Outside Centre - Position Guide
Each rugby union team operates with two centres, an inside centre and an outside centre.
These players are responsible for taking on their opposite number in a head-to-head battle. If they’re successful in their quest and dominate their opposite number, a rugby outside centre can create space and try-scoring opportunities for their teammates; particularly an overlapping winger.
Due to the importance of physical contact in the role, an outside centre in rugby must be an incredibly strong and powerful player who relishes contact. However, they must also be speedy and agile, so that they can exploit gaps. On the defensive end, they must be imposing and impressive tacklers who refuse to give ground.
Think you have what it takes to excel as an outside centre in rugby? Well, read our detailed position guide to find out. Here, we talk you through the basics of the position, the responsibilities of an outside centre on the field and how elite rugby outside centres train.
What is an outside centre?
The outside centre in a game of rugby is a member of the backs. A powerful player and a quick runner, they’re responsible for breaking through defensive lines and providing space for any players outside them.
An integral part of a team’s midfield, they must work in partnership with the inside centre. They stand on the outside of their midfield partner (hence the name) and take responsibility for troubling opposition defences with their speed.
Due to their speed and power, an outside centre will create gaps for their teammates to exploit. When they take the ball, they tend to run in very direct lines. However, their ability to spot gaps makes them incredibly difficult to stop.
In defence, the rugby outside centre is a strong and dynamic tackler who must be more than willing to take contact from oncoming opponents.
Both in defence and attack, outside centres in rugby pride themselves on their ability to read the game.
Other names for an outside centre
Around the world, many rugby positions are known by different names. Although rugby fans from every rugby-playing country will know exactly what you mean if you refer to a player as the outside centre, there are some parts of the world where the outside centre is known merely as the centre.
This is because, in New Zealand, the inside centre is known as the second five-eighth. This term is used because the inside centre plays in a similar way to the fly half, who is known as the first five-eighth.
Due to this, the team only has one centre on the field. As a result, while the inside centre is known as the second five-eighth, the outside centre is known simply as the centre.
What number is an outside centre in rugby?
In a game of rugby union, each player wears a number that corresponds to their position on the pitch. This makes the sport different to others like football, where a player can wear whatever number they like.
In a game of rugby union, the outside centre will always wear the number 13 shirt. They’ll then stand next to their counterpart at inside centre, who wears the number 12 shirt.
What is the average size of an outside centre?
As we’ve mentioned, rugby outside centres need to be strong and physical players who can dominate battles. However, that said, outside centres must not become too big and heavy. This is because they need to be explosive runners who are light on their feet. Due to this, those who play at the outside centre rugby position are continually balancing their need for additional muscle while attempting to remain lean and fast.
At the elite level, the outside centre is usually slightly smaller than the inside centre. Generally speaking, outside centres are around 1.85m (6ft 1 in) tall. They usually also weigh around 95kg (15st).
Due to this, outside centres maintain a dominant and physical presence on the rugby pitch. Although they’re slightly smaller than the forwards, they are usually one of the largest backs on the pitch.
What is the outside centre’s role?
A member of the team’s midfield, whoever is playing in the outside centre rugby position must function as one of the team’s main workhorses. With responsibilities in both attack and defence, they’re an integral part of any team’s success.
On top of this, mistakes the outside centre make usually prove to be costly. This is because they operate in space and usually don’t have teammates close to them to assist them. Due to this, the outside centre must be highly skilled and cool under pressure.
What is the outside centre’s role in scrums?
The outside centre plays a limited role at scrum time. This is because the scrum is the domain of the forwards.
When the scrum forms, the outside centre stands well away from the action and simply occupies space and watches to see how the action unfolds.
If the outside centre’s team emerges with the ball, they must be ready to attack and make the most of the space available as the opposition scrambles to recover and create an effective defensive line.
When their teammates emerge from the scrum with the ball, the scrum half and the fly half will dictate the way the team attacks. If they kick, the outside centre will be charged with chasing and trying to regain possession or containing the opposition player who claims the ball.
