Background: There are no data in important literature about the anthropometric characteristics of rugby players in countries where rugby is not a popular sport. The goals of this study were to analyze morphological anthropometric characteristics, body composition and constitution of players in the first Croatian-Slovenian rugby league (CSRL) with regard to player's position in the team, team position in the division, and to compare results with the results of rugby players from the more popular rugby leagues.
Methods: The study was carried out in a sample of voluntarily included 111 male rugby players from six clubs members of the CSRL, in the season 1996/97. Eleven anthropometric measures required for the calculations of body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%), and somatotype components were obtained in the clubs according to the recommendations by Jackson and Pollock and Heath and Carter.
Results: Forwards in the CSRL are on the average 93.5 kg heavy, 182.4 cm tall, with BMI 28.3 kg/m2, BF% 20.8% and somatotype 6.7-5.9-1.4. Backs are on average 82.2 kg heavy, 178.3 cm tall, with BMI 26.1 kg/m2, BF% 16.9% and somatotype 5.3-5.3-1.5. Backs from upper half of the division are on the average heavier than those from lower half, BF% in forwards from upper half of the division is higher than in forwards from lower half. Both differences were found to be statistically significant (p<0.05).
Conclusions: Compared with the rugby players from more developed rugby leagues, forwards from the CSRL are lighter, backs are heavier and both have higher body fat percentage. Backs and forwards are more endomorphic and forwards are less mesomorphic compared with the rugby players from more developed rugby leagues.