Why are British Rugby and Cricket players so much more lighter than British Footballers

[TheRealOneManArmy]

Anyone else notice this or is it just me ?

[Tooting Carmen]

A little bit. I think British footballers have more Irish and other foreign ancestries (even when fully White).

[Hulu]

Rugby players need a heavy build, hence borreby. Football neeeds more agility hence Med types.

[TheRealOneManArmy]

A little bit. I think British footballers have more Irish and other foreign ancestries (even when fully White).

Irish are darker than N Irish, Welsh, Scottish and English ??

[Creoda]

Because they're much more likely to actually be British/English?

I counted the pigmentation of ethnically British/Irish England internationals of recent decades from all 3 sports a while ago, and there wasn't massive differences in pigmentation (a few percentage points either way); one that can be largely explained by geography and Irish influence anyway. Footballers were a little darker haired and lighter eyed, Rugby players lighter haired and darker eyed, and Cricketers somewhat intermediate.

[Tooting Carmen]

Irish are darker than N Irish, Welsh, Scottish and English ??

irish are darker than the Eastern English and Eastern Scots. Not so different from the others.

[TheRealOneManArmy]

Because they're much more likely to actually be British/English?

I counted the pigmentation of ethnically British/Irish England internationals of recent decades from all 3 sports a while ago, and there wasn't massive differences in pigmentation (a few percentage points either way); one that can be largely explained by geography and Irish influence anyway. Footballers were a little darker haired and lighter eyed, Rugby players lighter haired and darker eyed, and Cricketers somewhat intermediate.

Thanks, I was only talking about ethnic brits anyway not players of African heritage.

[Grace O'Malley]

A little bit. I think British footballers have more Irish and other foreign ancestries (even when fully White).

Eoin Morgan, Irish Captain of the English Cricket team.

https://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.3954742.1562922630!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/ratio_1x1_w1200/image.jpg

Owen Farrell, has Irish ancestry, Captain of English Rugby Team

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/USO_-_Saracens_-_20151213_-_Owen_Farrell_8.jpg

[Grace O'Malley]

Just for comparison purposes.

English Rugby Team

https://worldclassbritain.com/images/comments/800x600/800x600/England-rugby.jpg

Scottish Rugby Team

https://www.sportonspec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/Rugby-Union.-Scotland.-862x575.jpg

Irish Rugby Team

https://i.imgur.com/rxu8Nqf.png

https://d2cx26qpfwuhvu.cloudfront.net/sixnations/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/28134429/IrelandSquad19SB2000.jpg'

https://d2cx26qpfwuhvu.cloudfront.net/irfu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/05121147/IrelandAnthems_Scotland-scaled.jpg

Welsh

https://i2-prod.walesonline.co.uk/incoming/article20213980.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200/0_WalesAnthem.jpg