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10 of the most monstrous specimens at the World Rugby U20 Championship
By Ian Cameron
If you wanted evidence of the increasing size of players entering the ranks of professional rugby, you don't have to go to far. The World Rugby U20 Championship which is currently being played out in Georgia has some giant specimens on show.
In many respects it's hardly surprising, as the bulk of players competing for Tier 1 sides in the competition are attached to professional sides: be it as part of an academy, on the verge of signing fully professional contracts, or some in cases fully fledged professionals already competing at the top level for their clubs. Both Kirwin Bosch at the Sharks and Zach Mercer at Bath spring to mind.
A few years short years ago if an U20s player tipped the scales at 130kg, it would have drawn considerable attention. Now - while not quite the norm - these monstrous teens are certainly more common place.
The tournament was in fact denied it's largest specimen. 6'4, 145kg Vaauli Faamausili (that's nearly 23 stone in old money) was part of the Wallabies U20s who competed in the Oceania U20s competition last month. The Rebels U20s giant is not however part of the squad that is competing in Georgia.
Yet he would not have been the only huge specimen at the tournament. Here's a run down of the tournament's largest man-children.
Argentina
Lucas Martin Paulos Adler
Lock
199cm
123kg
Australia
Gavin Luka
Prop
188cm
132kg
France
Daniel Brennan
Prop
192cm
130kg
France
Georges-Henri Colombe Reazel
193cm
133kg
New Zealand
Alex Falani Fidow
Prop
187cm
128kg
Samoa
Suetena Asomua
Lock
197cm
125kg
Scotland
Fergus Bradbury
Prop
193cm
129kg
Scotland
Adam Scott Nicol
Prop
185cm
129kg
South Africa
Carlu Johann Sadie
Prop
180cm
126kg
South Africa
Gerhardus Steenkamp
Prop
194cm
128kg
Wales
Prop
Rhys Michael Timothy Carre
190cm
128kg
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Latest Comments
Disagree.
The challenge for the All Blacks now that they have 7 of 8 starting forwards locked in and all but one bench forward (only one loose forward and bench loosie to settle on) is to sort out the starting backline as only 9 Roigard, 12 J. Barrett, 11 Clarke and 15 Jordan had good to outstanding seasons in 2024. All the other backs were inconsistent or poor and question marks going into 2025.
Go to commentshe should not be playing 12. He should be playing 10 and team managers should stop playing players out of position to accommodate libbok.
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