Taken from the Sunday Telegraph - but I found the pictures.

RUGBY'S FITTEST FIRST XV

1 Frederic Michalak, France

Michalak, 24, is rugby's Beckham - he wears diamonds in his ears, strolled down the catwalk for Christian Lacroix and is heavily tattooed (he has a star branded somewhere intimate). Speaking of which, he is the "face" of a French condom brand. Zut alors.



2 Clement Poitrenaud, France

Best friends with Michalak since they were seven, the photo of the pair (right), taken for the Dieux de Stade calendar (an annual round-up of naked rugby players), shows just how close they are. Poitrenand's favourite song is I Will Survive. He has a girlfriend, apparently.



3 Dan Carter, New Zealand

A fearsome All Black, Dan is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world. Far more importantly, though, he has a modelling contract with the underwear company Jockey.



4 Rory and Sean Lamont, Scotland

Scottish Rugby Player of the Year Sean, 26, won some of us over when he posed naked for the Dieux de Stade calendar. One can only hope that Sean's little brother Rory, who is 24, will follow in his footsteps.



5 Ronan O'Gara, Ireland

"ROG" enraptured his female fans with his fly-half skills; then he married his childhood sweetheart Jessica Daly last year and broke their hearts. But just four months later photographs appeared on the internet in which an inebriated ROG appeared to have taken an undue interest in a female fan's chest. Alas, Jessica seems to have forgiven the 30-year-old, who is the face of an Irish jewellery company.

No picture - as he's not attractive in the slightest!

6 James Pritchard, Canada

"Pritch", 28, can be seen on the website Rugby for the Girls (www.rftg.co.uk) in a series of shower shots, and says that the three words he would use to describe himself are "cheeky, joker, and cute". Modesty is so becoming.



7 Sebastian Chabal, France

Often referred to as "the caveman" - that hair, those biceps - the bearded 29-year-old scored the winning try in England's recent defeat by France. His army of French female fans call themselves Chabalists and have voted him the sexiest player in the World Cup.

Ugh!

8 Jonny Wilkinson, England

The original rugby pin-up may be injured, but how could we leave out the World Cup-winning, boy next door? Once described as "epically dull" by a trusted female Telegraph colleague, with a torso like his, who needs sparkling conversation?



9 Donnacha O'Callaghan, Ireland

Six ft, 6in, 17-stone O'Callaghan caused a stir earlier this year when his shorts were ripped off during a cup game. He played on in his red underpants, but the referee insisted the 28-year-old lock change into a replacement pair of shorts. Spoilsport.

Yuk.

10 Jason Robinson, England

Nicknamed "Billy Whizz" after the speedy Beano character, Robinson is only 5ft 8, but he is living proof that good things come in small packages. Robinson, 30, announced his decision to retire from International Rugby in 2005 to spend more time with his wife and family. Luckily, God guided the born-again Christian to play for England one last time.



11 Mike Phillips, Wales

At 6ft 3, Phillips is one of the tallest scrum- halfs in the history of international rugby; he moved from the Cardiff Blues to the Ospreys in a reported £180-grand-a-year deal, making him one of the highest paid Welsh rugby players.



12 Brian (The BOD) O'Driscoll, Ireland

The Irish captain is known for being a highly physical player and doesn't shy away from a manly mid-match scrap. Voted Ireland's sexiest man in 2004, despite sporting a terrible mop of dyed blond curls at the time, The BOD once dated model Glenda Gilson and his new girlfriend is an actress.

Icky.

13 Felipe Contepomi, Argentina

It seems wrong to support anything Argentinian in a World Cup but for this Latin lovely, an exception will be made. Contepomi combines panache on the pitch with ferocious dedication to the game; last year he played for his club Leinster hours after the birth of his first child. When he's not playing rugby or being a dad, he studies medicine.



14 James Hook, Wales

The baby-faced fly half is heart-flutteringly fearsome on the pitch. Widely regarded as one of the hottest young sporting talents in Wales, Hooky was made man of the match after his first international game against Australia last year.

No.

15 Josh Lewsey, England

The thinking woman’s World Cup crumpet, and boy does he know it: "I’m always studying and have just achieved my law degree" - his third, the others being in physiology and biochemistry. Sir Clive Woodward is said to have shown Josh’s torso to the rest of his squad as an example of the perfect physique.

I wonder what sexy Rugby girls look like.

Oh my

Hooray Rugby... I guess I will have to force myself to enjoy this sport now...

shanti0608 said:

omg how awful!!

EverSoulicious said:

It is terrible...I just forced myself to enjoy SOCCER ....now I have to endure Rugby...how will I ever survive???

shanti0608 said:

I feel for you, watching those men get all physical and running up and down the field I mean

EverSoulicious said:

I know right..the best part is that they do not wear all of the padding, guards and helmets...real men

Yay!! I love watching real men play...
I get to go to my first futbol game in October...that should be fun...

oh I mean torture..

shanti0608 said:

ok now I'm really jealous

EverSoulicious said:

Being an American girl I was never into sports really except boxing and hockey (football always had too much padding)... now that I have been observing sports like Futbol and Rugby....well hello...
I have a new appreciation for men..
Hey if men can drool over beautiful women...

we can do the same...right?

Much appreciation for this thread..
I was sort of dreading the fact that I was going to have to watch Rugby since my bf enjoys that as well as futbol....no worries now. I will have cute men to look at.

Justin1972UK said:

ZOiNKS!

gat damn.... i'd like to see where that tattoo ends... and find the star...

Those boys are so hot! Don't they, or some Rugby team, pose naked for books, etc?

Justin1972UK said:

Where can I get bigger versions of these two pics (especially the second)?

I can't believe I made it here before Hamster.

sammij said:

Holy !!!!!


Thank you for posting this. He is delicious!!!!!

And that's the same reason I won't watch it. lol

omg

right click and saved

CynthiasSocks said:

There's an annual calendar published in France featuring rugby players called Dieux Du Stade...

Here's Sean Lamont from earlier in the thread (NSFW) and searching flickr for "Dieux Du Stade" brings up a whole legion of them (NSFW).

.
[Edited 9/9/07 13:36pm]

CalhounSq said:

Search their names on flickr. Honestly - for a website owned by a major company, flickr is filthy!!!

Justin1972UK said:

OH

MY

GOD

This thread is good for your health

I think we need a health and wellbeing forum..

I just died and went to heaven!!!!

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

Full Tackle, huh?

rushing07 said:

Ya wanna wrestle mate? Heehee!!

It's always fun until somebody farts....

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

Wresting, yes!

Farting - that's spooky's specialty.

Ok so I like rugby now.

Sweeny79 said:

I have a newfound appreciation

we love rugby

I remember watching my 1st match when my brother played pro soccer in canada

I was about 11 or so - been a big fan since

MIGUELGOMEZ said:

Damn that's hot right there!!!!! Bring Rugby to America damnit!!!

is there something wrong with me?

photos of strange nearly naked men do nothing for me!