Position-define somatotype of Northern Mexican rugby players.

Objective: This study intended to obtain the average somatotype for each rugby position in all active players from the state of Nuevo León, Mexico. This was a state of the art study of Mexican rugby players, having no record of previous research, and to make talent scouting and the development of performance analysis easier. Materials and methods: All of the registered and active rugby players from Nuevo León were measured through anthropometry with the method described by Heath-Carter, obtaining the necessary data to determine the somatotype. Body mass, skinfold sum, and height were quantified by direct methods, and body fat mass percentage was quantified by indirect methods. Results: A total of 56 rugby players took part in the study, with an age of 21.7 ± 4.7 years. The average somatotype of the whole study group was 3.9 - 6.1 - 1.1, corresponding to endomorphy, mesomorphy, and ectomorphy, respectively, and matching with a mesomorphic and endomorphic profile except for one single subgroup, which matched with a mesomorphic and ectomorphic profile. Conclusion: There was not an evident difference between the somatotypes obtained for every subgroup, which were compared with similar studies made in rugby playing countries. The difference was more evident between position somatotypes. These variations between positions reflect the higher level of athletic specialization required for performance. The lack of variation between rugby position somatotypes reflects the low athletic level of Northeastern Mexican rugby. It is necessary for future research to enlarge the study and get an adequate sample size of the average Mexican rugby position somatotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]