Nicknames

With the retirement of Mad Dog announced today, it occurred to me that he's one of a very few rugby players identifiable by supporters by a soubriquet entirely unrelated to his real name.

Off the cuff I can only think of Jiffy (and why is he called that ?)

So that's a near blank side of A4 for you to fill...

Portnoy wrote:With the retirement of Mad Dog announced today, it occurred to me that he's one of a very few rugby players identifiable by supporters by a soubriquet entirely unrelated to his real name.

Off the cuff I can only think of Jiffy (and why is he called that ?)

So that's a near blank side of A4 for you to fill...

Pine Tree - Colin Meads (trying to tackle him was like trying to tackle a pine tree)
Paekakariki Express - Christian Cullen (after his home town)
Iceman - Michael Jones (cool under pressure)
Tangoman/Fanta Menace - Gavin Henson (fake tan )
Griz - Alex Wylie (always bad-tempered)
Billy Whizz - Jason Robinson (?)
Bumface - Will Carling (that chin)
Chilli - Rob Kearney (Chilli con ...)
Captain Tackles - Richie McCaw (like it says on the tin)
...

I thought of 'Wiggy' Graham Rowntree (according to his Wiki entry "known as "Wiggy" due to an unfortunate haircut.)

I was called Tripod.

Fun Bus....Jason Leonard

The Plank...Justin Harrison

Church...Cian Healey

Cymroglan wrote:I was called Tripod.

Kiwireddevil wrote:

Portnoy wrote:With the retirement of Mad Dog announced today, it occurred to me that he's one of a very few rugby players identifiable by supporters by a soubriquet entirely unrelated to his real name.

Off the cuff I can only think of Jiffy (and why is he called that ?)

So that's a near blank side of A4 for you to fill...

Paekakariki Express - Christian Cullen
Griz - Alex Wylie
Captain Tackles - Richie McCaw

Chilli - Rob Kearney

...

First three I would not have identified

Chilli is a pun on real name.

Anyway,

Wasn't Mad Dog Moody named after a character in the Harry Potter books?

Foxy...Is that JD2?

Wagga!....Nathan Hines.

Portnoy wrote:

Kiwireddevil wrote:

Portnoy wrote:With the retirement of Mad Dog announced today, it occurred to me that he's one of a very few rugby players identifiable by supporters by a soubriquet entirely unrelated to his real name.

Off the cuff I can only think of Jiffy (and why is he called that ?)

So that's a near blank side of A4 for you to fill...

Paekakariki Express - Christian Cullen
Griz - Alex Wylie
Captain Tackles - Richie McCaw

Chilli - Rob Kearney

...

First three I would not have identified

Chilli is a pun on real name.

I doubt too many New Zealanders would have gotten "Mad Dog" or "Jiffy" either Portnoy (I hadn't heard either before joining old 606).

Nobody - John Eales (Nobody's perfect)
Bernie - Stephen Larkham (so cool he was possibly as dead as the title character in the movie "Weekend at Bernie's")
Little Zinny - Taine Randall (Z. Brooke's understudy)
Hatchet - Anton Oliver (face like a ...)
Chainsaw - Brendon Laney

In Ireland we tend to have acronyms but Ferris is called both "Bueller" (Ferris Bueller's Day Off) and 1F because there's only one fecking Ferris!

correct MrsP


Melon - Gethin Jenkins
Nugget - Martyn Williams
Smiler - Matthew Rees
Wellies - Stephen Jones

Alfie...Gareth Thomas

Chunk.....Jacobsen (is that the right one?)

The Bull....John Hayes

Hooky...James Hook who would have ever thought of that one

Breadman/Avatar - Warburton

Charteris has one too, but I can't remember it (+ the ones mentioned above)

Long Dog, for Charteris?

Bowzer - Huw Bennett

Chest-for Andy Powell

rugbydreamer wrote:Long Dog, for Charteris?

Bowzer - Huw Bennett

Correct, Long Dog aye.

Jughead - Ryan Jones

Risca Rev - Reflection of Perfection (Shortened to Reflection for ease)

Wingnuts Jenkins

The Caveman Sebastian Chabal

Was he not Seabass?

