Former England and Lions rugby player Martin Bayfield towers at an impressive 6ft 10, making him one of the tallest individuals ever to grace the rugby field.
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Transitioning from the world of sports due to a neck injury in 1998, Bayfield found a new path in broadcasting, where his colossal stature quite literally elevated him above his peers as a presenter for TNT Sport.
Beyond his sports and broadcasting careers, Bayfield’s towering presence took on a more magical role in the Harry Potter film series. Cast as the stunt and body double for Robbie Coltrane’s beloved character, Hagrid, Bayfield donned a fat suit to portray the half-giant groundskeeper.
Many iconic scenes featuring Hagrid towering over his fellow cast members actually starred Bayfield, who stood a remarkable 10 inches taller than Coltrane.
To ensure continuity in scenes requiring close-ups of Hagrid’s face, an animatronic head resembling Coltrane was utilised and worn by Bayfield.
Reflecting on his unconventional career shift, Bayfield humorously remarked, “At least no one ever punched me whilst filming Harry Potter.”
Producers of the film praised Bayfield’s contribution, emphasising that without his physical presence as a double, the scenes involving Hagrid would have required extensive digital manipulation, making them among the most costly in the movie.
The six tallest rugby union players ever – named and ranked
Winning the World Cup may seem like a tall order for some sides but what if “tall” was the order of the day?
As part of our build-up to the Rugby World Cup in Japan RUCK has found the six tallest rugby players EVER!
6. Richie Gray (207cm, 6ft 8in)
The only British & Irish Lion to feature on this list, Gray has been one of the tallest locks in northern hemisphere rugby this decade after breaking through at Glasgow Warriors. After making his debut in 2008 for the Scotstoun outfit, Gray went on to become a key first-team regular during the 2010/11 season when he was named in the Celtic League (PRO12) Team of the Year in an otherwise fruitless season for Glasgow.
Moves to Sale Sharks, Castres and Toulouse have followed to see Gray feature on the international scene alongside his younger brother Jonny – who doesn’t quite measure up to his brother being 9cm shorter than his older sibling.