Rugby is one of the world’s most popular and widely played sports, with World Rugby estimating that the game has a following of more than 500 million fans and 8 million active players.
The numbers printed on the back of every players’ shirt, represents a specific position and associated role on the field of play. Unlike professional football, where squad numbers are more flexible and often allocated to specific players each season, rugby shirt numbers reflect the players’ position.
From powerful forwards to agile and athletic backs, each position plays a vital role in the team’s strategy and matchday performance. Each position requires a unique skillset, and it’s vital that each member of the team understands his/her role and responsibilities.
In this guide, we’ll break down the roles, attributes, and skills of each position, covering everything from the powerhouse forwards who battle to dominate the scrums and line-outs, to the quick-thinking and skilful backs who are known for creating and finishing try-scoring-opportunities with flair, vision and technical excellence.
Whether you’re new to rugby or looking to understand the finer details of each position, this blog post will give you all the insight you need on rugby positions and shirt numbers.
Rugby Shirt Numbers
The starting players of a rugby team will wear shirts with numbers 1-15 printed on the back. Substitutes will wear numbers 16-23.
In rugby union, the positions are divided into two main categories – the forwards and the backs. The forwards will be numbered 1-8, whilst the backs will wear shirts with the numbers 9-15.
The table below details the shirt number associated with each position:
Rugby Union Positions & Shirt Numbers | |||
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Shirt Number | Position | Forward/Back | Famous Example |
1 | Loosehead Prop | Forward | Tom Smith (Scotland) |
2 | Hooker | Forward | Keith Wood (Ireland) |
3 | Tighthead Prop | Forward | Martin Castrogiovanni (Italy) |
4 | Lock | Forward | Martin Johnson (England) |
5 | Lock | Forward | Alun Wyn-Jones (Wales) |
6 | Blindside Flanker | Forward | Juan Smith (South Africa) |
7 | Openside Flanker | Forward | Richie McCaw (New Zealand) |
8 | Number 8 | Forward | Kieran Read (New Zealand) |
9 | Scrum-Half | Back | George Gregan (Australia) |
10 | Fly-Half | Back | Jonny Wilkinson (England) |
11 | Left Wing | Back | Jonah Lomu (New Zealand) |
12 | Inside Centre | Back | Jean De Villiers (South Africa) |
13 | Outside Centre | Back | Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland) |
14 | Right Wing | Back | George North (Wales) |
15 | Full-Back | Back | Stuart Hogg (Scotland) |
The image below shows how rugby players in each position tend to line up on the pitch:

Rugby Union Forward Positions & Shirt Numbers
Rugby forwards provide the power and physicality of a team, battling with all their strength, might and considerable bulk, to win possession of the ball and to gain ground towards the opposition’s try-line.
The forwards are usually significantly larger and heavier, taller and have higher levels of body-fat relative to the backs, and use their size to gain ground, win possession of the ball in scrums and line-outs.
By gaining ground, competing in rucks and mauls forwards are often instrumental in setting up point scoring opportunities for the backs.
Research and video analysis shows that forward players engage in more tackles and impacts with opposing players than backs, making physical and mental toughness a key attribute. Forwards generally engage in a higher number of ‘static’ and explosive power related elements of gameplay, (including high impact collisions) than backs.
With around 20 scrums per international match, the scrum is a huge part of rugby union preparation and strategy. A team that dominates the scrum, often dominates the entire game. Forwards almost always make up all of the players in the scrum. The image below shows how scrums are organised and positioned; with the arrows showing where the front row on the ‘blue team’ engage.

