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Heavy-hitters: All 16 URC squads by average weight and height
By Ian Cameron
As a new United Rugby Championship (URC) season approaches, we take a closer look at the physical makeup of the 16 sides competing for silverware.
While the average height and weight of a squad might not automatically mean any given matchday 23 will follow suit, it does give a rough gauge of the athletes being put to work by head coaches and recruiters at each side and - moreover - give an insight into of the size of modern professional rugby athletes.
The below squads' statistics should be read in context of course: with a roster favouring a higher ratio of forwards to backs in terms of personnel likely to be taller and heavier than one that has a higher proportion of backs etc
The sides are listed from lightest to heaviest:
16. Ospreys
Maybe appropriate given their avian moniker, the Ospreys squad are the lightest squad in the URC at just under 102 kg. Their average height is 186cm.
Average weight: 101.98kg
Average height: 186cm
Heaviest player: James Fender - 125 kg
Tallest player: James Fender - 204cm
League finish last time out: 8th
15. Lions Rugby
While they have the heaviest player in the league at 153kg (over 24 stone), the Lions are the second-lightest team operating in the competition. Their average height is 186cm and their average weight is a smidge over 102kg.
Average weight: 102.09kg
Average height: 186cm
Heaviest player: Asenathi Ntlabakanye - 153kg
Tallest player: Reinhard Nothnagel - 202cm
League finish last time out: 9th
14. Connacht
In keeping with the Irish province's image as a fast-paced and mobile side, the average height of the Westerners is 186cm and the average weight is approximately 102.23 kg.
Average weight: 102.23kg
Average height: 186cm
Heaviest player: Temi Lasisi - 125kg
Tallest player: Darragh Murray - 201cm
League finish last time out: 11th
13. Vodacom Bulls
Despite Jake White's Bulls being one of the most physically imposing teams in the league, the average for the overall team roster is surprisingly below the URC average in both height and weight.
Average weight: 102.86kg
Average height: 186cm
Heaviest player: Wilco Louw - 130kg
Tallest player: Ruan Nortjé, Janko Swanpoel and Deon Slabbert; all 200cm
League finish last time out: 2nd
12. Cardiff Rugby
Matt Sherratt's Cardiff - who finished 12th in the league last season - are also the 12th heaviest team in the comp.
Average weight: 103.24kg
Average height: 185cm
Heaviest player: Will Davies-King - 128kg
Tallest player: Seb Davies - 203cm
League finish last time out: 12th
11. Munster
Those who have kept on Munster's statistics down through the years will know that - maybe contrary to perception - they've traditionally favoured relatively lightweight squads - their forward packs especially. However, the contemporary Munster squad - who finished on the regular season table in 2023/24 - is pretty middle of the road with an average of 103.3kg per player.
Average weight: 103.28kg
Average height: 187cm
Heaviest player: Oli Jager - 127 kg
Tallest player: Thomas Ahern - 206cm
League finish last time out: 1st
10. Scarlets:
The Llanelli-based side are second heaviest of the Welsh regional sides at 103.56kg, with an average height of 187cm.
Average weight: 103.56kg
Average height: 187cm
Heaviest player: Carwyn Tuipulotu - 125 kg
Tallest player: Max Douglas - 201cm
League finish last time out: 13th
9. Zebre Parma
They may be the tournament whipping boys but it's not for a lack of mass at least. The average weight of the Zebre Parma player is 104.27 kilograms.
Average weight: 104.27kg
Average height: 186cm
Heaviest player: Ion Neculai - 135kg
Tallest player: Dylan De Leeuw - 203cm
League finish last time out: 16th
8. Dragons RFC
The average height of Dai Flanagan's squad is approximately 186cm and the average weight is 104.78 kg.
Average weight: 104.78kg
Average height: 186cm
Heaviest player: Chris Coleman - 130kg
Tallest player: Steven Cummins - 202cm
League finish last time out: 15th
7. Edinburgh Rugby
The average height of the Edinburgh squad member is around 187cm and the average weight is 104.74 kg.
Average weight: 104.74kg
Average height: 187cm
Heaviest player: D'Arcy Rae - 125kg
Tallest player: Rob Carmichael - 210cm
League finish last time out: 10th
6. Benetton Rugby
The beefy Italian side renowned for their forward-orientated approach to the sport weighed in on average of just under 105kg and stand 186cm in height.
Average weight: 104.95
Average height: 186cm
Heaviest player: Riccardo Genovese - 126kg
Tallest player: Gideon Koegelenberg - 202cm
League finish last time out: 7th
5. Ulster
The Northern province are just half a kilo lighter than the heaviest Irish side (Leinster), averaging 105kg a man across their roster.
Average weight: 105.03kg
Average height: 187cm
Heaviest player: Marty Moore - 126kg
Tallest player: Cormac Izuchukwu - 201cm
League finish last time out: 6th
4. DHL Stormers
The Stormers team are the second heaviest of the South African URC franchises at 105.1kg and an average height of 186cm.