Blade – Mike Blair
Bueller - Ferris
Sinbad – James Simpson-Daniel
Wagga- Hines
Wiggy – Graham Rowntree
36 – Billy Twelverees
Brian O’Driscoll was named ‘Monica Seles’ on the last Lions tour because of the grunty noises he makes playing table tennis
Brian Moore - Le Pit-Bull
Rob Andrew - Squeaky
Will Carling -Bumface because of the dimple
Craig Chalmers -Judith

MrsP wrote:Was he not Seabass?

Yea at Sale but hes the Caveman in France...

What about Gordgodza's? Not sure if Godzilla is a play on his name or its because he looks like an unstoppable giant prehistoric Lizard!

Some people have started using Godzilla for George North but adapted it to Gogzilla. Not sure that one will catch on though....

Mossy ....Chris Paterson

The Doctor/The Jaw/Desperate Dan - Jamie Roberts

rugbydreamer wrote:The Doctor/The Jaw/Desperate Dan - Jamie Roberts

Not forgetting Quagmire

Shane Horgan - Shaggy

But still I ask - how (and when for that matter) did Jiffy get his moniker?

Jonathan Davies Quote

“No-one knows why I am called Jiffy, but if I tell you, I've got to kill you!”- Jonathan Davies

Brian Lima - The Chiropractor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3awlQQqO7U

Cymroglan wrote:Jonathan Davies Quote

“No-one knows why I am called Jiffy, but if I tell you, I've got to kill you!”- Jonathan Davies

It's got to be during his playing career. Otherwise he'd be called 'Numbers'.

Iceman was called iceman because of the number of icebags he used to wear after training because of all his injuries.

Brian Lima - The Chiropractor (probably my favourite nickname)
Bryan Redpath - Basil
Gordon Simpson - Badger
Barry John - The King
Sam Warburton - Avatar
Richard Metcalfe - Too Tall (he was 7 foot 1)
Gary Armstrong - Junkyard Dog
Ian Smith - The Flying Scotsman
Patrice Lagisquet - Bayonne Express or something similar

One of my less witty friends has also taken to shouting "Denton! Dentooon! Oh Jesus Christ!" whenever Dave Denton makes a break for Scotland in response to the viral video of the dog chasing the deer through a park:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GRSbr0EYYU

I seem to remember the Aussies calling Daniel Herbert PAAF.

Which stood for Plssed as a fart. I found that a rather odd phrase when i was there but apparently its quite common.

Wasn't Warburton know as Long-Face and Avatar for a while?

Tip-Tackle Tipuric

My favourite one ever: BAM BAM (David Pocock)

the claw - peter clohessy (ireland)

the clamp- alan bateman (wales/lions) think he picked up the nickname is oz while playing league, because he never missed a tackle.

trigger - dafydd james (wales) character from only fools and horses. apparently dafydd wasn't one of the brightest members in the welsh squad. during a welsh squad fitness testing dafydd became inconsolable that he discovered he had the lowest fat test measurments. he thought this meant he was the worse in the squad, even though the coaches/players etc tried to convince him that the lowest meant he was the best....he never got it.

im sure rob howley was known as 'the body'

'the body'? that's a strange one! do you know why dogtooth?

Chabal:
SeaBass at Sale, but Caveman in France.

'Coochie', Chilcott
'Sinbad' Simpson Daniel
'HRH' Tindall
'Bayonne Express' Patrice Lagisquet

Dom Ryan – Dippy
Shane Horgan – Shaggy
Cian Healy – Church
Keith Wood – Fester

bluestonevedder wrote:'the body'? that's a strange one! do you know why dogtooth?

because he used to work out, i think.

i saw a rob howley bit on scrumv a loooog time ago.

Ah I see. Just thought it was a strange accolade for a scrum half!

When I saw nicknames Tendai Mtawarira was the first player that came to mind.. AKA "Beaaaasssssstttttt!!!"

Richie Gray - Too Tall (although before I heard this nickname I always and still do call him "Big Rich". I also shout this sometimes... it is hilarious! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7YFIk7wHNU)

Nathan Hines - The Old Warrior, Wagga
Geoff Cross - The Good Dr (is that right?)
Euan Murray - Rev ( " " )
James O'Conor - Rabbit (although team mates cal him Justin Beiber)
David Pocock - Bam Bam
Robbie Deans - Dingo
Will Genia - Sanchez
Piri Weepu - Pow and I think some call him Wiri Peepu

Does anyone call Gavin Henson oompaloompa?