What is "World Class" Rugby Speed?
Matthew Coleman
>In article <2b9duo$l...@happy.oz.dg.com>, ho...@happy.oz.dg.com (Graham Holt DG Brisbane) writes:
>|> Colin Brough (c...@dcs.ed.ac.uk) wrote:
>|> : How fast is Scotland's Derek Stark? He spent a couple of seasons
>|> : recently concentrating on his athletics (400m mainly, I think), and I
>|> : recall his time being around 10.5s - 10.7s for the 100m.
>|>
>|> I think you would find Tim Horan will run 100 metres quite a bit quicker than 10.5
>I doubt this very much. Centres must have exlosive power as their main priority.
>I believe Stark does have a P.B. of around 10.5 which would probably be
>significantly better than Horan's P.B. He certainly looks a faster runner over
>the 20m+ distances. Nigel Walker of Wales may be faster that Stark, and hence
>the fastest winger in world rugby. I'd be v. interested to hear of any actual
>recorded times. Presumably all the top national rugby teams carry out performance tests on their players but they don't seem too keen to release the details, in the UK at least.
Barry Lea is reputedly the fastest back in the current Wallaby touring squad
and he claims a time of 10.7 when he was at school, but follwed to say that he
probably is not that fast at present. He must still be pretty zippy, we have
all seen how fast Campo and Little are (as well of course Horan).
It's probably fair to say that "world class rugby speed" is certainly sub 11sec
in the 10.5 to 10.8 region. However, we need to keep in mind that ones speed
in spikes on a "tartan" (sp) track would not compare well to ones speed in
football boots on a grass field, esp if the grass is long.
It would be hard to say who is fastest unless we can line them all up for a
race. Maybe that could be the demo sport at the 2000 Olympics, the Rugby 100m
sprint? ;-)
Matthew
Matthew
Karl Wortmann
>From: ma...@cortex.physiol.su.oz.au (Matthew Coleman)
>Subject: Re: What is "World Class" Rugby Speed?
>Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1993 01:46:42 GMT
>Matthew
>Matthew
I can remember some South Africans who are/were very fast
1 - Deon Oosthuizen (sp?)
Right wing for Northern Transvaal. At an athletics meeting a few years ago,
they had a 100m race for some provincial wings. He clocked the fastest time,
coming in at I think around 10.5 seconds. Please note that this was a few
years back, and could be wrong. What I do remember is that the athletics
commentators were saying that with a little training, he would be running
10.3 seconds at least.
2 - Warren McCann (sp? :) )
Played wing for Transvaal until 2 (3?) years ago. (reserve once both James
Small and Pieter Hendricks were around). He started doing track work for a
while, and was a member of the S.A. relay squad. I am sure he ran at least
10.3, and probably better.
3 - Pieter Hendricks
Best time of 10.5 (Totally UNCONFIRMED). Seems to have slowed down though.
There are probably a number of faster wings in S.A. at the moment.
T. Dinsmore
the World Sevens -:)
I also recall reading somewhere of one of the Underwood brothers (Rory I think)
doing 10.5 in training shoes on grass.
Regards Tim.
Matthew Coleman
What are training shoes, are they a special kind of football boot, or are they
a sprinting spkies?
Matthew
Hugh Barrass
:
: I think you would find Tim Horan will run 100 metres quite a bit quicker than 10.5
2 points:
1. I used to compile ranking statistics for UK athletics (not a bad standard WORLDWIDE)
& the above statement is ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.
2. 100m time does not have a lot to do with rugby ability (although there will be some
correlation). The ability to run 100m in <10.5 has little to do with:
Accelerating rapidly past a defender; sidestepping past the said defender; covering ground
quickly wearing rugby boots and/or carrying a rugby ball; making >20 short length sprints
over an 80 minute period; continuing to run fast after taking heavy knocks, particularly
to the leg muscles; seeing where the best place to run in a field crowded with some 29
other players (+ a ref).
Oh and I nearly forgot: TACKLING.
Having seen Horan's performance in France, I would rate him as (one of) the finest
centre(s) in the world, but please do not make STUPID statements about subjects that
you clearly don't understand.
Apologies if I have given offence,
Hugh.
