18 of the biggest specimens at the World Rugby U20s Championship
Today is the second match day at the World Rugby U20 Championship in France. After a big start which included the introduction of the new tackle height trial, six fixtures will be played across three venues.
Interest in the competition is ever increasing, as are the size of the players.
With earlier talent identification taking place players are being enrolled in professional rugby systems earlier and earlier, where they have access to better nutritional management, weight training programmes and lifestyle guidance.
As a result, many are reaching their maximal size potential while they are still at U20s level. Many on the list are already playing professional rugby, while others are coming off the production line physically ready to play at the highest level.
Last year RugbyPass looked at the biggest U20s players in 2017 competition, which you can read here. Two of last year’s list make a repeat appearance this year.
Continue reading below…
The average weight and height of the 18 players on our list is 127kg/20 stone and 193cm/6’4 inches.
Laurence Tominiko
Australia
Club:
Position: Prop
Height: 6’1
Weight: 130kg
Angus Blyth
Australia
Club: Queensland Reds
Height: 6’9
Weight: 116kg
Federico Lavanini
Argentina
Club: Rosario
Position: Lock
Height: 6’7
Weight: 122kg
Comment: Brother of Puma’s lock Tomas.
Joel Kpoku
England
Club: Saracens
Position: Lock
Height: 6’5
Weight: 126kg
Joseph Heyes
England
Club: Leicester Tigers
Position: Prop
Height: 6’2
Weight: 126kg
Ehren Painter
England
Club: Northampton Saints
Position: Prop
Height: 6’4
Weight: 125kg
Ugo Boniface
France
Club: Bayonne
Position: Prop
Height: 6’2
Weight: 127kg
Daniel Brennan
France
Club: Montpellier
Position: Prop
Height: 6’4
Weight: 130kg
Comment: Son of Ireland international Trevor Brennan
Dublin-born adopted-Frenchman Daniel Brennan reacts to that win for the hosts tonight at the #WorldRugbyU20s. pic.twitter.com/GzP1Ik2Cxe
— eir Sport (@eirSport) May 30, 2018
Luka Japaridze
Georgia
Club: Lelo Saracens
Position: Prop
Height: 5’11
Weight: 125kg
Niccolo Cannone
Italy
Club: Cavalieri
Position: Prop/Lock
Height: 6’5
Weight: 122kg
Trevor Hosea
Australia
Club: Melbourne Rebels
Position: Lock
Height: 6’8
Weight: 115kg
Matteo Nocera
Italy
Club: Modena Rugby
Position: Prop
Height: 6’4
Weight: 128kg
Kaliopasi Uluilakepa
New Zealand
Club; Hurricanes
Position: Prop
Height: 6’3
Weight: 145kg
Sione Asi
New Zealand
Club: Manawatu
Position: Prop
Height: 6’1
Weight: 135kg
Asenathi Ntlabakanye
South Africa
Club: NA
Position Prop
Height: 6ft
Weight: 138kg
Will Davis-King
Wales
Pontypridd
Position: Prop
Height: 6’3
Weight: 128kg
Rhys Carre
Wales
Club: Cardiff Blues
Position: Prop
Height: 6’2
Weight: 130kg
Look at how long Alex Donbrandt is in the air for the lineout steal. Great strength and lift from @RhysCarre pic.twitter.com/Bup9AhUq4E
— U20 Rugby (@U20Rugby) February 27, 2017
Ewan Johnson
Scotland
Club: Racing 92
Position: Lock
Height: 6’8
Weight: 118kg
Comments on RugbyPass
Je suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
25 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
25 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
25 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
25 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to comments