If they pass, the outside centre must take the ball and find a gap, or start to run and pass cleverly to a player who is in space. The scrum half may also choose to run with the ball. If this is the case, the outside centre must provide support.
If the opposition emerges from the scrum with the ball, then the outside centre must be ready to defend the space around them. As part of this, they should lock their eyes on their opposite number and be prepared to engage if they make a run. However, the rugby outside centre should also believe in the ability of the players around them and hold their line. If they leave their position to tackle someone else, they’ll leave a gap the opposition can exploit.
What is the outside centre’s role in lineouts?
The outside centre’s role at the lineout is similar to their role at the scrum. They must wait to see how the play develops and then defend or attack as appropriate.
Again, the fly half and the scrum half will determine how the outside centre is involved in the play following a lineout. However, teams often run rehearsed patterns following lineouts, so if you practice properly, you will know exactly what your role involves.
What is the outside centre’s role in open play?
As with many positions on the pitch, the ability to carry the ball is key for the outside centre in rugby. One of the outside centre’s main tasks is getting over the gain line, and they must consistently find ways of beating defenders and getting the ball moving forwards. As part of this, the outside centre must be an incredibly quick player who can then capitalise on even the smallest of gaps.
On top of this, the outside centre must also be able to pass and offload the ball while running at pace. Talented outside centres are usually adept at finding space on the pitch, but once they break the gain line they must also have the ability to put their teammates into great positions to cross the try line.
So, when their team has the ball, the outside centre must be an effective ball carrier who also possesses exceptional handling skills. They must also have the speed to exploit gaps and run into space.
On the defensive side of the ball, the outside centre must continually make good decisions and read the game well. If they can do this, they can ensure they rarely become exposed in open play.
Finally, as well as continually making the right decisions, anyone playing in the outside centre rugby position must also make good one-on-one tackles. As they’re often in isolated positions, they need to both read the play and then execute the tackle in order to prevent the opposition gaining yards.
Notable outside centres
As part of our recent RugbyPass Hall of Fame fan vote, we asked our readers who they thought was the greatest outside centre of all time.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, they told us that Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll should take the crown. He was followed in the voting by All Blacks great Conrad Smith and Springboks giant Danie Gerber.
However, although these historic players gained the most votes, several current stars of the game also garnered attention. They included England’s Manu Tuilagi and Wales star Jonathan Davies.
FAQs
Now you know the basics of playing at the outside centre rugby position. Think you have what it takes to play in this highly-skilled position? Well, read on to discover even more about the roles and responsibilities of the outside centre, including the exercises they do in the gym and tips for improving your game.
What is the difference between an outside centre vs an inside centre?
For a rugby team to play well, the inside centre and the outside centre must form an effective partnership and work cohesively. This is because the midfield pair are integral to a side’s defence. However, although they must work well together, there are a couple of major differences between the inside centre and the outside centre.
While the outside centre tends to be a hard and fast runner that can make the most of any space that appears on the pitch, the skillset of the inside centre is more similar to that of a fly half. Due to this, while the outside centre will carry the ball and make yards, the inside centre will be used as a distributor and as a kicker. That said, the outside centre must also have good hands and the ability to effectively offload the ball to a winger in space.
Overall though, the differences between the two positions aren’t huge and it is possible to play well in both centre positions at an elite level. After all, how both centres operate will depend on a coach’s game plan.
What do outside centres work on at the gym?
As we mentioned, outside centres must balance being strong and powerful with keeping their agility and speed.
If you’re looking to establish yourself as an outside centre, then you must first build a strength base in the gym. This will help you improve your throwing, sprinting and tackling. In order to do this, you should make the bulk of your exercises resistance-based. As part of this, you should try to incorporate cleans, jerks and snatches into your usual workout routine. However, it’s important to balance these exercises with a mixture of sprints and box jumps, so you can maintain your explosiveness.