Ian Kersley
In article 12...@acri.fr, bar...@acri.fr (Hugh Barrass) writes:
(statement involving capitals deleted on principal)
> 2. 100m time does not have a lot to do with rugby ability (although there will be some
> correlation). The ability to run 100m in <10.5 has little to do with:
> Accelerating rapidly past a defender; sidestepping past the said defender; covering ground
> quickly wearing rugby boots and/or carrying a rugby ball; making >20 short length sprints
> over an 80 minute period; continuing to run fast after taking heavy knocks, particularly
> to the leg muscles; seeing where the best place to run in a field crowded with some 29
> other players (+ a ref).
>
> Apologies if I have given offence,
>
> Hugh.
>
2 more points :
1: I agree with the second of Hugh's issues. In my various ventures in assorted clubs,
I would definitely say that the fastest bloke in the club over 100m in a straight
sprint is not always fastest over 20 / 30 m with the ball. In fact, I've never been
timed over 100m, but have several times done fitness tests including several repetitions of 30m sprints in between other exercises e.g. squats, push-ups, etc.
2: Hugh assures me he used to be a prop, and so the idea of "sprinting" is obviously only going to be an abstract concept :) :)
Cheers,
Ian.
Matthew Coleman
Thanks to all who replied to this, the answer seems obvious nowa, we call them
the same here in Australia, but more commonly running shoes.
Mr Underwood must be mighty quick to produce such speed under those conditions.
Matthew
Graham Holt DG Brisbane
: Graham Holt DG Brisbane (ho...@happy.oz.dg.com) wrote:
: :
: : I think you would find Tim Horan will run 100 metres quite a bit quicker than 10.5
: 2 points:
: 1. I used to compile ranking statistics for UK athletics (not a bad standard WORLDWIDE)
: & the above statement is ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS.
You obviously have taken quite a dislike to my comment. Maybe you should not tha
t I nevers said running that speed had anything to do with rugby!! The discussio
n was on speed, and which subject do I clearly not understand??? Rugby or athlet
ics? For all you know, I may infact be a rugby player who plays with these peopl
e or maybe an athlete. Maybe you should think before you respond with such crap
to a comment which should have been interpreted as meant and would have been if
you knew as much about rugby as you claim to
Apologies if I have given offense,
Graham
Hugh Barrass
The reason why I responded to the first of your posts was that I know a reasonable
amount about athletics & I have access to a lot of stats - I stand by my above
statement!
The reasons why I responded in the tone that I did are twofold: 1 - I'm a bad
tempered, miserable, old git (many people may testify to this); 2 - I get annoyed
by people quoting "factoids" (ie "I think you would find Tim Horan will run 100 metres
quite a bit quicker than 10.5") when they are not able to back them up. I would not
object to a comment such as "Tim Horan is the fastest man on a rugby pitch" (others
might...), or "Tim Horan is the best player/coach/sandwich eater etc. in the world",
I just object to things like quoting (ludicrous) 100m times or other "pseudo-stats"
pulled out of thin air.
Furthermore, I do not doubt your knowledge of rugby, nor do I make any assertion
about my knowledge of rugby (as a prop, I tend to see very little rugby because
I'm either punch-drunk (playing) or just plain drunk). Anybody who follows my posts
would realise that I know very little about the sport - I just copy articles from
the papers for the benefit of homesick ex-pats & others interested in the french
angle.
Of course, if you post (or e-mail) the dates, meetings & conditions when Horan broke
10.50 then I will have to admit my error - I'll try & dig out some stats for UK
known rugby names in athletics (I don't have easy access to foreign stats).
Shugs.
Matthew Coleman
Stuff deleted
>I would not
>object to a comment such as "Tim Horan is the fastest man on a rugby pitch" (others
>might...), or "Tim Horan is the best player/coach/sandwich eater etc. in the world",
There IS nothing that this man can not do, I once saw him juggle a cat, a chain
saw (going) and an........
Lets not get too carried away here. He is a world class player who is fairly
quick and can pull off some magical plays. Who could forget the try he set
up against to Boks in 1992 for Campese. I still maintain that out and out
pace counts for nothing if you can not back it up with good play (tackle, pass
kick, sidestep etc).
Matthew