The Comparison of Physical Attributes among Players in International Rugby Competitions: A Case Study of 2023 15-a-Side Rugby World Cup and 7-a-Side World Rugby Series

Since rugby sevens was officially included as a competition event in the 2016 Olympic Games, global participation has significantly increased. This study collected data from the top four teams representing the highest level of rugby in 2023: the World Rugby Cup 2023 (fifteen-a-side) and the World Rugby Sevens Series, and analyzed and compared the height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and age of players from each team with those of the Asian representative, Japan. The results showed that among the top four fifteen-a-side teams, only the backs of South Africa and Argentina were significantly younger than those of Japan, while there were no differences in height, weight, and BMI compared to Japanese players. Among the top four sevens teams, except for New Zealand, the forwards of Argentina, Fiji, France, and Japan’s fifteen-a-side teams were significantly taller than the entire sevens squads of these countries. Overall, there were no significant differences in physical attributes between the top four teams and the Japanese players. With the global sharing of training information through networks, coaches worldwide can learn and adopt similar training methods to enhance players’ physical and technical levels. This may be one of the reasons why differences in physical attributes are not a decisive factor in performance outcomes. Regardless of whether they are sevens or fifteen-a-side players, technical and physical training remains the key to victory.