Elite female rugby player characteristics
We’re thrilled to share the insights of Omar Hayward, England U20s Lead S&C over the next few months. This is the second in a series of articles written by Omar which tackle some important topics in women’s rugby right now.
In this part in our series we discuss the characteristics of female rugby players as seen in the research. This helps provides some benchmarks for players to compare themselves against to help develop athletically and target specific areas of improvement.
Omar writes:
There are many factors that determine success at the top level. Some of these factors are in your control, and others are not. Developing your physical profile is entirely in your control.
A 2020 study [1] investigated the anthropometric characteristics of elite level female rugby union players and examined differences between forwards and backs. They found that forwards were taller, heavier, and possessed greater skinfolds and body fat than backs. A breakdown of anthropometrics are shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1. Anthropometrics of elite female rugby union players
Forwards Backs
Height
176cm 167cm
Body Mass
94kg 73kg
Skinfolds (sum of 8)
128mm 94mm
Body Fat
27% 21%
A review of physical performance characteristics of female rugby sevens players was conducted in 2019 [2]. They found a small statistical difference in top speed and bench press between forwards and backs. The breakdown of physical performance measures are shown in Table 2 below.
Table 2. Physical performance characteristics of rugby sevens players
Forwards Backs
Max Speed
7.86m·s-1 8.06m·s-1
Jump Height
37.5cm 38.4cm
Front Squat 1RM
84.5kg 82.5kg
Bench Press 1RM
68.8kg 61.8kg
These are reference values; it’s important to understand that even at the elite level, there is variability in scores between players and squads.
References
[1] Posthumus, L., Macgregor, C., Winwood, P., Tout, J., Morton, L., Driller, M. and Gill, N., 2020. The Physical Characteristics of Elite Female Rugby Union Players. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), p.6457.
[2] Sella, F.S., McMaster, D.T., Beaven, C.M., Gill, N.D. and Hébert-Losier, K., 2019. Match demands, anthropometric characteristics, and physical qualities of female rugby sevens athletes: a systematic review. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 33(12), pp.3463-3474.
View previous part: Optimal Training Schedules for female rugby players.