Comparative characteristics of elite New Zealand and South African u/16 rugby players with reference to gamespecific skills, physical abilities and anthropometric data

Objective. A comparative study of elite New Zealand and SouthAfrican u/16 rugby players with special reference to game-specificskills, physical abilities and anthropometric data.Design and settings. A battery of tests was used to obtain informationconcerning a group of elite New Zealand players (N=24)and two elite South African groups (N=64). Information was obtainedfor game-specific skills, physical abilities, and anthropometricdata.Results. The New Zealand players outperformed the South Africanplayers in game-specific tests, physical abilities, and anthropometricmeasurements. Where the South African groups performedbetter than the New Zealand group, it was not practicallysignificant.Conclusion. South African rugby authorities should be cognisantof the areas where South African u/16 rugby players wereoutperformed by their New Zealand counterparts, and consequentlydevelop specific development programmes to addressthese shortcomings