Rugby is one of the world’s toughest games. As you can imagine this means players are hard as nails. This sports attracts the roughest men from around the world and in this article we’re going to list some of them. In top we have a couple of players from New Zealand which is a great rugby nation, they are also the home of pokie machines which you can read more about here.
Sonny Bill Williams – New Zealand.
Measuring over six feet and weighing in at an incredible 110kg Sonny Boy is a force to be reckoned with. What makes him truly terrifying is the fact that he’s also spent time as an heavy weight boxer, having fought professionally for more than five years. He’s won all seven of his bouts and says that boxing has made him a better sportsman and more confident rugby player.
Paul O’Connell – Ireland.
Paul O’Connell is simply the type of person you do not mess with. He’s got a head like a battering ram and stands over six feet tall. Even more impressive is the fact that he’s also the eighteenth most capped international player in the history of Rugby Union. Lasting that long in a contact sport like rugby requires true strength and we take our hats off to Mr O’Connell.
Richie McCaw – New Zealand.
One of the most powerful flankers ever seen in the game, Richie McCaw’s playing style has been described as, “Take no prisoners brutality.” Considering the fact that he’s the most capped test Rugby player of all time, it’s probably a description that’s apt.
Not only that, adding to his superhuman reputation is the fact that he played the entirety of the 2011 World Cup with a broken bone in his foot. Clearly this is someone with an extremely high pain threshold.
Eben Etzbeth – South Africa.
Standing at six foot and eight inches with a recorded weight of 120kg, this man is a literal giant. His uncle Clifford also played rugby for South Africa back in the 70s and 80s and was known for his aggressive style.
What’s more, Eben was also recently accused of being involved in a violent bar fight at a local casino. This happened on the eve of South Africa’s departure to Japan for the 2019 World Cup and according to court documents he assaulted several men and pointed a gun at another.
Jamie Cudmore – Canada.
Nicked named, “Cuddles” this Canadian beast has an actual criminal past. He spent a year in a juvenile detention facility during his younger days after being charged with drugs offences and assault. Although Rugby helped turn his life around, he’s still been involved in a number of violent incidents on the field and has received dozens of red cards. Definitely someone you don’t want to mess with.
Mathieu Bastareaud – France.
Probably the biggest man on our list the former captain of the French team weights an impossible 130kg. It’s said that when he gets going it’s like a freight train ripping through the opposing team. In addition to this, he’s known for being able to handle even the roughest tackles and keep moving forward.
He’s also know for getting into trouble off the field. During the French tour to New Zealand he sustained facial injuries. The player then claimed that he was assault by five men outside his hotel. It later came to light that he had actually fallen while drinking and gambling at a local casino, and concocted this story to avoid getting into trouble with team management.
Bismarck du Plessis – South Africa.
The south African hooker is notorious for his aggression on the field. Over the years he’s been involved in a number of violent incidents. In 2008 he was banned for three weeks for eye gouging All Black Adam Thompson. Five years later he received two yellow cards in a match against New Zealand, where he performed an illegal tackle and elbowed another players throat.
