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Rugby is one of the most popular games in the world, thus we attempt to answer the burning topic among its followers: “Who are the greatest rugby players in history?”
Pledge Sports has assisted numerous rugby union, league, 7’s, and touch players and clubs in raising funds for their sport through crowdfunding. We decided it was time to weigh in on the near-impossible task of identifying the greatest rugby players of all time.
Without further ado, here is our list of the greatest rugby players of all time, as well as some current generation standouts.
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Top 10 Rugby Players of All Time
1. Richie McCaw
Where do we begin? Two-time World Cup captain in 2011 and 2015, as well as a player in 2003 and 2007. Three times named global rugby player of the year, in 2006, 2009, and 2010.
McCaw had it all: he was a breakdown expert, a phenomenal athlete, an inspirational leader, a remarkable ability to persuade referees to his side, and one of the most durable All Blacks ever. He led the All Blacks in 110 of his 148 test matches, making him the most capped test rugby player of all time.
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2. Dan Carter (New Zealand)
Rugby union player from New Zealand Dan Carter has the most Test match points and is usually regarded as the finest ever first-five eighth. He played 100 times for New Zealand’s All Blacks and scored 1,442 points.
He was a Super Rugby player with the Crusaders, where he collected 128 caps and 1,581 points. He also played for the Canterbury provincial team, where he earned 289 points.
Carter won six Tri-Nations and Rugby Championships with New Zealand and four Super Rugby championships with the Crusaders. In addition, he guided his country to win in the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In 2005 and 2012, the International Rugby Board named him player of the year.
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3. Michael Jones (New Zealand)
After retiring from professional rugby, Michael Jones, a former New Zealand rugby union player, became the coach of the Samoa rugby team from 2004 to 2007.
During his career, he was one of the most attacking players and was dubbed “The Iceman” due to his frequent use of ice packs to treat injuries while playing. According to his first coach, John Hart, he is “nearly the perfect rugby player.”
He was the most successful Flanker for the New Zealand All Blacks, with 55 caps and 56 points. Rugby World magazine named him the third-best All Black of the twentieth century.
In 2003, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. Aside from his athletic career,
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4. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
Brian O’Driscoll, a former Irish professional rugby union player, is largely considered as the greatest outside centre in rugby history. His fame and fan base were so strong that his fans wore T-shirts with the slogan “In BOD We Trust” to his matches.
He led Ireland’s national rugby team from 2003 to 2012, as well as the British and Irish Lions on their 2005 tour of New Zealand. In addition to international appearances, Brian was a member of the Irish regional team Leinster, which helped them establish themselves as one of Europe’s most successful rugby teams.
He played 141 test matches for Ireland, including 83 as captain, and 8 for the British and Irish Lions.
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5. David Campese (Australia)
David Campese, a former Australian rugby union player, is largely regarded as the best winger and fullback in rugby history. He is also well-known for his hitch-kick action known as the “goose-step,” which is superior at dodging opponent tackling.
He played 101 times for Australia’s national rugby team, the Wallabies, and scored 315 points. In his club career, he also represented New South Wales, earning 56 caps and 114 points. After an unbelievable trip that included nine tries in tests and six in the Rugby World Cup, he was crowned the tournament’s player of the tournament at the 1991 Rugby World Cup.
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6. Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)
Former New Zealand rugby union player Jonah Lomu is largely considered as the first real worldwide rugby union celebrity. During his career, he was also regarded as the “rugby union’s biggest draw card.” From 1994 to 2002, he won 63 caps and 185 points for the New Zealand All Blacks. He was a member of three Super Rugby teams, including the Auckland Blues, Chiefs, and Hurricanes.
He holds the record for the Rugby World Cup’s all-time leading try scorer with 15 tries and was regarded as one of the finest rugby players in international competitions beginning with the 1995 World Cup; nevertheless, he never won a World Cup throughout his career.
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7. Martin Johnson (England)
Martin Johnson, an English former rugby union player, is considered as one of the finest locks in rugby history. He led England to World Cup success in 2003 and is the only man to captain the British and Irish Lions on two consecutive tours. He coached his club team Leicester Tigers to six league titles and six straight Heineken Cup victories.
He played 84 times for England’s national rugby team, scoring 10 points, and 362 times for Leicester Tigers, scoring 90 points. Between 2008 and 2011, he served as national team manager after retiring.
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8. Jonny Wilkinson
Wilkinson’s resume includes stints at Newcastle Falcons and Toulon, as well as appearances for England and the British and Irish Lions. Wilkinson got 91 caps for England, with his team winning 61 of them while he was playing. With 277 points, Wilkinson holds the Rugby World Cup points record and is the only player to score in two Rugby World Cup Finals.
He is most known for scoring the game-winning drop goal in the final minute of extra time against Australia in the 2003 World Cup final. He was a renowned number 10 in attack, kicking, and defence, with injuries being his one flaw.
9. Gareth Edwards (Wales)
According to the BBC, former Welsh rugby union player Gareth Edwards is “probably the best player ever to don a Welsh shirt.” From 1967 to 1978, he appeared in 53 matches for Wales, scoring 88 points. He also appeared in 10 matches for the British Lions, scoring three points. In his club career, he spent 12 seasons with Cardiff RFC, scoring 69 tries in 195 games.
In 2003, he was chosen the best player of all time in a survey conducted by Rugby World magazine. Gareth was also ranked the best rugby player ever in The Telegraph’s list of “50 Greatest Rugby Players,” produced by former England captain Will Carling in 2007.
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10. Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand)
Zinzan Brooke, a former New Zealand rugby union player, is widely regarded as one of the finest flankers in rugby union history. As captain of the Auckland Blues, he led them to Super 12 titles in 1996 and 1997. He won 58 All Black New Zealand national rugby team caps, scoring 89 points, and also appeared in 42 non-international matches for the All Blacks.
At the time of his retirement, he held the world record for a forward with 17 tries in Test matches, and he was named ninth on The Telegraph’s list of “50 Greatest Rugby Players” in 2007.
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