The old adage rugby is a position for all shapes and sizes is as true today as it ever was. There is room for big bulky units in the front row forwards, but also, for smaller players to prove their worth in the backs, but, what is the best position for small rugby players?
Scrum half and wing are the best positions for small rugby players. If you are slightly gobby, enjoy telling people what to do, have good ball handling skills and can kick, then you are prime scrum-half material. If you are more about pace and swerves then you would do well on the wing.
Let’s take a look at why being small is somewhat of an advantage in those positions, examples of fantastic small players in those positions and some other options for small players. We shall be talking about the adult game but all of the points remain valid for younger players.
Personally, I started off on the wing and slowly moved into centre, then settled at fly-half for the ‘peak’ of my career before finally giving in and playing back row and second row in vets rugby. Unfortunately, my body shape reflected those positional shifts too! You can read more about the average weight and height of rugby players by position here.
What Position Do Small Rugby Players Play?
Scrum-half
Over the years the best scrum-halves have tended to be shorter, less heavy players. The average size of a UK premiership scrum-half is 1.76m (5ft 9ins) in height and just 84kgs (13st 3lbs), and I’ve played with brilliant scrum-halves who are much smaller.
Peter Stringer who played 76 caps for Ireland was just 1.70m and 73 kg and is a legend of the game. Is pinpoint passing, communication and decision making really set him apart as a great player.
None of those skills that made him a great player are inhibited by being small soif you are a small player then don’t be put off, just work on the skills that can make a difference to your game.
Currently, the best two scrum-halves in the game are New Zealander Aaron Smith, who weighs in at 83kg and 1.81m in height. This guy is supremely fit and his pass from the base of scrums and rucks off both hands is bullet fast.
Antoin Dupont is a french scrum-half whose ability to do something different and to constantly pressure the opposition into mistakes sets him apart. He weighs in at 84kg and 1.74m in height.
Wing
Whilst in the professional era of rugby, post 1995, there has been something of a fascination with big oversized wingers. Much of this is down to the Lomu effect.
Probably the biggest name the game has ever produced his success did much to change perception of what a winger should look like. He weighed in at a ridiculous 125 kg and 1.95m in height.
Lomu apart, there are a whole host of recent and current wingers who play/played international rugby who are absolute world beaters and also small in stature. Lets run through my top three:
Shane Williams – a wonderfully, unpredictable player with a beautifully timed side-step, this guy was poetry in motion and had a habit of conjuring up vital scores for his team.
Jason Robinson – Blessed with incredible pace off the mark, and a bouncing ball side step this guy was electric he made it to the very top in union and league.
Christophe Dominici – Played with such fire, creativity and belief that he always made a lasting impression on anyone who saw him play. A true legend of the game.
The above players were all small yet enjoyed wonderful careers in rugby. Never let your lack of size put you off!
Other Options for Small Players
Scrum-half and wing aren’t the only options for smaller players. In youth rugby and below the professional ranks in senior rugby you can find smaller players in pretty much any position. If you bring enough fight, passion and technique then there is no stopping you really.
Openside flanker is my next best option though. These guys have to fly around the pitch and if they get to the breakdown first they can often secure the ball or gain a turnover, two vital components of the game. Famously, Neil Back the world cup winning open-side flanker was told he was too small for international rugby at 1.78m and 93kilos, but, in the end he went on to make 66 appearances for England.
Surprisingly, props and hookers can often be good places for smaller players, especially if they work on bulking up. Tom Smith was famously a small prop who played for the Briish Lions in the famous 1997 tour of South Africa.
He was 1.78m in height and 101 kg and got the better of the huge South African pack featuring Os Du Randt at 1.90m and 135 kilos playing directly against. Whilst 16 stone is not exactly small it does show that being considerably smaller than your opponents does not have to stop you from winning!
Points of Difference For Small Players
If you are a small player it is easy to feel as though the world is against you, however, nothing could be further from the truth. Here are a few things that the smaller guys can do that the bigger guys can’t do as easily, or at least are opportunities for the smaller guys to excel at:u
Change of Direction
Size does not seem to impact on top speed, so smaller guys have no real advantage here, but where smaller guys do have an advantage is in the change of direction. To be able to hit full speed and then side step, swerve and turn defences inside out is a real point of difference.
One master at this is the South African world cup winning winger 74kg 1.70. To be perfectly honest, nobody can touch him because of this one amazing quality that is only really possible because of his small size.
Ankle Taps
Ok, so the smaller player may lose out in the head on collisions, but, the lower point of gravity and the fact that wings and scrum-halves are often found covering across the back field means that the tap tackle is often a noticeable and necessary part of their weaponry.
The Pick And Go
Smaller players can be devastating around the base of the ruck. With their smaller stature they can almost hide behind the bodies, get through a smaller gap than other players and are usually much quicker than the opposition forwards defending this area. All of this adds up to the pick and go being a real area of strength for smaller players.
Danny Care, the former England scrum-half was particularly effective at this. He often used to come on towards the end of an international when opposing players were tired and his blistering sniping around the ruck would cause all sorts of trouble.
I hope I have given you enough inspiration to not let your lack of size prevent you from getting involved in rugby. It is a great game and welcomes everyone! You might also be interested in our rugby tips for beginners here.
Photo Credits:
Shane Williams scoring a try. Peter Clarke, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons