtime until late, so it's worth choosing on purpose.

Red jumpers instead of the replica shirt

Most of the men walking down Westgate Street will be in the replica shirt, and good luck to them. It's made for a pitch, though, and it looks it by the second pint. A red jumper does the same job for anyone who'd like to look Welsh and dressed at once. A chunky fisherman knit or a plain lambswool crew both work, and in December nobody will clock it as the rugby jumper.

Rugby shirts with a white collar

The high-street rugby shirt (heavy cotton, white collar, a fat stripe across the chest) is the slightly cheeky option, because you are wearing a rugby shirt to the rugby without wearing the rugby shirt. Any stripe works. Navy or green under a waxed jacket looks like a man who owns a dog and a decent pair of boots, which is the general idea.

Quarter-zip jumpers for layering

A quarter-zip is the most useful thing a man can wear to a November match. Zip it up on the walk in, open it in the stand when the roof is shut and the whole ground is singing, and put a shirt collar or a T-shirt under it depending on how smart dinner is. Burgundy and dark green both sit well next to a red scarf.

What to wear for each kick-off

Wales v Japan: Saturday 7 November, 4.40pm

You go in while it's light and come out after dark, and it will be colder on the way home than it was at lunch. A quarter-zip over a T-shirt, cord trousers, Chelsea boots and a waxed jacket covers both halves of the day. The jacket has pockets big enough for a phone, a wallet and a folded hat, so you can leave the bag at home.

Wales v New Zealand: Saturday 14 November, 2.10pm

The All Blacks game is the one most likely to turn into a whole day, so you could be out from late morning until well after the final whistle. That's a lot of standing around outside pubs. Go for the warmest layer you have: a rugby shirt, a hooded parka over it, a beanie in the pocket and boots with a proper grip, because the pavements round the ground get slippery once the pubs fill up.

Wales v Australia: Saturday 21 November, 8.10pm

A night kick-off means dinner first and the match as the main event, so you can dress up a bit. A red crew neck under a charcoal overcoat, dark trousers and leather Chelsea boots will get you into a restaurant at six and a stand at eight without looking like you're in fancy dress. If you're coming straight from work, it's the same outfit with a shirt collar showing.

Jackets and coats for a closed roof

Wales have played home Tests with the roof shut since early 2025, when the protocol changed so they no longer needed the visiting side's agreement, and Rugby World reported in February that every Wales home fixture this year would be played with it closed. Check on the day, but expect it shut. Under a closed roof the bowl is much warmer than the walk in, so whatever you wear outside spends the match on your knees or under your seat. A waxed jacket or a parka survives that better than a good wool coat, and a tailored overcoat earns its place on the night match, when there's a restaurant either side of it.

Cord trousers for a long day out

Jeans are what most men will reach for, and they're fine. Cords are warmer and a bit more interesting, and they look better with a waxed jacket than denim does. Navy, brown or khaki all go with red. Get a straight leg so they sit properly over a boot.

Boots with grip for wet pavements

In August the right answer was trainers. In November, in the dark, on pavements a full stadium has just walked over with drinks in hand, a boot with a cleated sole makes more sense. Chelsea or chukka, black or brown, as long as you've broken them in before the day.

Bag size and what happens at the gate

The Principality's limit is a bag no bigger than 35cm x 40cm x 19cm, or a standard handbag, and there's no bag storage at the stadium, so anything larger has nowhere to go. For most men the easy answer is no bag at all: a jacket with deep pockets holds everything you need. The stadium sets its rules event by event, so read the ticket information before the day in case anything changes for your match.

Scarves and red beanies

If the red jumper is a step too far, wear it on your head. A red beanie on a man in a navy or olive jacket says Wales from the other end of Queen Street, and it goes back in the pocket once you're under the roof. A heavier knitted scarf is worth having for the walk home after the Australia game.

The first match is Japan on 7 November. Prices and sizes move fast once the weather turns, so if a jacket here fits the plan, buy it a week out and wear it in.