Average weight: 105.1kg
Average height: 186cm
Heaviest player: Frans Malherbe - 141kg
Tallest player: Adré Smith - 201cm
League finish last time out: 5th
3. Leinster
Often credited as one of the fittest and leanest in European rugby, the Irish heavy hitters are the tallest squad in the league and the third heaviest at 105.4kg.
Average weight: 105.4kg
Average height: 188cm
Heaviest player: RG Snyman - 130kg
Tallest player: RG Snyman - 207cm
League finish last time out: 3rd
Glasgow Warriors:
The URC champs clock in as one of the heaviest sides in the league, with an average height of 187cm and an average weight of 106.25 kg.
Average weight: 106.25kg
Average height: 187cm
Heaviest player: JP du Preez - 130kg
Tallest player: JP du Preez - 208cm
League finish last time out: 4th
Cell C Sharks:
The Sharks are the literal heavyweights of the URC despite their poor showing last time out. This season's squad averaged a whopping 107.1kg and, in fact, last season's Sharks, who won the Challenge Cup but struggled in the URC, were even heavier at a staggering 109.63kg [A figure not far off the average NFL franchise]. The exit of 127kg Springbok prop Coenie Oosthuizen through retirement and 138kg lock Le Roux Roets to Sale Sharks [among others] brought down the average for this season.
Average weight: 107.11kg
Average height: 187cm
Heaviest player: IG Prinsloo - 139kg
Tallest player: Jason Jenkins - 203cm
League finish last time out: 14th
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Latest Comments
Special player. The full set.
Go to comments“He won a ECL and a domestic treble at the beginning of his career.”
He won 2 ECLs at the beginning of his career (2009, 2011). Since then he’s won 1 in 15 years.
“He then won 3 leagues on the bounce later in his career”
He won 3 leagues on the bounce at the start of his career too - (2009, 2010, 2011).
If we’re judging him by champions league wins, he peaked in his late 30s, early 40s. If we’re judging him by domestic titles he’s stayed pretty consistent over his career. If we’re judging him by overall win rate he peaked at Bayern, and was better at Barcelona than at City. So no, he hasn’t gotten better by every measure.
“You mentioned coaches were older around the mid-2010’s compared to the mid-2000’s. Robson was well above the average age you’ve given for those periods even in the 90’s when in his pomp.”
Robson was 63-64 when he was at Barcelona, so he wasn’t very old. But yeah, he was slightly above the average age of 60 I gave for the top 4 premier league coaches in 2015, and quite a bit above the averages for 2005 and 2025.
“Also, comparing coaches - and their experiences, achievements - at different ages is unstable. It’s not a valid way to compare and tends to torpedo your own logic when you do compare them on equal terms. I can see why you don’t like doing it.”
Well my logic certainly hasn’t been torpedoed. Currently the most successful premier league coaches right now are younger than they were ten years ago. You can throw all the nuance at it that you want, but that fact won’t change. It’s not even clear what comparing managers “on equal terms” would even mean, or why it would be relevant to anything I’ve said.
“You still haven’t answered why Kiss could be a risker appointment?”
Because I’ve been talking to you about football managers. If you want to change the subject then great - I care a lot more about rugby than I do football.
But wrt Kiss, I don’t agree that 25 years experience is actually that useful, given what a different sport rugby was 25 years ago. Obviously in theory more experience can never be a bad thing, but I think 10 years of coaching experience is actually more than enough these days. Erasmus had been a coach for 13 years when he got the SA top job. Andy Farrell had been a coach for 9 when he got the Ireland job. I don’t think anyone would say that either of them were lacking in experience.
Now - what about coaches who do have 25+ years experience? The clearest example of that would be Eddie Jones, who started coaching 31 years ago. He did pretty well everywhere he worked until around 2021 (when he was 61), when results with England hit a sharp decline. He similarly oversaw a terrible run with Australia, and currently isn’t doing a great job with Japan.
Another example is Warren Gatland, who also started coaching full-time 31 years ago, after 5 years as a player-coach. Gatland did pretty well everywhere he went until 2020 (when he was 56), when he did a relatively poor job with the Chiefs, before doing a pretty poor job with the Lions, and then overseeing a genuine disaster with Wales. There are very few other examples, as most coaches retire or step back into lesser roles when they enter their 60s. Mick Byrne actually has 34 years experience in coaching (but only 23 years coaching in rugby) and at 66 he’s the oldest coach of a top 10 side, and he’s actually doing really well. He goes to show that you can continue to be a good coach well into your 60s, but he seems like an outlier.
So the point is - right now, Les Kiss looks like a pretty reliable option, but 5 years ago so did Eddie Jones and Warren Gatland before they went on to prove that coaches often decline as they get older. If Australia want Kiss as a short term appointment to take over after Schmidt leaves in the summer, I don’t think that would be a terrible idea - but NB wanted Kiss as a long term appointment starting in 2027! That’s a massive risk, given the chance that his aptitude will begin to decline.
Its kind of analagous to how players decline. We know (for example) that a fly-half can still be world class at 38, but we also know that most fly-halves peak in their mid-to-late 20s, so it is generally considered a risk to build your game plan around someone much older than that.
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