The mind-blowing injury lists mounting up across the PREM and URC

It’s a given that rugby union is a brutal sport, but even by its own unforgiving standards, the number of teams racking up eye-wateringly long injury lists is reaching unprecedented levels.

‘Unavailable for selection’ charts across the URC and the Gallagher PREM have reached outlandish sizes, with multiple squads now missing numbers that would comfortably make up matchday XVs – and in some cases – 23s.

It’s of course very much baked into the professional rugby system that clubs that boast between 38 and 50 players can sustain multiple injuries and carry on business as usual, but for some teams their depth charts are being tested in a manner that stretches that paradigm to breaking point.

In the PREM, Harlequins are currently among the most exposed, currently without senior figures such as James Chisholm, Fin Baxter, Tyrone Green, Rodrigo Isgró and Stephan Lewies, alongside a long tail of wider squad players.

In fact, the West London outfit is now without an astonishing 26 players, prompting them to sign Luke Yendle and Andrew Turner on short-term deals earlier this month.

Pat Lam’s Bristol Bears are also feeling the strain, with a swollen injury list that includes senior figures such as Steven Luatua, Viliame Mata, AJ MacGinty, Kieran Marmion, Pedro Rubiolo, Santi Grondona, Josh Carrington, Benjamin Elizalde and, of course, Louis Rees-Zammit.

They’re without 17 players.

Gloucester’s absentees include Jack Singleton, Callum Braley and Jamal Ford-Robinson, while Sale Sharks are missing the Curry brothers, Raffi Quirke, Bevan Rodd, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Rob du Preez, among others.

The situation is nearly as stark in the URC.

Hollywoodbet Sharks are the worst affected. They are without the likes of Eben Etzebeth, Bongi Mbonambi, Aphelele Fassi, Grant Williams, Jordan Hendrikse, Ethan Hooker, Jurenzo Julius and Trevor Nyakane, stripping the side of much of its Springbok spine.

They are now missing at least 22 players.

Edinburgh have also been hit hard, with a long injury list that has sidelined key figures such as Duhan van der Merwe, Sam Skinner, Luke Crosbie and Magnus Bradbury, stripping significant experience and physicality from their matchday picture. They are missing 19 players.

While Leinster’s gross injury numbers aren’t quite so bad, they have been hit hard in one department in particular. This weekend they were forced to manage without Ryan Baird, RG Snyman, James Lowe but crucially all four of their first-choice looseheads, prompting a recent short-term deal for Cardiff prop Ed Byrne, although Andrew Porter is close to a return.

Here is a list of some of the worst-affected clubs across the PREM and URC.

Harlequins: Harry Browne, Pedro Delgado, Jonny Green, Harry Williams, Boris Wenger, Cameron Doak, James Chisholm, Tate Williams, Fin Baxter, Titi Lamositele, Tom Lawday, Jordan Els, Simon Kerrod, Lucas Schmid, Stephan Lewies, Jamie Benson, Josh Bellamy, Rodrigo Isgró, Ludo Kolade, Will Porter, Oscar Beard, Frank McMillan, Sean Sharp, Ben Waghorn, Tyrone Green, Cassius Cleaves

Gloucester: Seb Blake, Jack Singleton, Jack Mann, Callum Braley, Josh Hathaway, Ben Redshaw, Rob Russell, Jack Cotgreave, Jamal Ford-Robinson, Ciaran Knight, Olly Allport, Harry Taylor

Hollywoodbet Sharks: Aphelele Fassi, Bongi Mbonambi, Bryce Calvert, Coetzee le Roux, Eben Etzebeth, Ethan Bester, Ethan Hooker, Francois Venter, Grant Williams, Hakeem Kunene, Jaco Williams, Jordan Hendrikse, Jurenzo Julius, Le Roux Malan, Luan Giliomee, Marvin Orie, Matt Romao, Ruan Dreyer, Simphiwe Matanzima, Tom Dyer, Trevor Nyakane, Yaw Penxe

Scarlets: Ellis Mee, Tom Rogers, Archer Holz, Josh Macleod, Sam Costelow, Jake Ball, Alec Hepburn, Will Evans, Dom Kossuth.

Edinburgh: Charlie McCaig, Rhys Litterick, Rob Carmichael, Luke Crosbie, Sam Skinner, Paddy Harrison, Conor McAlpine, Wes Goosen, Duhan van der Merwe, Harry Paterson, Magnus Bradbury, Matt Currie, Mikey Jones, Ben Muncaster, James Lang, D’arcy Rae, Liam McConnell, Connor Boyle, Ben Vellacott

Ulster: Angus Bell, Scott Wilson, Tom O’Toole, James Hume, Jude Postlethwaite, Bryn Ward, Nick Timoney, James McNabney, Rob Herring, Robert Baloucoune, Rory McGuire, Stewart Moore

Northampton Saints: Alex Coles, Trevor Davison, George Furbank, Tom James, Curtis Langdon, Henry Lumley, Tom Pearson, James Ramm, Freddie St John, Edoardo Todaro, JJ van der Mescht, Charlie Ulcoq

Leinster: Ryan Baird, Jack Boyle, Jordan Larmour, James Lowe, Diarmuid Mangan, Paddy McCarthy, Andrew Porter, RG Snyman,  Alex Usanov

Newcastle Red Bulls: Sammy Arnold, Eduardo Bello, Max Clark, Luan de Bruin, Connor Doherty, Ethan Grayson, Joel Grayson, Callum Hancock, Connor Hancock, Elvis Kitenge-Fuki, Freddie Lockwood, Amanaki Mafi, George McGuigan, Cameron Neild, Oli Spencer, Oscar Usher

Connacht: Josh Ioane, Oisin McCormack, Temi Lasisi, Oisin Dowling, Caolin Blade, David Hawkshaw, Byron Ralston, Mack Hansen, Finn Treacy

Bristol Bears: Jimmy Halliwell, Paddy Pearce, Pedro Rubiolo, Steele Barker, Kenzie Jenkins, Santi Grondona, Luka Ivanishvili, Steven Luatua, Viliame Mata, Kieran Marmion, AJ MacGinty, Victor Worsnip, Aidan Boshoff, Louis Rees-Zammit, Josh Carrington, Benjamin Elizalde, Evan Morris.

Sale Sharks: Ben Curry, Tom Curry, Raffi Quirke, Bevan Rodd, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Rob du Preez [among others]