Rugby World Cup 2015

Thank you to Drew Griffiths for providing the following guest post on Matt Swaz Fitness on the current Rugby World Cup 2015 . It's an interesting and informative read and discusses Speed, Size, Height, Power, Endurance etc of rugby players.

So far in the Rugby World Cup 2015, there have been some exciting matches, some big hits and one huge upset already; Japan’s historic win over South Africa. Replacement Karne Hesketh scored in the 84th minute of the match, to grab a dramatic and historic victory for the Japanese team at the end of an enthralling encounter.

When the match kicked off on Saturday, the Springboks were ranked as the 3rd best team in the world, and Japan were huge underdogs, having not won a game in a Rugby World Cup tournament since they beat Zimbabwe 52-8 in the pool stage, back in 1991. To say this was an amazing win is an understatement!
Size; it’s what you do with it that counts…

Physically, the Japanese are the smallest team in the tournament, and their win is therefore a great example of how rugby player size and strength is important, but far from the be all and end all when it comes to international rugby. Skill, tactics, and additional physical attributes like speed and endurance are arguably equal, if not more important, than stature alone. Here are some of the more interesting statistics about rugby players’ physicals in the international teams.

Height
The Japanese rugby team have an average height of 5ft 11, which is shorter than Australia, Wales, South Africa, Tonga, France, Ireland and Italy who all have an average player height of 6ft 2 inches. The tallest player at the tournament is Ireland’s giant second row Devin Toner at 6ft 10 inches.

Interestingly, in some respects at least, height could be a disadvantage with taller players statistically more likely to give away penalties. That’s great news for the 5ft 10inch, 20 stone Fijian prop Leroy Atalifo .

Average height in 2015 tournament = 6.03 ft

Heavy Weights
Weighing in at 22 stone and 11lbs, France’s Uini Atonio is the heaviest player at the world cup, whilst the heaviest professional rugby player of all time is reported to be fellow Fijian Bill Cavubati, who weighs nearly 26 stone. He is alleged to have bench pressed over 200kg as well, which isn’t difficult to believe considering the size of the man.

Within the current World Cup squad, despite fielding the smallest side, Japan’s heaviest player is 19 stone 3lb Hiroshi Yamashita and the average weight of a player in the Japanese pack, is 17 stone 4lbs.

Research from the National Institute of Sport and Physical Education in France, shows that from 1987 to 2015 there has been an increase in rugby player weight at each World Cup, but this trend has steadily slowed dramatically since 2003. In fact, on average, the England team that play in this year’s tournament are 3lbs lighter than the team that won the tournament in 2003; with many suggesting that the increased speed and pace of the modern game, has made speed and fitness just as important as size and strength.

Speed
In terms of speed, the fastest rugby player in the world is an American by the name of Carlin Isles, who is reputed to be faster over 40 yards than any NFL player, and faster over 20 metres than the great Usain Bolt.

https://youtu.be/y1pEI0kvyBM

In terms of players at this year’s Rugby World Cup USA’s Takudzwa Ngwenya has a 10.5 personal best for the 100 meters and Bryan Habana of South Africa has a personal best of 10.4 seconds. The fastest player on paper however, is Lwazi Mvovo, also of South Africa with a recorded 100m time of 10.32 seconds.

Endurance
It’s difficult of course to measure mental and physical endurance of players; however Japan’s 84th minute try, and Johnny Wilkinson’s Rugby World Cup winning drop goal back in 2003 (scored in extra time), amongst numerous other last-gasp winning scores, suggests that physical and mental endurance are pivotal in terms of last-minute victories and defeats.

Available statistics do suggest however, that the pace and endurance required at the top level of the game is increasing. In 1991 there were 94 tackles and 164 passes in the average world cup game; in 2011 there were an average 197 tackles and 253 passes per game.

Here’s how to increase your own strength, size and endurance…

It’s fair to say that some of the players on display at the World Cup are near super-humans, but if you’re looking to convert yourself into a physical specimen like some of the men listed above; here are some tips…

For increased size and strength, focus on weightlifting with compound movements such as deadlifts, squats and bench presses. You’ll need to lift heavy and eat big. Eat a number of meals throughout the day and consider supplementing with protein and creatine ( http://www.kineticasports.com/whey-protein-c1). It’s important to eat more calories each day than you expend, so it’s important to eat healthy fats and high quality medium or low glycemic carbohydrates.

Endurance training should be made as specific as possible, and equipment such as ‘the prowler’, along with sprints, tabata intervals and kettlebells are ideal for building functional endurance and mental durability. Consider supplementing before and during training with BCAA and use a protein and carbohydrate drink immediately following a game and training to enhance recovery.

Author Bio
Drew Griffiths has a first class degree in Sport & Exercise Science from Loughborough University and a Master’s degree in Exercise & Nutrition from The University of Liverpool. He is a former University Rugby League player, a strength & conditioning enthusiast and an MMA blogger from North Wales.

Thanks to Drew for contributing this article to Matt Swaz Fitness.

High 5,

Matt