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203cm, 23 stone Will Skelton is dwarfed by his younger brothers
Giant Wallaby second row Will Skelton – one of the largest professional rugby players in the sport – says he is dwarfed by his two younger brothers.
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The 6’8 Skelton has regained some of the weight he lost at Saracens and is now tipping the scales between 145kg to 150kg. The 29-year-old is a big body, even in a position that has traditionally favoured outsized humans.
Yet it may surprise some that he’s not even the biggest rugby-playing member of his family. The hulking Aussie told Le French Rugby Pod that he is in fact the smallest of three brothers.
It sounds like a bizarre claim, not least given when he arrived at Saracens for his second stint at the club, he was around 15kg heavier than the heaviest player in the league’s history (Biyi Alo at 143kg).
‘When I first went on loan at the club (Saracens). I got a taste of what it was like. I played eight games for the club. I played in Europe which was cool. I played against Sale. We played Scarlets too, which was a bit of a different experience. I think I was about 140.”
When he returned to the London club for a second stint he had gained a significant about of weight.
“I’d signed for two years, but I’d broken my arm a month before I had to be in England.
“So I hadn’t done any training, had all the excuses; straight off the flight, put on 6kgs from the flight, all the business class food,” laughed Skelton. “I was all the water retention I think. I jumped on [the scales] at almost 160, I think”.
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160kg equates to about 25 stone 3 pounds or 352Ibs, 7kgs north of France tighthead Uini Atonio.
“They were like ‘Ohhh, wow. That’s not going to be play on”.
“I’ve still got a great relationship with the trainers and the coaches. We just went to work that first season. I was pretty injury prone and I broke my arm again. It wasn’t a specific regime. It was just what they had at the time. Just train harder and try to get back to where I was before I left”.
He would eventually get down to about 125kgs at his lightest in London, weight he has largely regained since moving to Top 14, where giant forwards are still favoured.
“ROG [Ronan O’Gara] hates when I’m too heavy. I’m sitting around the same, around 145kg and 150kg I try to float. I try to stay as light as I can.
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“I was talking to [former England prop] Kieran Brookes, after we played them [Toulon] at home the first time. I didn’t really know him that well. I played against him when he was played for Wasps and Northampton.
“Funnily, when you see somebody that’s a foreigner, you like gravitate towards them. You’re like ‘Hey man, how’s the family’ and I’d like never met this guy before. But I was speaking to him and he’s like ‘Mate, I’ve actually lost weight’. I was like ‘Mate, how do you lose weight?’.
“I think they’re doing 8Ks down in Toulon, before they let go of their coach before. That’ll do it.”
Yet the colossus isn’t the biggest member of the Skelton household.
“I’ve got two younger brothers, Cameron and Logan. They’re 27 and 22 this year. I’m the smallest in the family.
“Cam is about 6’11 and Logan, the baby, is about 7’2. So they’re big boys.
“He’s [Logan] is huge. I get bullied when I go home,” quipped Skelton, who wears size 18 to 19 shoes. “Logan stopped playing [rugby] when he was quite young. He wasn’t really into it. It was mainly me and Cam playing a lot. It just wasn’t his thing.
'Tah's lock Will Skelton's brother. He's 13. RT @JIP2EZY Met this unit today. I'm 5'11 & Big Logan is 6'9 pic.twitter.com/wjHt3PA25D
— Ben Coles (@bencoles_) April 16, 2014
“Cameron is still trying to get there. He’s just got married a month ago, so he’s trying to get back on the field. He’s played Waikato, Counties NPC and he’s slowly trying to get back into good shape to play some high level rugby.
“They were really good players growing up, Cam especially. He had a contract with the Tah [Waratahs] with me back in 2014/15. He almost wanted to split to make his own way and he headed over to New Zealand.
https://twitter.com/KingBiyela/status/532568055772381185
“It could have been him and me as the locks at the Tahs, which would have been pretty cool.”
Podcast co-host and former Scotland back row Johnnie Beattie suggested Cameron ‘surely’ could pick up a contract in France.
“I’ll try to get him to La Rochelle. Our lineout will definitely only be four or five man!”
Asics provided a specially made rugby size 19 boot for Skelton, even though he claims to only be size 18.
“I think it like 53 or 54 in European sizes. Cam and Logan have bigger feet than me. I think Cam gets really nice shoes and tries to squeeze in.
“I remember when I was younger my cousins used to say ‘Mate, just cut your toes off. You’ll be size 14.”
His smaller La Rochelle teammates prank Skelton by putting their shoes inside his.
“Uini and Victor [Vito] know my struggles. Victor has about a size 15 too.”
Comments on RugbyPass
9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to comments