Rugby world rocked by massive player’s incredible family story

Rugby has undergone a striking transformation over the past three decades, with the average player growing notably larger and more powerful, yet some athletes still stand out as extraordinary physical outliers. Cameron Skelton, brother of Wallabies international lock Will Skelton, captured widespread attention in 2022 for his imposing stature, despite not being the tallest among his siblings. In footage shared by RugbyDump, Skelton is unmistakable in a team huddle, his nearly seven-foot frame towering over his teammates in a scene that underscores the evolving scale of the sport. Skelton was playing for Papatoetoe in Auckland, New Zealand at the time, and the team’s general manager, Tino Junior Poluleuligaga, revealed that Skelton requires size 7XL shorts.
The dramatic increase in player size is not isolated to the Skelton family. Since the first Rugby World Cup in 1987, the average international player is now 10 kilograms heavier and 2 centimeters taller, with the average BMI rising from 27.3 to 29.7. This shift is attributed to more rigorous training regimens, specialized diets, and heightened competition, which have collectively favored larger athletes. A study published by the British Medical Journal in 2012 identified experience, height, and mass as the key traits of successful international teams, with heavier forwards often prevailing in crucial tournament matches. The professionalization of rugby in 1995 accelerated this trend, and today, the average Test-match player weighs about 103 kilograms, the heaviest in history. These changes have been accompanied by a rise in high-intensity contact situations, prompting ongoing discussions about their impact on player health.
Will Skelton has spoken candidly about his brothers’ remarkable size, stating, “I’ve got two younger brothers, Cameron and Logan. They’re 27 and 22 this year. I’m the smallest in the family. Cam is about 6’11 and Logan, the baby, is about 7’2. So they’re big boys. He’s [Logan] is huge. I get bullied when I go home. Logan stopped playing [rugby] when he was quite young. He wasn’t really into it. It was mainly me and Cam playing a lot. It just wasn’t his thing. Cameron is still trying to get there. He’s just got married a month ago, so he’s trying to get back on the field. He’s played Waikato, Counties NPC and he’s slowly trying to get back into good shape to play some high level rugby. They were really good players growing up, Cam especially. He had a contract with the Tah [Waratahs] with me back in 2014/15. He almost wanted to split to make his own way and he headed over to New Zealand.”
The rise in player size is supported by research showing that the average weight of a Rugby World Cup forward increased from 104.2 kilograms in 1987 to significantly higher figures in recent years, with the most substantial jump occurring between 1991 and 1995. While some experts, such as Dr. Grant Trewarthur from Bath University, argue that there is a practical upper limit to player size, the modern game has become increasingly focused on bulk and strength. Rule changes, including increased substitutions and competition for the ball on the ground, have allowed teams to select and rotate larger players, further shaping the physical profile of elite rugby athletes. Notably, a study tracking the New Zealand All Blacks found that the average player’s height and weight have steadily increased over the past 35 years, and similar trends are seen in other top rugby nations.
As rugby continues to evolve, the extraordinary stature of players like Cameron Skelton exemplifies the ongoing shift towards size and power, raising questions about the future physical limits of the sport and the implications for player safety and performance.