Beauden Barrett beaten by England centre as rugby's fittest player

The centre made his fifth appearance for England at the weekend in their 45-21 defeat to South Africa, delivering a solid if unspectacular performance.

At just 24 years old, Atkinson has established himself as a standout performer for Gloucester and earned the opportunity to play international rugby. He made his England debut last summer against Argentina, scoring a try in the second Test.

While Atkinson’s skill set has continued to develop on the pitch, it is his exceptional fitness that has truly separated him from his peers. Last year, he completed the Bronco test in 4 minutes and 8 seconds, a gruelling running drill designed to measure rugby conditioning.

The result not only set the benchmark in the Prem, but also surpassed the scores of the world’s best. Atkinson’s time was four seconds quicker than Beauden Barrett’s and three seconds faster than Hugo Keenan’s, making it the fastest recorded mark in rugby.

“I didn’t really know how fit I was and then just started to go and kept on going,” he said last year. “ [I] Put in a pretty good score which will be tough to beat next pre-season but what can you do.”

“It’s something that I’ve always been big on. My background was always running, cross-country running and triathlons. I think I just enjoyed it more than anything.”

The recent arrival of Benhard Janse van Rensburg into the England setup, after confirming his switch from South Africa, has increased competition in the centre position.

However, Atkinson’s outstanding fitness remains a key attribute that sets him apart from his new rival.

He will not have the opportunity to test himself against Hugo Keenan or Beauden Barrett during the Nations Championship this summer, but he is expected to feature against Fiji and Argentina in the final matches if selected.

Those games will provide a chance to help England respond after their heavy Ellis Park defeat against the Springboks.