Rugby forwards, have an extremely tough and high-impact role to play. Below we list each position and explain the primary role he/she is expected to play in the team.
Prop

Shirt Number – 1 (Loosehead Prop), 3 (Tighthead Prop)
Typical Height – 6ft (1.83m)
Typical Weight – 18.5 stone (117.5kg)
Scrum Position – Front Row – Left (Loosehead) & Right (Tighthead)
Primary Role – Drive forwards in the scrum
With a bulky, stocky and muscular body type, both Loosehead and Tighthead props at the international level are incredibly strong, powerful, and resilient.
Both props are in the front row of the team’s scrum, with the Loosehead on the left hand side, and the Tighthead on his/her right hand side.
Loosehead props are effectively on the ‘outside’ of the scrum once both teams are ‘engaged’, whilst the Tighthead prop has the opposition’s Loosehead prop and hooker to his right and left respectively, which is where the two names come from.
The prop must engage with the opposition’s front row during the scrum, and his/her strength, power and aggression are key to the forwards as a whole, gaining territory and winning the ball.
Both of the props are also involved in short ball carries, tackles and takes an active part in rucks and mauls.

Hooker
Shirt Number – 2
Typical Height – 6ft (1.83m)
Typical Weight – 16 stone (101.6kg)
Scrum Location – Front Row (middle)
Primary Role – Secure the ball in the scrum & take line-out throws
One of the key roles of the team’s hooker, is to win possession of the ball in the scrum by hooking it with his/her foot. Hence the name “hooker”.
Positioned in the middle of the scrum’s front row, hookers also play a pivotal role in the ability of the team’s scrum to gain territory and his strength and aggression is important when it comes to gaining momentum and stabilising the front row when the opposing team’s engage.
Hookers other key role is throwing the ball in for line outs. An accurate throw is essential for maintaining possession of the ball, and hookers are required to deliver the ball to their lineout target with pinpoint accuracy.
Hookers are typically incredibly strong, with a high level of power and power-endurance. They also require good coordination for taking line out throws and hooking the ball in the scrums.

Lock
Shirt Number – 4 & 5
Typical Height – 6ft 6 (1.98m)
Typical Weight – 16 stone (101.6kg)
Scrum Position – Second Row
Primary Role – Win the ball in line-outs
Professional-level Locks are usually 6ft 4 or taller. The average height of an international lock at the time of writing is 6ft 6.
The locks use their height and jumping ability to compete for possession of the ball in line-outs. The shorter, stockier props are usually responsible for lifting the locks and assisting their jump.
Locks also play an important role in the scrum, and bind in the second row, behind the props and hookers.
They are often involved in ball carrying, tackling, rucking and play a vital role in the team’s mauls, often binding to the ball carrier to provide support and momentum that increases ground and territory that is gained.
Whilst both locks ordinarily have near-identical roles in the team, some coaches will give a specific lock a specialised role. For example, one lock might be designated as the primary jumper who competes for the ball during line-outs, whilst the other lock, might contribute more to scrums and ruck work – especially is he/she is shorter and bulkier.

Flanker
Shirt Number – 6 (Blindside-Flanker) & 7 (Openside Flanker)
Typical Height – 6ft 3 (190.5cm)
Weight – 17 stone (108kg)
Scrum Position – Back Row
Primary Role – Win possession in rucks and make high impact tackles
The primary job of a flanker, is to shut down the opposition’s offensive/attacking plays before they gain any momentum.
The flankers, and the number 8, are the players who will typically make more tackles than any other position on the field. Therefore tackling ability is crucial for both blindside and openside flankers.
Another key role for flankers is to win the ball back from the opposition (known as a turnover). To do this they compete for the ball in rucks and mauls, trying to steal the ball back.
Openside-flankers are typically slightly more mobile than-blindside flankers and because of this they will join the scrum on the side where there is more open field. Blindside-flankers then cover the side where there is less room for opposition teams to attack. This explains the openside and blindside names given to flankers.

