One rugby star has reportedly squatted 350kg. Another can bench press 200kg. And England's Ellis Genge has some impressive gym records of his own.
But who is the strongest player in world rugby?
From Springbok giants to the Wallabies' 'Tongan Thor', we've picked seven players who take strength to another level.
Our ranking looks at gym records, scrummaging power and sheer physical dominance.
Some figures are personal bests from earlier in their careers. Others have yet to be independently verified.
Either way, these are some seriously powerful rugby players.
7. Ellis Genge (England)
Gym records:
- Bench press: 160kg (reported)
- Squat: 223kg (personal best)
England's 'Baby Rhino' isn't just a clever nickname.
Genge has built his reputation on explosive carries, brutal tackles and a refusal to take a backwards step.
The loosehead revealed his 223kg squat personal best during a 2025 feature with Men's Health.
His bench press has also been reported at 160kg.
But Genge's greatest weapon might be his acceleration. Few props can generate quite so much power over the first few metres.
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6. Malcolm Marx (South Africa)
Gym records:
- Bench press: No confirmed public personal best
- Squat: No confirmed public personal best
You wouldn't fancy wrestling Malcolm Marx for the last biscuit.
The Springboks hooker is one of rugby's most destructive breakdown operators, combining extraordinary grip strength with a powerful upper body.
His ability to rip possession away from opponents has helped make him one of the world's finest hookers.
Unlike several names on this list, Marx doesn't have widely documented maximum lifts.
But watch him compete over the ball and you'll understand his inclusion.
5. Ben Tameifuna (Tonga)
Gym records:
- Bench press: 190kg (reported)
- Playing weight: Approximately 150kg
Tonga's enormous tighthead is effectively a small family car wearing rugby boots.
Tameifuna has tipped the scales at around 150kg during his career, making him one of international rugby's heaviest players.
His bench press has been reported at 190kg, although that figure isn't supported by a publicly verified lifting record.
The Bordeaux-Bègles prop has built his reputation on enormous scrummaging power and destructive close-range carries.
Stopping him from five metres out requires more than a polite request.
4. Ox Nche (South Africa)
Gym records:
- Bench press: No confirmed public personal best
- Squat: No confirmed public personal best
Forget the gym numbers for a moment. Nche's greatest strength is what he does to opposition scrums.
The Springboks loosehead was instrumental in South Africa's dramatic 2023 World Cup semi-final victory over England.
His low body position, extraordinary leg drive and technical ability make him a nightmare for tightheads.
Nche might not have the biggest published squat on this list, but few players convert their strength into scrummaging dominance quite so effectively.
3. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
Gym records:
- Bench press: 175kg
- Squat: 275kg (reported)
- Dumbbell bench press: 75kg in each hand (historical training account)
Etzebeth is the sort of player who makes other professional athletes look surprisingly ordinary.
Standing 6ft 8in, the Springboks enforcer has spent more than a decade terrorising opposition packs.
His reported 275kg squat is impressive enough, but his dumbbell story is even better.
During his early Stormers career, Etzebeth and Steven Kitshoff found the gym's 65kg dumbbells weren't heavy enough.
They began attaching extra weight plates before the conditioning staff ordered heavier equipment.
Speaking on Le French Rugby Podcast, as reported by RugbyPass, Etzebeth explained how the club brought in 70kg and 75kg dumbbells.
He later acknowledged that injuries meant he could no longer lift those weights.
Not many players can say their club had to upgrade the gym equipment because of them.
2. Taniela Tupou (Australia)
Gym records:
- Bench press: 200kg (reported personal best)
- Squat: Approximately 300kg (reported training lift)
They don't call him the 'Tongan Thor' for nothing.
Tupou has produced some of the most extraordinary gym performances associated with an international rugby player.
In 2020, the Wallabies prop reportedly set a personal best with a 200kg bench press.
Footage from 2023 also showed him performing a squat reported to involve around 300kg.
That wasn't independently certified as a maximum lift, but the footage offered another glimpse of his remarkable power.
What separates Tupou from many heavyweight props is his explosiveness.
At his best, he can accelerate through contact with the force of a runaway truck.
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1. Andrew Porter (Ireland)
Gym records:
- Squat: 325kg (historical achievement reported by the British & Irish Lions)
- Squat: 350kg (higher, unverified historical claim)
- Squat endurance: 230kg for eight repetitions
Ireland's powerhouse prop takes our top spot.
Porter has been associated with one of rugby's most extraordinary gym records since his early Leinster days.
A staggering 350kg squat was reported during his younger years, although the figure was never independently verified.
However, the British & Irish Lions' official website has credited him with squatting 325kg.
And in 2023, Porter shared footage of himself squatting 230kg for eight repetitions.
That combination of maximum strength and muscular endurance is remarkable.
His power translates directly onto the pitch, where he anchors Ireland's scrum and delivers an enormous workload around the field.
Porter has also spoken about moving away from chasing extreme weights as his career developed.
For us, his extraordinary lifting history and sustained performances at the highest level earn him first place.
But is Porter really rugby's strongest player? Or should Tupou, Etzebeth or another powerhouse take the crown?
Let us know your No.1 in the comments.
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