Crochet Rugby Ball: A Soft Rugby Ball with Panel Lines
A rounder, fuller oval than an American football, with four panel lines and team stripes. Soft and safe to pass indoors — for rugby fans in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland and South Africa.
Pattern at a glance
US terms- Skill level
- Easy
- Yarn
- Worsted (#4) acrylic in white (35 yd) and two team colours (8 yd each)
- Hook
- 4 mm (G-6)
- Time
- About 2 hours
- Finished size
- About 6 in (15 cm) long
You'll need
- Worsted (#4) white — about 35 yd
- Two team colours — about 8 yd each
- 4 mm (G-6) hook
- Fibrefill
- Stitch marker
- Tapestry needle
In this post
A rugby ball is fuller and more rounded than an American football. In crochet, that means faster increases near the tips: start like a ball (6, then 12), slow to 3 increases per round, then speed up again to 30 stitches. Work 8 straight rounds for the long body and mirror the shaping. Four panel lines and two team stripes make it a rugby ball.
Looking for the pointed American shape? See the crochet American football.
The rest of this post is just below — free, as always.
The ball
- Rnd 1: In white, 6 sc in a magic ring. (6)
- Rnd 2: Inc in each st. (12)
- Rnd 3: (3 sc, inc) × 3. (15)
- Rnd 4: (4 sc, inc) × 3. (18)
- Rnd 5: (2 sc, inc) × 6. (24)
- Rnd 6: (3 sc, inc) × 6. (30)
- Rnds 7–14: Sc in each st. Add the team stripes: 2 rounds of colour A at Rnds 8–9 and 2 of colour B at Rnds 12–13. (30)
- Rnd 15: (3 sc, dec) × 6. (24)
- Rnd 16: (2 sc, dec) × 6. Start stuffing. (18)
- Rnd 17: (4 sc, dec) × 3. (15)
- Rnd 18: (3 sc, dec) × 3. (12)
- Rnd 19: Dec × 6. Stuff firmly and close. (6)
Panel lines
A rugby ball has four panels. With grey or a team colour, surface slip stitch four lines from tip to tip, evenly spaced around the ball (at the 0, 8th, 15th and 23rd stitch of the widest round). Add a small "laces" block of short stitches on one panel if you like the vintage look.
Team colours
| Team | Body | Stripes |
|---|---|---|
| Wallabies | Gold | Green |
| All Blacks | Black | White |
| England | White | Red |
| Ireland | White | Green |
| Springboks | Green | Gold |
Pair it with a team scarf and a bottle holder for match day.
Common questions
What's the difference between a crochet rugby ball and an American football?
A rugby ball is fuller and rounder. In crochet, the rugby ball increases faster near the tips and reaches 30 stitches; the American football increases 3 per round and stops at 24.
Is a crochet rugby ball safe to throw indoors?
Yes. It's soft and light, so kids can pass it around the living room.
How do I make it bigger?
Use chunky yarn on a 6 mm hook for a 10-inch ball, or add another increase round (36) and 2 more straight rounds.
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