Tonga has the Rugby World Cup's heaviest forward pack. Photo / AP
Tonga has the Rugby World Cup's heaviest forward pack. Photo / AP
When it comes to tipping the scales, no one in World Rugby comes close to Ben Tameifuna.
The Tongan tighthead prop, known for his barnstorming runs and back-breaking tackles, listed a whopping 153kg playing weight in the Rugby World Cup statistics.
New Zealand's average was 113.76kg and the overall World Cup average forward weighing 112kg.
The body mass index for many of the forwards in Japan would be considered unhealthy, according to body mass index calculations.
However, BMI's weren't always accurate when it came to professional athletes.
It didn't distinguish between fat and muscle, so those with large muscle masses often had high BMI, even though their body fat was in the healthy range.
Those with weight around their waist and healthy BMIs at the highest risk of death from any cause, compared with those with higher BMIs and weight elsewhere.
"If I had to choose between making sure my BMI or my waist-to-hip ratio are within the 'normal' range, I would go for the latter," University of Sydney associate professor Emmanuel Stamatkis said.
Ofa Tu'ungafasi, the All Blacks' current heaviest player. Photo / Brett Phibbs
"A high waist-to-hip ratio most likely means high amounts of abdominal fat, and we know this comes with quite serious health risks."
New Zealand's heaviest player was Ofa Tu'ungafasi at 129kg, closely followed by Atu Moli at 127kg and Angus Ta'avo at 124kg.
Ardie Savea punches well above his weight of 95kg, the lightest member of New Zealand's forward pack and the only one under 100kg.
But the lightest forward in the competition was Kwagga Smith, from South Africa, who weighed a relatively small 80kg.
