The sizes are ordered from low to high, Scrumhalves and locks are the shortest and tallest players respectively. The exceptions are scrumhalves, who are usually the shortest players in every team there are exceptions, of course.
The average for scrumhalves in rugby is two inches shorter than running backs. In contrast, locks in rugby are an average of one inch higher than offensive linesmen. But we should also take the average male height in the United States into account.
Before I looked this up, I assumed that Americans would be taller than Europeans. But I wonder if the wider diversity of the United States is a factor in this comparison. Unlike other sports, people of Asian heritage are less likely to play in the NFL.
Lock forwards are the tallest players in rugby. But as they are the tallest players, they are the main jumpers. There is another position on the rugby field where short players have had a long history of success, the wing. Even though the modern winger is starting to resemble number 8s of past generations, there is still room in modern professional rugby for the short and explosive winger who has so much acceleration and an electric step that they are capable of leaving any player eating a mouthful of grass.
Two of the best short wingers in rugby are Cheslin Kolbe who stands at 5ft 7 and Sergeal Petersen who is 5ft 7. The South African duo may not be intimidating anyone during a staredown but they more than make up for it with their mouth watering pace. The two speedsters have left many professional rugby players looking silly as they have effortlessly sprinted past their much larger opponents en route to long range tries.
Being tall is an important part of rugby. Rugby players need height to allow them to build big muscular frames and to maximise their speed and agility. The average professional rugby player is 6ft 1 and the average forward is 6ft 2. If you are short your best chance at playing high level rugby is on the wing where speed and agility can make up for any lack of height.
Or at scrum half which is the one position on the rugby pitch where height is a detriment, with the average scrum half standing at 5ft 9. NFL training camp is a critical time of the year where teams figure out which players will make their starting lineup and get their athletes ready to compete during the season.
In this article we are Playing rugby can actually make you lose fat and muscle mass. Personally, I started my life in senior rugby at fly-half in level 5 rugby in England. At that time I was around 85 kilos and 17 years of age. Fast forward to my early twenties I was a centre and weighed in at 90 odd kilos. So, really my weight and position have been clearly linked. Rugby players need to be big because the demands of their position requires that of them. For example, the number 8 in the forwards is expected to be a big ball carrier and will often pick the ball up from a static position at the base of a scrum and have to run directly at and through opponents.
Clearly, the bigger the number 8 is, then the easier it will be for them to cross the gain line and provide an attacking platform for their team. The second reason for rugby players being so big is simply for defensive purposes.
Some positions are regularly required to tackle opposition forwards who are running at them, this requires considerable size, bravery and technique if they are to be effective. Thirdly, genetics and training. There are some amazing, naturally big athletes from the pacific islands who when they follow the correct training regime and diet experience massive muscular gains that mere mortals like myself probably never could, Rupeni Caucaunibuca being one of my favourite.
The world of protein drinks and power shakes is now within the reach of the average guy in the street and so anyone can make gains in muscle and get bigger with the correct amount of discipline and the correct type of training programme, so improved product supplementation is another reason rugby players are big.
Typically, a rugby lock is around 1. Their large frames and long limbs are incredibly useful at lineout and scrum time. Locks tend to be some of the heaviest players on the field.
This can be the case purposefully, or just as a function of their vast bone structures. An average weight for a top-level lock is around kg lbs. The 4 and 5 locks in rugby have very similar roles. However, in some teams their different skill sets can give them different core responsibilities. Think Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha:. Victor Matfield was the undisputed king of the lineout and made it his duty to disrupt opposition ball at whenever it was sensible to do so. Bakkies, on the other hand, was the enforcer, the hard man.
He smashed into every ruck and tackle as if his life depended on it, making the opposition hesitate to go anywhere near him. But sometimes, he went too far:. You can mould yourself into either one of these roles as a rugby lock: A lineout specialist or an enforcer.
Lineout specialists typically carry less weight and can come in at around kg. The enforcers are usually bulkier and fall in the kg range. Your choice. Explosive strength is key for a rugby lock. The speed at which you can get off the ground and into the air at lineout time has a dramatic effect on the number of balls you will take cleanly. Squatting is a key strength-builder for locks, as it is for all rugby players.
Long levers for legs make it hard for rugby locks to pile on massive amounts of weight on the bar.
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