Share

Rugby's secret? Supersize me!

Paris - Rugby fans who say the modern game is being dominated more and more by heftier players and pumped iron can point to scientific evidence to back their case.

Teams with the tallest backs and heaviest forwards are the likeliest to win the Rugby World Cup, according to a study by French researchers published on Tuesday.

Adrien Sedeaud of the Institute of Sports Biomedicine and Epidemiology in Paris collected data for the age, weight and height for 2 692 players who took part in World Cup matches between 1987 and 2007, and compared this with their team's performance.

The players were divided into 1 457 forwards and 1 235 backs.

Throughout the 20-year period under study, the weight of all players progressively increased by more than 6.6kg. In height, forwards were 0.6cm taller over 20 years, and backs 1.09cm.

But the difference was startling among the teams that reached the quarters, semis and finals.

On average, forwards and backs among these high-performing sides were some 2kg heavier than the other teams.

Their backs were taller by around 2cm, although there was little height difference among forwards.

Bigger did not mean fatter, though. A more intense training regime and rigorous nutritional regime led to more muscle, for speed and strength, over the two decades.

The change to bigness began with the advent of professionalism in 1995, which created a more high-intensity sport with more rucks, mauls and tackles per game among its forwards, says the paper.

Yet the more mobile game has also required greater endurance and speed among its backs, it says.

"The maximisation of builds and the quest for 'supersizes' are inherent to international-level rugby as in other sports," it says.

The 2011 Cup, which is not covered in the study, had a final with two teams that were almost identical in terms of pack weight.

France's forwards weighed 903kg, and New Zealand's 902kg. New Zealand edged France by a single point, 8-7.

Even so, size is not everything.

Winning teams also had more collective experience among their forwards, determined as the percentage of players who had played in previous World Cups. In teams who hoisted the trophy, this was nearly 40 percent, compared with under 32 percent for other teams.

"Collective experience of forwards gives a clear advantage during phases of collective combat," says the paper, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. "The art of working together, sharing the action either on offence or defence, is the essence of rugby."

Only four teams - New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and England - have ever won the global trophy, an elite group that indicates that there are intangible factors in success, says Sedeaud.

"Winning teams in a Rugby World Cup may also owe their victory to their nation's economic, historical, political and technological investment in this sport."
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1272 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
30% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2241 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE