The stereotypical rugby player is a larger than average male who is strong, stoic and, occasionally, a bit single minded. But an effective team needs much greater diversity in traits and behaviour, not least because so many rugby players are actually women.
Authors
- Saskia Goeckeritz
Lecturer in Animal and Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University
- Louise Gentle
Principal Lecturer in Wildlife Conservation, Nottingham Trent University
- Tom Glenn
Research Assistant in Conservation Ecolog, Nottingham Trent University
It might surprise you to know that the animal kingdom can help illustrate the variety of characteristics needed in rugby. Here are five animal species that would crush it on the pitch.
Rhinoceros
Often, the most exciting moments in rugby are when a player crashes through the defensive line to score a try. Strength and power are vital for this move, so the first animal on our fantasy team is the rhinoceros, collectively known as a crash of rhinos .
Weighing in at around 2,000kg, rhinos are one of the strongest animals, capable of flipping cars with ease . Rhinos are also relatively agile, accelerating to reach speeds over 30mph.
Although male rhinos are bigger and stronger than females, the females are more sociable. Some herds are led by a matriarch who guides the behaviour of the group, just like the pack leader geeing up the forwards before a scrum.
Caracal
An important part of rugby is a lineout , during which lifters and jumpers work together to get possession of the ball. A key skill is leaping up high.
An artist at jumping is the caracal . One of Africa and Asia's big cats, the caracal has long, powerful legs that make it an efficient hunter.
Caracals have often been observed vaulting over three metres into the air to capture birds in flight - that's almost twice the height of an average woman. Male caracals are larger and heavier than females but there is no evidence that they can jump any higher.
Peregrine falcon
Being faster than your opposition not only helps you score more tries , it also means that you can cover more ground in defence. The world's fastest animal, the peregrine falcon can reach speeds over 200mph in downwards flight.
Females are slightly faster than males - not bad considering they can be twice as heavy as the males. Peregrines can also change direction almost effortlessly. This is a great skill when trying to wrong-foot your foes.
Stoat
One of the key tactics in a rugby game is to deceive the opposition into thinking that you are going in the opposite direction. Cunning footwork can make your opponents speed off the wrong way. Dummy runs draw opponents to a decoy team member, freeing-up that all-important space for a team member to run into. This kind of deception is seen in mustelids - carnivorous mammals with long bodies, such as the British stoat.
These cute but clever mammals perform a deception dance of bizarre leaps and twists, mesmerising their prey before they pounce on them. Stoats have been known to work in tandem with their mating partners, with one performing the luring moves while the other moves in to attack the victim.
Orca
There can be no success in rugby without a team working together , both in defence and attack. So, the final animal in our fantasy rugby team is the orca, a voracious predator, famed among researchers for coordinating as a team to hunt food. Similar to an attacking line in rugby, orcas often swim in formations .
Together, they synchronise tail flicks to create powerful waves that break ice sheets apart. This forces prey such as seals off the ice and into the water where they are easier to capture. Next, they blow air from their blowholes into the water to create "walls" of air bubbles to disorientate prey.
This all takes practice, just like working together as a team in rugby takes training. Orca pods are generally run by an experienced female, the matriarch, who teaches her pod how to perform these strategic manoeuvres.
Animals are adapted for their role in their environment, much like players on a rugby team. Rugby has long been seen as a masculine sport, but people's attitudes are changing and the game is starting to value diversity in skills, styles and personalities. Disregard of female rugby players is being replaced by an appreciation for their endurance and athleticism on the pitch.
In fact, rugby is a sport in which the strength of a team comes from the variety of behaviour and traits in its players. So, next time you watch rugby, have a think about what animals you might put on a team - and remember, everyone has a role to play .
Saskia Goeckeritz works for Nottingham Trent University.
Louise Gentle works for Nottingham Trent University.
Tom Glenn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