Number 8
Shirt Number – 8
Typical Height – 6ft 4 (198cm)
Weight – 18 stone (114.3kg)
Scrum Position – Back Row (Middle)
Primary Role – Ball carrier that links forwards & backs
The Number 8 provides an important link between the forwards and the backs. They need a high level of fitness, quick reactions and they are required to make important decisions in a fraction of a second.
They play an important role in the scrum too, as they are the only player in the forwards who is allowed to pick up the ball from the back of the scrum. Number 8s are usually dynamic ball carriers who can make ground by breaking through opposition tackles, something they are expected to do when running with the ball from the scrum.
Tackling ability is also crucial, as the Number 8 and flankers will often make more tackles than any other players in the team.
The position is varied and different players often bring a different style, approach and skillset, but the core requirements are explosive running power, strong ball-handling skills and dynamic tackling.
Rugby Union Back Positions & Shirt Numbers
Professional rugby backs are known for having explosive speed, agility and great decision making skills. Whilst the forwards do the ‘groundwork’ and often create the chances to score, it is the backs that are often tasked with converting chances by using skill, speed and skill.
High-level rugby backs will also tend to have exceptional ball-handling ability, with a skill set that includes accurate passing, dexterity, spatial awareness and an ability to read the game. It is often said that the best backs have a creative flair that allows them to exploit any weakness or opportunity others players may not. Flair and awareness of other players can also help backs create chances that may otherwise not exist.
Less involved in physical impacts than the forwards, rugby backs still have to be incredibly strong, with a diverse range of physical attributes including resilience and power. More likely to engage in open play, top-level backs require a wide array of skills and physical abilities. From scrum-halves who require exceptional passing skills, to fast and agile wingers; each position within the backs has its own demands and required skillets.
Backs wear shirt numbers 9-15 and the number they wear will be dependent on their playing position.

Scrum-Half
Shirt Number – 9
Typical Height – 5ft 10 (178cm)
Weight – 13 stone (82.6kg)
Primary Role – delivery quick & accurate passes
Linking the forwards and the backs, the scrum-half is expected to deliver quick & accurate passes from rucks, scrums and line-outs. An instrumental player who controls the pace of the game, scrum-halves dictate the play and often deliver the first pass after each maul, ruck, and scrum.
A good scrum half will have vision and spatial awareness, quick reflexes and an outstanding ability to make accurate passes at pace. They will also have a strong kicking game, using ‘box’ kicks from behind rucks, mauls and scrums to advance their team up the pitch.

Fly-Half
Shirt Number – 10
Typical Height – 5ft 10 (178cm)
Weight – 13 stone (82.6kg)
Primary Role – Score points with drop-kicks, conversions and penalties.
Sometimes referred to as “the stand off”, the fly-half is arguably the most important position in the team, and is normally the team’s highest scoring player.
Responsible for much of the teams kicking in open play and set pieces, fly halves are often called upon to make tactical decisions for the team.
Known for tactical awareness, composure and technical ability, the fly half will bring other backs into play with their passing. Fly halves are also usually the designated kicker for penalties and conversions.
At the time of writing, fly halves are the best paid players in the top English league.

Inside Centre
Shirt Number – 12
Typical Height – 6ft 1 (185cm)
Weight – 16 stone (101.6kg)
Primary Role – Ball carrier & defensive organiser that supports fly-half
The inside centre is an important distributor for the team, with elite passing and kicking ability a vital prerequisite for any player looking to reach international level.
Involved in both defence and attacks, endurance and resilience are important attributes.
Requiring strength, agility and tactical awareness, an Inside Centre also needs to have strong distribution skills. The inside centre is also required to make explosive runs into the opposition’s defensive line, make powerful tackles and lead the backs in defensive plays.
A high-level Inside Centre is also able to set up scoring opportunities with penetrating and powerful runs, and with the vision and flair to set up and create wingers with try-scoring chances.

