Revealed! The stories behind 12 of the strangest rugby player nicknames

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by Steven Smith

Friday, 06 November 2020 at 14:10

bySteven Smith

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The stories behind 23 of the strangest rugby player nicknames revealed. Find out why they get called these sometimes rude nicknames.

Strangest rugby player nicknames:

1. Billy Bumface - Will Carling

It was his distinctive chiselled chin that saw former England captain Will Carling so dubbed by his team-mates. He’s been called a few other things over the years as well!

2. Sanjay - Liam Williams

It was while he was on holiday in Greece as a small boy that another British family reckoned the Saracens-bound star looked like Sanjay Kapoor, the former market trader from Eastenders! The name stuck.

3. Honey-Badger - Nick Cummins

This was the nickname bestowed on larger-than-life Wallaby winger Nick Cummins after he drew inspiration from the fierce nature of the animal and attempted to think like it in defence.

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4. The Raging Potato - Keith Wood

The legendary Ireland hooker, who was the first ever World Player of the year, was nicknamed The Raging Potato because of his bald head. HE was also called Uncle Fester due to his likeness to the Addams Family character.

5. The Bollock - Matt Cairns

“Another simple one. He has a shiny bald head that look like a shiny, bald, bollock.

6. Sloshbucket - Joe Launchbury

“He has the biggest arse in world rugby – and was forever knocking things over,” revealed Joe Marler.

7. Fox - Jonathan Davies

With his parents having run the Fox & Hounds pub in Bancyfelin, Wales centre Jonathan Davies was destined to be known as Fox. Inevitably, his younger brother James is the Cub!

8. 36 - Billy Twelvetrees

Twelvetrees started his career English giants Leicester and it was not long before he was 'christened' by their Ireland fullback Geordan Murphy.

"What do twelve trees [threes] make?" said Leicester captain Murphy in his broadest Irish accent. "It's simple, 36."

9. Sheriff - Ken Owens

In a nod to his grandfather having been mayor of Carmarthen and council chairman, Scarlets hooker Ken Owens is The Sheriff. Also known as Cannonball Ken for his ball carrying.

10. The Unflushable Turd - James Haskell

Despite being embroiled in a number of off-the-pitch controversies over the years and falling foul of various regimes, the unflushable turd has repeatedly bounced back.

11. Briefcase - Elliot Daly

The England star got his nickname after turned up at his first Wasps training session in his Whitgift school uniform and carrying you know what!

12. Ferengi - Martin Johnson

Not the most flattering of nicknames. It was Martin Johnson’s furrowed brow frown that saw the England and Lions skipper likened to the extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe.