List of England national rugby union players Wikipedia
Loosehead prop Steven Kitshoff is ranked 19th overall in the world, with hooker Malcolm Marx just ahead in 18th place. Australia managed to equal the All Blacks’ tally of two players in the top 20, with centre Samu Kerevi ranking 17th and his captain Will Skelton at sixth. The list, compiled by British newspaper The Telegraph, has snubbed Steve Borthwick’s charges in their top 20, with France and Ireland players dominating the best of the best. Hopefully NZ will respect us enough to do likelwise without abusing Irish players or abusing our amazing supporters again. NZ are responsible and accountable for the conduct of their players. He obliquely referenced Sexton’s incident with Peyper seemingly unaware that Ioane was citable under the exact same offence.
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As for Easter, he looked a bit further back and selected one of his former teammates, Lawrence Dallaglio. Men’s and Women’s World Rugby Rankings are calculated using a ‘Points Exchange’ system, where sides gain or lose points based on the match result. Other criteria include the relative strength of each team, the margin of victory, and an allowance for home advantage.
Planet Rugby’s player rating key for the 2024 Six Nations
His wonderful performance against Argentina at the World Cup will go down in English Rugby history as one of the best individual performances in a white shirt. This is not meant to disparage Farrell’s contribution to English rugby, but his presence no doubt has hampered Ford. A master tactician with a sublime passing and kicking game, Ford is an old-school game manager in the best sense of the word. With his long-term teammate and friend now unavailable and seemingly on his way to the Top 14, Ford could prove to be both the first-choice fly-half and English captain this year. Despite featuring against Italy and France in the tournament, Williams did not crack the Welsh World Cup squad.
Italy climb World Rugby Women’s Rankings powered by Capgemini
With Biggar now retired from international rugby, and Gareth Anscombe playing his club rugby in Japan, Costelow is the last remaining fly-half option from Wales’ 2023 Rugby World Cup squad. An already established member of the All Blacks’ starting 23, Anton Lienert-Brown will be hoping to kick-start a stronger season in Waikato. Walking into their starting side with the likes of Lalomilo Lalomilo and Alex Nankivell departing the team, 2023 felt like like Lienert-Brown was still finding his feet again after an injury-ridden 2022 season. The fastest player ever to reach 40 tries in Super Rugby, Sevu Reece, in partnership with former Crusader Leicester Fainga’anuku, was a major reason behind their team’s insane ability to score tries. A ruthless finisher, Reece is still no less of a threat out on the wings for Canterbury, and many backlines will have their work cut out just trying to shut him down.
England: Steve Borthwick names 36-man squad featuring duo’s long-awaited return and a star-studded 9-man injury list
Flanker Tommy Reffell must be a nightmare to play against, such is his disruptive influence at the breakdown. Followers of Reffell since his fledgling days with the U20s and Leicester will say it was ever thus, and won’t be surprised to see him atop the list of turnovers won. Fellow back rower Sam Underhill is making up for lost time in the England jersey and has five turnovers, with Maro Itoje and Gianmarco Lucchesi behind him on four. Most surprising, perhaps, is the presence of Reffell’s former Tigers teammate George Ford among these turnover titans. Bendon recently undertook the daunting task of ranking the top 100 rugby players in the world. His annual salary of $900,000 establishes him as the fourth highest-paid rugby player.
Australia – Massive Rebuilding Job
A dynamic ball carrier without a ridiculous work ethic, Porter has elevated himself to the status of world-class since making his debut in 2017. In January, the wealthy French club Racing 92 made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. Russell had been making about $800,000 a year from Saracens, his home club since he was a teenager. For possibly the first time ever, New Zealand don’t head into the Rugby World Cup as favourites to lift the Webb Ellis Cup, and that is reflected in the Telegraph’s picks. Sexton’s actions to Peyper was misconduct, and for the exact same reason Ioane’s actions to Irish supporters are citable as misconduct. Sexton was banned for abusing/disrespecting Peyper in what was the identical version of this for the Chamions League competition.
- The battle to sign former England captain Courtney Lawes appeared to be a straight shoot-out between Pro D2 promotion hopefuls Provence and Brive, but there is a potential spanner in the works.
- Rugby is a collision sport, which means that power in contact is a bare minimum for players.
- His kicking game, especially his positional kicking, has improved out of sight.
- Argentina’s captain is a no-nonsense, blue-collar worker who does the dirty work so his teammates can shine.
- For a time they were ranked number one in the world and after the heartbreak of their dramatic quarter-final exit to the All Blacks at the World Cup, they will be looking to prove themselves again.
World Rankings: Why the Boks remained second despite Rugby Championship win
Having been among the world’s premier players for some time now, Maro Itoje enjoyed another fruitful season in 2021. The veteran lock was a shining light in England’s below-par Six Nations campaign to become a regular test starter for the British and Irish Lions on their tour of South Africa. Itoje then capped off his year with a string of standout showings as England swept the Wallabies, Springboks and Tonga in the Autumn Nations Series. Of equal importance to the Hurricanes is the performance of their star centre, Jordie Barrett. Head coach Warren Gatland has been forced to pick one of the youngest squads of his career following retirements, transfers and injuries to key players. Arguably only the second true utility player on this list alongside Levani Botia, former sevens specialty Smith is one of the best back row players in the world.
- The Centenary Quaich named after a Gaelic drinking dish, the ‘Quaich’ has been presented to the winners of the Ireland against Scotland since 1989 and won by Ireland in 2023.
- Gustard spoke highly of ex-Saracens forward Jacques Burger, who he believed had many of the key characteristics of the best defenders in rugby.
- The wing is truly prolific personified and a dangerous threat whether he crosses for a try or sets one up.
- Japan’s Rugby League One and France’s Top 14 have two players each among the top five highest-paid rugby players.
- Ireland, which includes players from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the team, are the current tournament holders having won the Six Nations in 2023.
All Blacks ‘livid’ over French move that ‘devalues mega series’ by standing down stars from 2025 NZ tour
Usually, the best rugby players in the world only gather in one place every four years when the Rugby World Cup tournament begins, but as the international rugby season is underway, it’s good time to get them together. The former captain Nayacalevu noted that this issue had a mental effect on the players. When preparing for the big games, the team wanted their minds to be focused on that game, rather than underlying pay disputes. They also expected transparency from FRU and everything to run smoothly, noting that this is not an issue that should be experienced in international rugby. Dragons wing Rio Dyer is proving himself to be a favourite with Wales head coach Warren Garland, and it’s not hard to see why, when he plays every game like it could be his last. He’s beaten 12 defenders so far, level with Ben Earl (who some pundits have even suggested should be played at centre).
Other France players to watch
A force on both sides of the ball, the 23-year-old will be looking to transfer his impressive form for Benetton on to the Test arena. His significant size in the backrow opens up a whole world of possibilities at set piece for Los Pumas – in particular, his explosive power getting off the ground quickly for lineouts and kickoff receipts. Not since the great Joe Rokocoko has New Zealand Rugby had a winger who ties together immense physicality with guile to the level of Telea.
‘Sarries wouldn’t have won anything if Owen Farrell wasn’t playing’ – Jamie George
Italian Rugby’s crown jewel, Capuozzo is the sprinkling of magic dust that takes the Azzurri backline to another level whenever he is fit and firing. Argentina’s captain is a no-nonsense, blue-collar worker who does the dirty work so his teammates can shine. Joining his fellow Irish centers, Henshaw is a hybrid of Aki and Ringrose, with the ability to slot into both the 12 and 13 shirts seamlessly.
That didn’t change in 2021, a year of which he earned a World Rugby Player of the Year nomination, and one could argue Hooper can feel hard done by that he wasn’t the outright winner of the award. Antoine Dupont needs no introduction, and few would disagree that he is the best player in the world right now. Not only can he display his skills on a 15s stage, but he has also started his 7s career with a bang, scoring a try on his debut for France. So far in his career, he has won the Six Nations with France and three top 14 titles with Toulouse.
- It was a brave call to go to the back of the line within striking distance, but it worked and Wales won a penalty try from the subsequent maul.
- One half of an all-star French halves combination, Romain Ntamack continues to emerge as one of rugby’s most promising young players.
- There are quicker wings but few with the try-scoring finesse of the electric 27-year-old.
- His performances for Ireland have been marked by “blistering pace, deft handling, and an uncanny ability to find the try line”.
- However, he could become a familiar face following the 2024 Six Nations.
- While he is no slouch, De Allende is the first player to volunteer himself to run into a brick wall to create space for his flashy teammates.
He was once a good footballer who could play in the halves and slowly he turned himself into what he is now, which is a great half. He could have performed well in that role that way for the rest of his career and reaped plenty of spoils from it. Cameron Munster was a fullback during the years Slater lost to injury, until Slater got healthy again and Munster had to play somewhere, so he went into five-eighth as well and now he’s one of the best of his era. 16 – Ryan Elias – 5Hit first jumper but missed his most important throw when Wales had to chase the game.
