International Rugby
Study claims size equals success
ESPNscrum Staff
February 21, 2012
Bulls back-row Pierre Spies is put through his paces in pre-season training, Loftus Versveld, Pretoria, South Africa, November 30, 2011
Does size equal success in rugby? © Getty Images
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A study has claimed that having a side including tall backs and heavy forwards is most likely to claim rugby's biggest prize.

Adrien Sedeaud of the Institute of Sports Biomedicine and Epidemiology in Paris has collected data for the age, weight and height for just over 2,500 players who took part in World Cup matches between 1987 and 2007, and compared this with their team's performance. The conclusions state - from the 1,457 forwards and 1,235 backs, that the weight and height of the players have both increased over the past 20 years.

And on average, forwards and backs among the successful sides were around the two kilogram's mark heavier than other sides. And their backs were slightly taller as well. Both stats seem to align with the notion that rugby has become much more gym-focused over the years.

And experience is also integral to success, according to the study. Winning teams also had more collective familiarity among their forwards, with 40% of the pack in World Cup-winning sides having experience of the tournament in previous years than the 32% in those teams who failed to clasp the William Webb Ellis Cup.

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

"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.''

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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