Outside Centre
Shirt Number – 13
Typical Height – 6ft 1 (185cm)
Weight – 15 stone (95.3kg)
Primary Role – Ball carrier who penetrates defensive lines
Usually leaner and more agile than the relatively powerful Inside Centre, the Outside Centre should have a balance of skills and attributes including speed, strength and agility.
Operating in the wider channels/down the flanks of the pitch, Outside Centres require a high level of endurance in order to contribute to both attacking and defensive plays.
With speed, strength, agility and tactical awareness, the outside centre is a key “runner” who looks to draw in defending players from the opposing team’s backs, to free up space for the wingers. They will also look to exploit any gaps in the defending team’s backline him/herself; in addition to making important decoy runs to confuse and distract the opposition.
With running the ball a huge part of the Outside Centre’s role; they will often make runs with the ball themselves, in addition to making supporting runs on the shoulder of wingers and inside centres, who will often look to pass to them, or feint/dummy to pass, before they are tackled.

Winger
Shirt Number – 11 (Left Wing) 14 (Right Wing)
Typical Height – 6ft 1 (185cm)
Weight – 14 stone 5lbs (92kg)
Primary Role – Score tries
The size and body type of a winger can vary quite significantly; with some wingers using speed and agility to penetrate defensive lines, whilst others use size coupled with power and acceleration to score tries and gain ground.
Often the fastest players on a rugby team, the left and right wingers take up a position close to the touchlines for the most part. Their main objective and role is to score tries.
Elite-level wingers have exceptional hand-eye coordination for receiving passes, and a high level of power and speed endurance so that he/she can make runs with the ball and in support of teammates who may look to offload/pass to him/her rather than risk losing possession on contact with an opposing player.
In addition to speed and ball handling skills, wingers will also have a strong kicking ability which they use when attacking and defending.
In addition to making runs and scoring tries, wingers also have important an important defensive role, making tackles to prevent the opposition’s wingers and outside centres from gaining ground and/or scoring tries.