Handrè Pollard is the definition of a clutch player – always there to depend on in the tough moments. Aaron Woods always wanted to be a rugby league player – but the talented media performer, unsurprisingly, would’ve been talking people’s ears off if he wasn’t one. For some of the boys playing in the national team, playing for the Flying Fijians is how food gets put on the table for their families and they can’t support their families if they don’t get paid. I wholeheartedly agree with Botia’s statement that FRU should not expect the best out of their players if they are not able to pay the players who decided to join them. He also noted that had FRU kept their promises, the players that represented their country would be more focused on the upcoming games rather than the payments that FRU had either failed or refused to give them.
In the USA, FloRugby will broadcast some of the best international rugby fixtures of 2024. “Always, if I was unsure, I’d always ask a question and then they always said there’s no dumb questions, you know. Some players might be able to take it in at easier, other players it might take a little bit longer to understand what they’ve got to do. With his own future now secured, Woods advised the current and future crops of NRL players to “keep asking questions”. “So what I really wanted to do while I played but I just didn’t, I didn’t have enough time, was I’d love to open up a coffee shop and just get to meet people in the local area.
- The FRU have demonstrated some of the most disgraceful and disgusting management I have ever seen for a rugby team.
- Fijian Rugby’s spiritual leader, Nayacelevu led his team to within an inch of a Rugby World Cup semifinal in 2023.
- Although he only played five tests this year, the class and quality of the Les Bleus star catapults him high up the rankings in an indication of his influence in the French set-up.
- Memories can fade, but medals don’t and accolades like the Dally M are how we talk to each other about rugby league history across time, so getting it right matters.
- Another pair of players that are unsurprisingly right up near the top of the most valuable list given how significantly they influence the clashes they feature in.
- England’s lost soldier, and yet another Toulouse player, how Willis remains ineligible due to selection rules is one of the greatest travesties in rugby.
- The sides all compete in one group with all the teams trying to win more points than the others.
Ireland, which includes players from both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in the team, are the current tournament holders having won the Six Nations in 2023. The Six Nations is the oldest international rugby tournament in the world. First held in 1883, it was originally called the Home Nations Championship, with England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales all taking part. The Six Nations is a rugby union tournament played every year between top countries in Europe. Planet Rugby have been going through the ‘Top 50’ over the last few weeks and they’ve finally named their all-important ‘Top 10’ with one Irish player making the cut. At the Six Nations, we will see if he can meet the challenge of blending youth, experience, and managing players he has played alongside for a long time.
England stretch further in front in World Rugby Women’s Rankings
One of the most exciting talents in the game, Russell is a magician of a fly-half with the skills to unpick any defence. Being named co-captain signals an end to his stormy relationship with head coach Gregor Townsend and he has been revitalised by his move to Bath, who are flourishing as a result of his arrival. A host of rugby’s most gifted players will go head to head over the coming weeks in the 25th instalment of the Guinness Six Nations. Here the PA news agency looks at five stars expected to grab the headlines.
The captain of South Africa’s Rugby team, Siya Kolisi, makes the list at fifth. Kolisi plays for the French club Racing 92 for an estimated $800,000 to $850,000 a year. Ireland head into the World Cup as the number-one ranked side and have six players in the top 20. Defending World Cup champions South Africa have three entries, two of which are front rowers.
Two front rowers have been putting themselves about too, in prop Pierre Schoeman (36) and hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi (34). Here is the full list of the highest-paid rugby players of 2024, compiled using data from Yahoo News, GQ Australia, and The Scotsman. The best players can earn lofty wages in the most popular rugby leagues worldwide. Owen Farrell, fly-half of Racing 92, tops the list as the highest-paid rugby player in the world for 2024.
ESPN surveyed league executives, coaches and scouts to help us rank the top 10 players at 11 different positions, from quarterback to cornerback and all positions in between. This was the fifth edition of these rankings, and as usual, several players moved up or fell off last year’s lists. We got ex-England captain Chris Robshaw to speak about leadership, where he explained https://just-bet.org/ all the different leaders and captains in a rugby squad. The former back-rower picked out Ireland skipper Peter O’Mahony, who led his country to another Six Nations title in 2024. Russell is “a fly-half known for his attacking instincts”, said Rugby World. He can produce a host of “kicks, flicks and tricks to create try-scoring opportunities for himself and his team-mates”.