There are a few sports or positions where gaining muscle mass is an advantage in of

itself, American football is a great example. Linemen have a real advantage in adding
body weight, even more so when that weight comes from muscle rather than fat.
Even power positions like linebackers and running backs will have a solid advantage
in having more muscle: making them more solid during an impact.

The same could be said with Rugby (1st and 2nd line) and even in sports like hockey,
where some positions or style of play are at an advantage when carrying more
muscle mass.

Hypertrophy can also have a significant indirect effect on performance, via an

increase in strength and power. After all, if adding muscle mass provided no
advantages we would not have doping problem in baseball, track and other power
sports. Steroids increase performance mostly via an increase in muscle mass which
leads to greater strength.

Strength is the foundation for power (power is force x velocity) and power is the
foundation for speed. By increasing strength, you increase your power potential
which can increase your power potential. And as we saw earlier, increasing muscle
mass will increase strength potential, thus also having a positive impact on power
potential.

Finally, hypertrophy work (especially when you emphasize the eccentric portion of
the movements) can increase tendon thickness. This has an obvious positive impact
on reducing the risk of injuries, but it can also increase power, speed, and agility. A
thicker tendon can store more potential energy and will also provide a stronger
stretch reflex, both of which will increase power, speed, and agility.