The fastest rugby players in the world this year have been revealed, with two British & Irish Lions making the top five.
Over the years, we have seen many players mesmerize crowds with their breathtaking pace, both with and without the ball. This has made them able to beat opponents in one-on-one situations.
You can view the list in full below.
#5. ANTHONY WATSON - England - 11.2 SECONDS (100m)
- Current age 27
- Major teams Bath Rugby, British and Irish Lions, England Saxons, England Under-20s, London Irish, England
- Position Fullback, Wing
- Height 6 ft 2 in
- Weight 205 lb
Once ran a 100 metres in 11.2 seconds at a school sports day and his raw pace saw the 21-year-old have a trial for Premier League giants Chelsea. Helped England Under-20s beat Wales in the final of the 2013 Junior World Cup before making the step up to the Test side.
DID YOU KNOW? Watson played for England in the 2011 under 20s 6 Nations Championship at the age of 17
#4. Louis Rees-Zammit – Wales – 11.1 SECONDS (100M)
- Current age 20
- Major teams Gloucester Rugby, Wales
- Position Wing
- Height 6 ft 3 in
- Weight 194 lb
The exciting Gloucester youngster has been timed at 11.1 seconds, having frequently shown defenders a clean pair of heels with his thrilling try exploits in the English Premiership. He made the most clean breaks of any player during the 2021 Six Nations (9).
DID YOU KNOW? The youngster began his youth career with Cardiff Blues before joining Gloucester
#3. JONNY MAY – England – 10.71 SECONDS (100M)
- Current age 31
- Major teams England Saxons, England Under-20s, Gloucester Rugby, Leicester Tigers, England
- Position Wing
- Height 6 ft 2 in
- Weight 198 lb
The speedster clocked 10.71 for the 100 metres. With a strong argument to be England’s quickest wide man ever, May is gradually improving his finishing prowess and is now arguably the first name on the teamsheet for head coach Eddie Jones.
DID YOU KNOW? In 2020, May became England's second highest try scorer alongside Will Greenwood and Ben Cohen with 31 test tries
#2. CHESLIN KOLBE - South Africa - 10.7 SECONDS
- Current age 27
- Major teams South Africa Under-20s, Stormers, Toulouse, Western Province, South Africa
- Position Wing
- Height 5 ft 7 in
- Weight 176 lb
This was the Springbok speedsters time from school so he could be possible even quicker now!
DID YOU KNOW? Kolbe is a cousin of South African track and field sprinter Wayde van Niekerk, who won the gold medal in the 400 metres at the 2016 Olympics
#1. SBU NKOSI - South Africa - 10.59 SECONDS
- Current age 25
- Major teams South Africa
- Position Wing
- Height 6 ft 0 in
- Weight 211 lb
Comes with a deceptive frame, which makes him a stocky 97kg, despite being 2cm shy of being 1.8m tall. Couple that with the speed that saw him clock 10.59 seconds over 100m and the footwork that make him almost impossible to defend against at times.
