Who are the best rugby players of all time? We take a look at some candidates…

Rugby is a popular sport in big parts of the world but it is especially popular in Australia, New Zealand and England. It is played by both male and female players of all ages and in 2014, there were more than six million people playing rugby worldwide.

The sport has existed since the 19th century where it originated in England. Rugby is played between two teams consisting of 15 players each and the game is based on running with the ball in hand. The ball is oval-shaped and the game is played on a rectangular field called a pitch.

Throughout history, many players across the world have played professional rugby in professional rugby leagues and that has resulted in many talented rugby players throughout time.

Betting on rugby is very popular around the whole world. Sports betting in general is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome. With rugby being a popular sport, you have the opportunity to place a bet on your favourite rugby-team. We have listed some of the best rugby players of all time in the article below.

Jonah Lomu

One of the best rugby players is called Jonah Lomu. He was a union player from New Zealand and has had a great rugby career throughout the time. He played for the New Zealand national rugby team called All-Blacks and he became popular back in 1995 where he scored seven tries during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. Throughout his career, he played for three different teams in the Super Rugby which included Auckland Blues, Chiefs and Hurricanes. Lomu had a big impact on rugby and he was considered as ‘rugby union’s biggest draw card’ during his career. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2015 as just 40 years old.

Dan Carter

Another great rugby player is Dan Carter. He also played on the New Zealand national rugby team and he has won several championships with All-Blacks as well as he has won several Tri-Nations and Super Rugby titles with the Canterbury Crusades. In 2011, he led his national team to victory in the Rugby World Cup. He is one of the best kickers of all time in Rugby and he is strong in running and tackling as well. These things combined make him one of the best rugby players of all time.

Richie McCaw

Australia’s Quade Cooper is shoved in the face by Richie McCaw during the Investec Tri Nations rugby test match between Australia Wallabies and New Zealand All Blacks for the Bledisloe Cup at Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand, Saturday August 6 2011. (AAP Images/NZPA, Stephen Barker) NO ARCHIVING, EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NZ OUT

We can’t have a list like this without adding Richie McCaw to it. He was a captain for the All-Blacks and has played in the 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups. He is the only player to win the Rugby World cup two times as a captain in the 2011 and the 2015 World Cups. Besides this, he is one of the best openside flankers when it comes to breakdowns and he is a great leader, both on and off the field. Therefore it is no surprise that he has been named the world rugby player of the year three times, in 2006, 2009 and 2010 – in addition to being named the ‘World Rugby Men’s player of the decade’.

Brian O’Driscoll

Another of the best rugby players of all time comes from Ireland and his name is Brian O’Driscoll. He is considered to be the best outside center in rugby history. He was captain for Ireland’s national rugby team from 2003 to 2012 and with his 141 test matches, he is one of the most-capped players in rugby history. He has participated in three Rugby World Cups with Ireland, though he has never actually won a World Cup. Yet, he is without a doubt one of the most successful rugby players of all time.

David Campese

Last man on our list is David Campese who was an Australian rugby player. He is considered to be the greatest winger in rugby history and he was a great athlete who ran a lot throughout his career. He is also known for his trademark called ‘Goose step’ which is a hitch kick motion he used to avoid tackles from his opponents. He played for Australia’s national rugby team where he played for Australia in the 1987, 1991 and 1995 Rugby World Cup. In 1991, he won the World Cup with Australia. Due to his many achievements, he has been inducted into several Hall of Fames so there is no doubt that Campese is one of the best rugby players of all time.