Rugby union

International players and defining achievements in rugby union.

People in Rugby union

40 profiles

Athlete

Jonah Lomu

Transforming expectations of a rugby wing through exceptional size and speed.

Athlete

Richie McCaw

Captaining New Zealand to consecutive Rugby World Cup titles.

Athlete

Dan Carter

Becoming a record-scoring international rugby fly-half.

Athlete

Siya Kolisi

Captaining South Africa to the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups.

Athlete

Bryan Habana

Scoring tries at exceptional speed for South Africa.

Athlete

Gareth Edwards

Driving Wales’s celebrated rugby teams of the 1960s and 1970s.

Athlete

Jonny Wilkinson

Kicking England’s winning drop goal in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final.

Athlete

Brian O'Driscoll

Combining creative centre play with leadership of Irish rugby.

Athlete

Serge Blanco

Bringing adventurous attacking play to French rugby.

Athlete

Antoine Dupont

Bringing world-class scrum-half play to fifteen-a-side and sevens rugby.

Athlete

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe

Scoring prolifically in both forms of international rugby.

Athlete

Sarah Hunter

Becoming England’s most-capped rugby player.

Athlete

Maggie Alphonsi

Helping England win the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Athlete

Emily Scarratt

Scoring sixteen points in England’s 2014 World Cup final victory.

Athlete

Phaidra Knight

Earning international recognition at both prop and flanker.

Athlete

David Campese

Helping Australia win the 1991 Rugby World Cup with daring running and six tournament tries.

Athlete

Jessy Trémoulière

Winning World Rugby’s women’s player award in 2018 and its player-of-the-decade vote.

Athlete

Johnny Sexton

Winning rugby’s world player award and leading Ireland to a Grand Slam.

Athlete

Kendra Cocksedge

Winning three Rugby World Cups with the Black Ferns.

Athlete

Michael Jones

The dynamic flanker who scored the first try of the inaugural Rugby World Cup and helped New Zealand win it.

Athlete

Kelly Brazier

Winning rugby world titles in both sevens and the fifteen-a-side game.

Athlete

Shane Williams

Wales’ record try scorer and the 2008 world rugby player of the year.

Athlete

Schalk Burger

Winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup and returning to international rugby after severe illness.

Athlete

Chester Williams

Helping South Africa win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Athlete

John Eales

Captaining Australia to the 1999 Rugby World Cup.

Athlete

Sean Fitzpatrick

Captaining the All Blacks and winning the inaugural Rugby World Cup.

Athlete

Anna Richards

Winning four Rugby World Cups with New Zealand.

Athlete

DJ Forbes

Captaining New Zealand’s successful rugby sevens teams.

Athlete

Mary Forsyth

Helping organise the first women’s Rugby World Cup.

Athlete

Tom Lawton Snr

Captaining Australia’s rugby union side as a five-eighth.

Athlete

Deborah Griffin

Helping organise the first Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Athlete

Osea Kolinisau

Captaining Fiji to its first Olympic gold medal.

Athlete

Waisale Serevi

Leading Fiji to two Rugby World Cup Sevens titles.

Athlete

Joe Warbrick

Organising and captaining the 1888–89 New Zealand Native rugby tour

Athlete

Tom Richards

Playing rugby for both Australia and the British Lions

Athlete

Nicholas Shehadie

Australian rugby leadership and advocacy for the Rugby World Cup.

Athlete

George Smith

Breakdown expertise for Australia and the Brumbies.

Athlete

Dave Gallaher

Captaining the Original All Blacks on their 1905–06 tour.

Athlete

Hugo Porta

Captaining Argentina and directing play at fly-half.

Athlete

Yoshihiro Sakata

Japanese rugby’s pioneering international winger