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A note, not only are players bigger, but faster and with greater levels of endurance, meanwhile the field dimensions and off-side rules stay the same.
No wonder we now have defensive orientated sport.
As rugby grows up, so do the players
Julie Robotham Medical Editor, SMH
Monday, May 14, 2007
THEY do not just look bigger; they really are bigger. Your average Bledisloe Cup forward is now nine kilograms heavier than a player in the same position a decade ago, while backs have stacked on 12 kilograms and three centimetres in height, according to analysis of New Zealand rugby players' vital statistics.
Since rugby union went professional in 1995 there had been a premium on tall, bulky players who could withstand the game's extra speed and contact, said Ken Quarrie, who conducted the study.
It means the likes of the Wallabies Nathan Sharpe (200 centimetres and 115 kilograms) and Wycliff Palu (194 centimetres and 120 kilograms) are no longer the exception but the rule.
Mr Quarrie, who is the manager of research and injury prevention for the New Zealand Rugby Union, said player size was evolving along the lines of Charles Darwin's theory.
"There are a set of constraints, and within that you want to be as successful as possible," he said. "Their physiques are altering to match the demands of the game."
A rule introduced in 1997 that allows uninjured players to be substituted meant "the average time on the field per player has dropped away", he said. That was good news for heavier players, who used to be disadvantaged by the extra load on their hearts after prolonged play.
Another change intended to speed up the resolution of mauls - which spectators find boring - had also intensified the game.
"It's worthwhile people remembering that a [rule] change made for one reason can have unintended consequences," Mr Quarrie said.
The average weight of backs had risen from 83.4 kilograms in 1995 to 95.7 kilograms in 2004, while their height increased from 180.3 centimetres to 182.9 centimetres, according to Mr Quarrie's survey, published in the Journal of Sports Sciences last week. The weight of forwards increased from 102 kilograms to 111 kilograms, although their height was unchanged.
Scott Johnson, the attack coach for the Wallabies, said elite players were being recruited younger and reaching their physical peak - including maximum weight - earlier.
But the team's highest-paid player, Matt Giteau, was among the smallest at 178 centimetres and 85 kilograms. "Some of the real superstars are bucking the trend," Mr Johnson said.
Maciej Henneberg, the head of anatomical sciences at Adelaide University's school of medicine, said the selection of more players of Pacific Islander background might partly explain the average weight change, as they tended to have wider frames for their height. Intensive body building could increase weight because muscle was more dense than other tissue.