Rob Carmichael is the tallest professional rugby player in the world, and the towering lock is hoping to make a name for himself with Scotland in the coming years
When it comes to the tallest rugby players in the world, names like RG Snyman, Lood de Jager and Will Skelton might come to mind. However, towering above them all is Rob Carmichael, a lock who stands at an impressive 6 feet 11 inches tall.
At just 22 years old, Carmichael holds the title of the tallest active professional rugby player in the world. He currently plays for Edinburgh Rugby in the United Rugby Championship. After initially joining the Scottish club on loan from Leicester Tigers in 2024, he later signed a three-year contract with the capital city team.
In a recent interview on the Tall Stories podcast, Carmichael discussed his extraordinary height. He revealed that his older brother, who stands at “only” 6ft 5in, is often mistaken for being the younger sibling.
Born in Hong Kong in 2003, Carmichael spent most of his life in Asia, raised by a Scottish father and an English-Welsh mother who moved there in the 1990s.
Despite trying his hand at basketball when he was younger, Carmichael soon realised it wasn’t the sport for him. Instead, he found his passion in rugby, playing for Sandy Bay RFC while living on China’s south coast.
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The family made the move to the UK in 2019, when the towering talent was approximately 16 years old. It didn’t take long for Tigers to recognise his abilities and secure him for their academy setup.
He featured in two PREM Rugby Cup matches for Tigers and has previously turned out for England under-20s, though he remains qualified for Scotland and Wales through his heritage – but appears destined for international duty with Scotland.
Speaking on the Tall Stories podcast, he described relocating to the UK with his family as a “massive culture shock”, though noted that rugby talent spotters quickly identified him because of his extraordinary height.
During his playing days in China, fellow players couldn’t hoist him in lineouts due to the enormous size disparity, but this became his main role after arriving in England.
The Edinburgh lock acknowledged he occupies a fortunate position. “My height has massively helped me get to where I am,” he said.
“I’ve been given a lot of opportunities that maybe other people wouldn’t have. I’ve worked very hard to get to where I am, but it has obviously helped me massively. I do stand out, if nothing else.
“Grandmas come up to me and tell me that their grandson is as tall as me. You can’t really just shut down an old lady like that, but they’re all wrong,” he quipped with a smile.
When asked about being the tallest professional rugby player, Carmichael revealed that Edinburgh have verified his record, adding that he will “humbly accept that title.”
Despite being the tallest among his friends and brothers, Carmichael takes their teasing well. “My brothers have called me a big freak for so long,” he chuckles.
“It’s not really an insult anymore, it’s just kind of… or they just call me a circus freak as well. Which might sound quite harsh, but that’s just one of my nicknames!”
After spending a season with Edinburgh in the URC, Carmichael is looking forward to further honing his craft in the upcoming season, with the possibility of a Scotland call-up now that he’s playing for Edinburgh. The promising player has already represented ‘Emerging Scotland’ since moving there, and has expressed his aspiration to play for the country.
“It’s always been my dream to play for Scotland,” Carmichael shared with Edinburgh Rugby upon joining the team. “I grew up in Hong Kong and I wanted to play for them but if Scotland came up and by some miracle I could do it, I would.
“My dad’s side of the family are all Scottish so I’ve supported them for as long as I can remember.”