5 Legitimately Toughest Rugby Players Of The Professional Era

They’re something of a dying breed, but the 1990s and 2000s were a breeding ground for tough tackles and bust-ups aplenty.

It certainly isn’t a definitive list, but here are some of the most famous and most brutal hard men to play in the professional era of rugby union.

He intimidated with his ferocious tackling and fearsome ball-carrying. If you want evidence of just how hard as nails Collins was, just ask Colin Charvis, who was knocked out cold by one of his tackles in a New Zealand v Wales game.

In an era when it has been more difficult to 'assert yourself' as a hard man because there are so many TV cameras around these days, he was still able to stand out as the Springboks' enforcer for a decade.

The former England captain was as tough as they come, once having to leave the field to have a cut to his eye tended to before returning to the field moments later.

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.

His wild hair and misshapen nose bear testament to his hammering away at the breakdown coalface as a player who could perform with distinction across all three back-row positions.