Full-Back
Shirt Number – 15
Typical Height – 6ft 1 (185cm)
Weight – 14 stone 5lbs (92kg)
Primary Role – Last line of defence & initiator of counter-attacks
Serving as the last line of defence, the full-back catches high and long kicks from the opposition, usually from deep inside his/her own half of the rugby pitch.
Requiring composure under pressure, the Full-Back needs to be able to read and anticipate the oppositions tactics and attacking strategies in order to position him/herself in the correct area.
Full-Backs are also responsible for initiating counter-attacks and will often make ‘tactical kicks’ to gain ground towards the opposition’s tryline.
Strong one-to-one tackling skills are vital, and an elite Full-Back will also have excellent vision and awareness, that will help him/her to initiate effective counter-attacks.
Rugby Backs Vs Forwards – Key Attributes
A well-rounded rugby team will consist of backs and forwards that bring different skill sets and physicality to their team.
The table below uses data from international and top-level club rugby in the UK, to summarise the key differences and expectations of a professional back vs a forward.
Rugby Union Forwards vs Backs | ||
---|---|---|
Attribute | Rugby Forwards | Rugby Backs |
Responsibilities | Scrums, line-outs, rucking, mauls, tackling, setting up scoring opportunities, breaking tackles | Kicking & decision making, passing, scoring tries, penetrating opposition’s defensive line, evading tackles |
Key Capabilities & Skills | Strength, power, physical resilience, bravery | Speed, agility, coordination, awareness |
Typical Weight (pro level) | 16-20 stone (102-127 kg) | 12-15 stone (76-95 kg) |
Typical Height (pro level) | 6ft 1–6ft 8 (1.85–2.03 m) | 5’8”–6’3” (1.73–1.91 m) |
Average Distance Covered per Match | 5-6km per match | 6-6.5km per match |
Tackles | 65-70% of all tackles | 30-35% of all tackles |
Tries | Typically score fewer tries | Score more tries |
Speed | Explosive over short distances | Exceptionally fast |
Agility | Moderate agility | Exceptional agility |
Strength | Exceptionally strong and powerful | High strength-to-weight ratio |
*Whilst backs normally score significantly more tries than forwards. In the last two 6 Nations tournaments, England’s forwards actually scored more tries than their backs (at the time of writing). More information is available on the World Rugby website.
Forwards Vs Backs – Pay Discrepancies
Interestingly, according to recent data, Fly-Halves get paid the most in the top professional English league – with an average salary of approximately £215,000 per season (at the time of writing).
The highest paid forwards were Locks with an average salary of £175,000. Scrum-Halves had the lowest reported wage, with an average of £120,000.
In recent years, the England international squad adopted an equal pay structure for the Six Nations, with players of all positions getting paid approximately £15,000 per match – which equates to around £75,000 for the entire tournament.
The Welsh international team also has a standardised pay structure during the Six Nations, with each player receiving around £7,000 per match including image rights.
Players can also receive an additional win bonus if they win the Six Nations tournament. This is reported to have been approximately £17,000 per player according to reports from last season.
Bodyweight of Rugby Players Over the Decades
Just as the general population has increased in height and weight over the last 60 years, so have athletes including rugby players. Aided by advances in sport science & nutrition plus the professionalisation of the sport in 1995, rugby union players are not only incredibly big and strong, they are fast, athletic and powerful too.
Whilst it was typical for a rugby union forward to have a relatively high body fat percentage in the 1960s through to the 1990s, forwards have become more athletic, whilst backs have become more muscular and powerful.
Not only have rugby players in general become bigger and stronger, they have become more athletic; with an average reduction in body fat and increase in muscle mass across all positions.
The table below shows how the size of forwards and backs have increased since the 1960s. With the sport becoming professional in 1995, it will be interesting to see if rugby players will continue to get bigger, or if they will begin to plateau.
Rugby Player Average Size Since 1960 | ||
---|---|---|
Decade | Forwards (Height/Weight) | Backs (Height/Weight) |
1960s | 6’1″ (185 cm) / 14 st 13 lbs (95 kg) | 5’10” (178 cm) / 12 st 8 lbs (80 kg) |
1970s | 6’2″ (188 cm) / 15 st 6 lbs (98 kg) | 5’11” (180 cm) / 12 st 13 lbs (82 kg) |
1980s | 6’2″ (188 cm) / 16 st 1 lb (102 kg) | 5’11” (180 cm) / 13 st 5 lbs (85 kg) |
1990s | 6’2″ (188 cm) / 17 st 0 lbs (108 kg) | 6’0″ (183 cm) / 13 st 12 lbs (88 kg) |
2000s | 6’3″ (191 cm) / 17 st 9 lbs (112 kg) | 6’0″ (183 cm) / 14 st 5 lbs (91 kg) |
2010s | 6’3″ (191 cm) / 18 st 1 lb (115 kg) | 6’0″ (183 cm) / 14 st 9 lbs (93 kg) |
2020s | 6’4″ (193 cm) / 18 st 6 lbs (117 kg) | 6’1″ (185 cm) / 14 st 13 lbs (95 kg) |
Each player has a specialised role and the skills required in these roles dictate the strength and size of players in many positions at the top-level. From stocky, powerful props, to giant locks in the forwards, to strong and athletic centres, to fly-halves and scrum-halves who tend to be relatively small yet extremely skilful and resilient; the body-types and bodyweights of players continues to get more extreme.
Playing rugby full-time, with access to the best chefs, sport scientists and gym equipment at their training grounds, the increase in player size appears set to continue.

As this guide has highlighted, each player on the rugby pitch has a vital role to play for their team. Whether it is to provide strength and power to the scrum, or to initiate counter attacks, an incredible level of communication, commitment and teamwork is required for a team to perform at the top-level.
As the sports continues to grow and develop, it has become more fluid and dynamic, with many players offering a wide variety of skills and abilities, they are able to offer a versatile approach to each match, taking on additional roles and responsibilities as and when required.
Either way, understanding the intricacies of each position, gives fans a higher level of understanding and appreciation for the sport.
By: Andrew Griffiths