On top of this, you should also look to add lean muscle mass across your body. Like many other rugby players, a lot of outside centres perform the following exercises in the gym:
- Squats
- Bench-presses
- Pull ups
- Deadlifts
- Shoulder presses
- Wood choppers
- Overhead presses
Finally, an outside centre’s work doesn’t end in the gym. After all, if you want to make it at the top level, then you also need to work on your agility and skills. So, head to the training pitch and work on improving your tackling technique, your running lines and your handling.
Comments on RugbyPass
We will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
2 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
1 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
2 Go to commentsJake White talks more sense than anything I've read in the last 5 years. Hope someone's listening.
9 Go to commentsThe Springboks tried going down the road of only picking home-based players and it was an unmitigated disaster in 2016 and 2017. Picking overseas-based players has been one of the main reason the Boks have done so well since 2018, not only because of the quality Rassie could call on, but because of the knowledge and experience those players brought into camp from England, France and Japan. With some of the big names playing abroad it also gave younger players in SA the chance to break through at franchise level. Would we have seen the emergence of a Ruan Nortje if RG and Lood were still at the Bulls? Not so sure. I understand why Jake would want to block players leaving since his job depends on good results but it’s an approach that would take Bok rugby back to the bad old days and no South African wants to see that.
9 Go to commentsExeter were thumped by 38 points. And they only had to hop on a train.
39 Go to commentsI am De Groot.
1 Go to commentsHad hoped you might write an article on this game, Nick. It’s a good one. Things have not gone as smoothly for ROG since beating Leinster last year at the Aviva in the CC final. LAR had the Top 14 Final won till Raymond Rhule missed a simple tackle on the excellent Ntamack, and Toulouse reaped the rewards of just staying in the fight till the death. Then the disruption of the RWC this season. LAR have not handled that well, but they were not alone, and we saw Pau heading the Top 14 table at one stage early season. I would think one of the reasons for the poor showing would have to be that the younger players coming through, and the more mature amongst the group outside the top 25/30, are not as strong as would be hoped for. I note that Romain Sazy retired at the end of last season. He had been with LAR since 2010, and was thus one of their foundation players when they were promoted to Top 14. Records show he ended up with 336 games played with LAR. That is some experience, some rock in the team. He has been replaced for the most part by Ultan Dillane. At 30, Dillane is not young, but given the chances, he may be a fair enough replacement for Sazy. But that won’be for more than a few years. I honestly know little of the pathways into the LAR setup from within France. I did read somewhere a couple of years ago that on the way up to Top 14, the club very successfully picked up players from the academies of other French teams who were not offered places by those teams. These guys were often great signings…can’t find the article right now, so can’t name any….but the Tadgh Beirne type players. So all in all, it will be interesting to see where the replacements for all the older players come from. Only Lleyd’s and Rhule from SA currently, both backs. So maybe a few SA forwards ?? By contrast, Leinster have a pretty clear line of good players coming through in the majority of positions. Props maybe a weak spot ? And they are very fleet footed and shrewd in appointing very good coaches. Or maybe it is also true that very good coaches do very well in the Leinster setup. So, Nick, I would fully concurr that “On the evidence of Saturday’s semi-final between the two clubs, the rebuild in the Bay of Biscay is going to take longer than it is on the east coast of Ireland”
11 Go to commentsWhat was the excuse for the other knockout blowouts then? Does the result not prove the Saints were just so much better? Wise call to put your eggs in one basket when you’ve got 2 comps simultaneously finishing.
39 Go to commentsReally hope Kuruvoli and his partner rock the Canes.
1 Go to commentsI wonder what impact Samson has had on their attack, as the team seems less prone to trundle it up the middle, take the tackle and then trundle it up again. I lost faith in the coach last year as the Rebelss looked like a 2nd/3rd rate South African team. I also disliked Gordon standing back, often ignored as the forward battle went on and on. Maybe its our Aussie way of not getting off our A***’s until the enemy is at the gate.
86 Go to commentsThanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
86 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
14 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
14 Go to comments