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Vol. 5 No. 3 (2025): Volume 5, Issue 3, Year 2025

Articles

Body Composition and Physical Performance: Kinanthropometry Assessment of Elite Male Rugby Referees

  • Cristian Petri,
  • Fabrizio Spataro,
  • Anjumol Cancian,
  • Elisabetta Tozzi,
  • Niccolò Gori,
  • Luca Russo,
  • Francesco Campa
Cristian Petri
Department of Sports and Computer Science, Section of Physical Education and Sports, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Seville, Spain
Fabrizio Spataro
Federazione Italiana Rugby-FIR, Stadio Olimpico, Foro Italico, 00135 Rome, Italy
Anjumol Cancian
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
Elisabetta Tozzi
Section of food, clinical nutrition and drug sciences, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
Niccolò Gori
Federazione Italiana Rugby-FIR, Stadio Olimpico, Foro Italico, 00135 Rome, Italy
Luca Russo
Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, eCampus University, 22060 Novedrate, Italy
Francesco Campa
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34256/ijk2531

Published 05-12-2025

Keywords

  • Anthropometry,
  • Body composition,
  • Endurance,
  • ISAK,
  • Strength

How to Cite

Petri, C., Spataro, F., Cancian, A., Tozzi, E., Gori, N., Russo, L., & Campa, F. (2025). Body Composition and Physical Performance: Kinanthropometry Assessment of Elite Male Rugby Referees. International Journal of Kinanthropometry, 5(3), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.34256/ijk2531

Copyright (c) 2025 Cristian Petri, Fabrizio Spataro, Anjumol Cancian, Elisabetta Tozzi, Niccolò Gori, Luca Russo, Francesco Campa

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

Introduction: Elite rugby referees are required to maintain high levels of physical fitness to cope with the intermittent high-intensity demands of the game. However, limited data are available on their kinanthropometric characteristics. This study aimed to describe the body composition profiles of elite male rugby referees and examine their association with physical performance. Methods: Nineteen elite male Italian rugby referees (age: 31.2 ± 4.6 years; BMI: 23.4 ± 2.1 kg·m⁻²) underwent standardized ISAK anthropometric assessments to determine body composition variables, including somatotype, estimates of body mass components, and several anthropometric indices. Physical performance was evaluated through strength (handgrip and mid-thigh pull test) and endurance (Bronco test) assessments. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients (r) were used to explore associations between body composition and performance. Results: Somatotype analysis revealed a predominance of endomorphic-mesomorph and mesomorphic-endomorph profiles, with fewer balanced mesomorph and ectomorphic-mesomorph individuals. Significant correlations were observed between body composition and performance. Age, sum of skinfolds, mesomorphy, and endomorphy were positively associated (p < 0.05) with mean time in the Bronco test, whereas ectomorphy showed a significant inverse relationship (r = −0.75, p < 0.05). Scatterplots with regression lines illustrated these associations. Conclusion: Elite rugby referees primarily displayed mixed somatotypes with high mesomorphic and endomorphic components. Body composition characteristics, particularly ectomorphy and fatness, were associated with endurance performance. This study provides, for the first time, a full anthropometric profile of elite rugby referees, highlighting the relevance of regular kinanthropometric monitoring to optimize their physical preparation.

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