Statistics show weights have hugely increased since New Zealand’s Twickenham World Cup win over England 28 years ago
When people talk about the changing shape of rugby union they are not wrong. Statistics compiled by the Guardian have found England and New Zealand players are, on average, between 1st 10lb and 2st (11-13kg) heavier per man compared with their counterparts in their first World Cup meeting in 1991.
While it is well known the switch to professionalism in 1995 prompted advances in fitness and conditioning, the increased weight is increasingly striking. England’s 1991 team, considered big by the standards of the day, weighed 14st 8lb (94.3kg) on average, compared with 16st 6lb (105.8kg) in 2019.
Written by Robert Kitson in Tokyo
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/oct/24/england-new-zealand-weight-rugby-world-cup-semi-final under the title “Heavy duty: England and All Blacks’ weight increase since 1991 a sign of the times | Robert Kitson”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
