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Heavy-hitters: All 10 Premiership squads by weight, height and age
By Ian Cameron
As the Gallagher Premiership season approaches we take a look at the physical makeup of each of the league’s ten sides.
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The tale of the tape shows a not insignificant gap in size and shape with the average height and weight of the heaviest and tallest; and the lightest and shortest, varying by as much as 5kg and 5cm a man respectively.
Squad age varies with Sale Sharks the youngest at 24.5 years, while Bristol Bears bring experience to the table this season with the oldest average age – 27.1 years.
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It’s also interesting to note that Gallagher Premiership squads are heavier than their URC counterparts [who we analysed last week], the latter weighing 104.18kg per player on average – a kg and a half or so lighter than the 105.8 kg average for the Gallagher Premiership.
The Premiership squads are also taller, averaging 188cm [6’2] compared to 186.4cm for the URC.
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:
10. Bath
Last season’s Gallagher Premiership finalists are the lightest squad this season and also one of the youngest at 24.57 years of age on average as this article is published.
Average age: 24.57 years
Average height: 188 cm
Average weight: 102.86 kg
Tallest player: Harvey Cuckson & Jacques Du Plessis – 201 cm
Heaviest player: Thomas Du Toit – 136 kg
Oldest player: Louis Schreuder – 34 years
League finish last time out: 2nd
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9. Bristol
The shortest and oldest squad in the league and the second lightest, Pat Lam seems to be favouring experience and mobility over bulk for the 2024/25 campaign.
Average age: 27.1 years
Average height: 185.4 cm
Average weight: 103.95 kg
Tallest player: Joe Batley & Joe Owen – 200 cm
Heaviest player: Sam Grahamslaw, Viliame Mata – 125 kg
Oldest player: Max Lahiff, AJ MacGinty, Yann Thomas – 34 years
League finish last time out: 5th
8. Gloucester
George Skivington’s squad have an average height of 187.3kg and an average weight of 104.3kg.
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Average age: 26.4 years
Average height: 187.3 cm
Average weight: 104.3 kg
Tallest player: Arthur Clark – 201 cm
Heaviest player: Alfie Petch – 128 kg
Oldest player: Kirill Gotovtsev – 37 years
League finish last time out:
7. Sale Sharks
Alex Sandersons’ Salford-based side is the youngest squad in the Gallagher Premiership this coming season and they are slightly lighter than the average roster.
Average age: 24.5 years
Average height: 188.2 cm
Average weight: 104.8 kg
Tallest player: Alex Groves & Ben Bamber – 207 cm
Heaviest player: Le Roux Roets – 138 kg
Oldest player: Waisea Nayacalevu – 34 years
League finish last time out: 3rd
6. Saracens
While traditionally one of the league’s figurative heavyweights, they’re mid-table in terms of body weight and also one of the shorter squads in the competition at 186.9cm.
Average age: 27.0 years
Average height: 186.9 cm
Average weight: 105.4 kg
Tallest player: Nick Isiekwe – 201 cm
Heaviest player: Rhys Carré – 132 kg
Oldest player: Alex Goode – 36 years
League finish last time out:4th
5. Harlequins
One of the shorter sides [a good 4cm shorter per athlete shorter than Nortampton]. They’ll be looking to improve on their sixth-place finish last time out after winning the competition in 2021.
Average age: 26.3 years
Average height: 186.1 cm
Average weight: 105.8 kg
Tallest player: Stephan Lewies – 201 cm
Heaviest player: Titi Lamositele – 132 kg
Oldest player: Danny Care – 37 years
League finish last time out: 6th
4. Newcastle Falcons
The second-oldest team in the league will be looking to improve on last year’s abysmal campaign where they failed to win a single game. They don’t lack for bulk with an average weight of 16 stone 10Ibs.
Average age: 27.0 years
Average height: 187.6 cm
Average weight: 106.3 kg
Tallest player: Kiran McDonald & Sebastian de Chaves – 203 cm
Heaviest player: Luan De Bruin – 128 kg
Oldest player: Philip van der Walt – 35 years
League finish last time out: 10th
Leicester Tigers
No surprise that the traditionally forward-orientated Tigers are one of the heaviest and tallest squads in the Gallagher Premiership. Michael Cheika is also fond of heavyweight sides, having a penchant for bigger units when he was head coach at the Waratahs, so don’t be surprised if Leicester top this list this time next year.
Average age: 26.5 years
Average height: 189.1 cm
Average weight: 107.0 kg
Tallest player: Tom Manz – 203 cm
Heaviest player: Joe Heyes – 126 kg
Oldest player: Mike Brown – 39 years
League finish last time out: 8th
Northampton Saints
Phil Dowson’s Premiership champs are the tallest in the league at around 6’3 a player and the second heaviest at 107.4kg [16st 13Ibs] coincidentally pretty much the exact same stats as Dowson when he was a player.
Average age: 25.1 years
Average height: 190.3 cm
Average weight: 107.4 kg
Tallest player: Alex Coles – 207 cm
Heaviest player: George Smith – 138 kg
Oldest player: Elliot Millar-Mills & Trevor Davison – 32 years
League finish last time out: 1st
Exeter Chiefs
Rob Baxter is entering the second year of his Exeter Chiefs rebuild and he’s certainly building for size. This season’s squad is the heaviest [17 stone] and the second tallest in the league as they look to compete once again at the top of the table. They also have the heaviest player in the comp in prop Josh Iosefa-Scott, who weighs 22 stone.
Average age: 25.4 years
Average height: 189.4 cm
Average weight: 108.3 kg
Tallest player: Eoin O’Connor – 204 cm
Heaviest player: Josh Iosefa-Scott – 140 kg
Oldest player: Jack Yeandle – 34 years
League finish last time out: 7th
All we’ve used to stats from all.rugby to calculate each squad size.
you missed the first digit in Mike Brown's age
“…coincidentally pretty much the exact same stats as Dowson when he was a player.” That cracked me up. I’m guessing that the Eggchasers guys are going to enjoy these stats, if they notice this article!