One South African makes the prime cut of Ruck.co.uk‘s list of the five heaviest players on record to ever play the game.
At No 4 is 26-year-old Lions and Springbok tighthead Asenathi Ntlabakanye who weighs in at a hefty 150kg.
“South Africa doesn’t just produce props – it forges them,” Ruck.co.uk writes.
“Asenathi Ntlabakanye burst onto the international scene in 2024 after years of pulverising opponents for the Lions in the URC. A tighthead prop built like a reinforced bunker, Ntlabakanye combines raw mass with the kind of low-body power that makes scrums go backwards even when physics says they shouldn’t.
“His Springbok debut felt inevitable rather than surprising. Once Rassie Erasmus clocks a man who can legally double as a roadblock, the call-up is usually a matter of when, not if. Still developing at Test level, Ntlabakanye is tipped to be a long-term Bok enforcer, particularly as South Africa continue their obsession with scrum-based dominance.”
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The list also includes two France internationals (both of Pacific island heritage), as well as a Tongan and Fijian.
5. Posolo Tuilagi (France) – 149k
4. Asenathi Ntlabakanye (South Africa) – 150kg
3. Uini Atonio (France) – 155kg
2. Ben Tameifuna (Tonga) – 160kg
1. Bill Cavubati (Fiji) – 167kg
Photo: Daniel Hlongwane/Gallo Images
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