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. 

At least in an article form.

FloRugby analyst and reporter Philip Bendon has seen quite a few Rugby World Cups and is as plugged into the sports as any reporter in the world. 

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Bendon recently undertook the daunting task of ranking the top 100 rugby players in the world. 

Here is Bendon's top 20 rugby players. Read the full series at FloRugby.com. 

1. Antoine Dupont – France - Scrumhalf

Dynamic, physical and creative, Dupont is the complete package and is head and shoulders above the rest as the best player in the world. 

Sucking up the gut punch of being dumped out of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in brutal fashion, the French maestro has led his club side Toulouse to the Investec Champions Cup and Top 14 titles in 2024, as well as taken the rugby sevens world by storm, leading France to two titles ahead of the Olympics. 

Sitting comfortably in the pantheon of all-time greats at just 27 years old, Dupont is this generation’s Jonah Lomu.

2. Ardie Savea – New Zealand - Backrow

Nipping at Dupont’s heels, All Blacks superstar and reigning World Player Of The Year Savea easily is New Zealand’s best player in this era. 

Taking over the mantle from Kieran Reid and Richie McCaw as the talisman in the All Blacks pack, Savea is a combative force who is at the heart of everything for which New Zealand Rugby stands.

3. Pieter-Steph Du Toit – South Africa - Backrow

A colossus in every sense of the word, Pieter-Steph Du Toit (PSDT) gave the All Blacks PTSD in the 2023 World Cup final, where he completed a whopping 28 tackles, most of which were dominant collisions. 

Nearly losing his leg to an infection a few years back, PSDT had one of his father’s hamstrings surgically implanted into his knee. 

Understanding the ‘why’ in terms of what the Springboks play for, PSDT matches his playing ability with an unrelenting passion for his country and is a key leader for the back-to-back world champions.

4. Caelen Doris – Ireland - Backrow

Unlike any prospect who has gone before him in terms of Irish Rugby talent, the captain in waiting for the men in green is an athletic freak. 

At 6-foot-4 and 115 kilograms, Doris is pinball who bounces around and through contact with the energy of a Duracell bunny. 

Technically, he is impeccable and already has proven his ability to play to a world-class standard in every backrow position, albeit he arguably is the best No. 8 in the world at the moment.

5. Eben Etzebeth – South Africa - Secondrow 

As Andy Bernard said in the office, "I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them."

In the case of Eben Etzebeth, Springboks fans should wake up and thank their lucky stars every day that the greatest secondrow in rugby history still is at the peak of his powers. 

Crafted out of granite sourced from Mount Olympus, Etzebeth truly is a remarkable specimen, who at a shade under 7 feet tall and 120 kilograms, ragdolls opponents, while enforcing his will on them at every contact point. 

In the same vein as his long-term teammate PSDT, Etzebeth epitomizes what it is to be a player for South Africa.

6. Dan Sheehan – Ireland - Hooker

Desperately in need of a test to ascertain what planet he is from, Sheehan burst onto the scene in 2020 as a fully formed world-class talent. 

Since then, Sheehan has locked down the role as the best hooker in the world, albeit Springboks star Malcolm Marx may have something to say on this matter. 

Unusually built for someone in his position, Sheehan comes in at 6-foot-3 and 115-kilograms with a body shape that looks more like a modern day center than a front-row forward. 

This comparison doesn’t stop there, as the Leinster star plays like an elite backline operator and is a mismatch carrier in the wide channels for both his province and country.

7. Damian Penaud – France - Winger

As clinical as a top-notch surgeon, Penaud is the Clyde to Dupont’s Bonnie as a go-getting finisher. 

Roaming the wider channels as a one-on-one nightmare for opposing defenses, Penaud gets his hands on the ball more than just about any other back-three player in the modern game. 

Utilizing his long frame to great effect, Penaud often is on the end of clever kicks from Dupont and Romain Ntamack, while his power in contact makes him a formidable force on both sides of the ball.

8. Will Jordan – New Zealand - Utility Back

If this list were to be written in two years, Jordan likely would be among the top three places. 

A roaming threat in the backfield, the Crusaders star has a running style reminiscent of the great Christian Cullen. 

With all of the physical gifts required to be a dominant force, it is Jordan’s cerebral ability that sets him apart, with his ability to see the action unfolding phases ahead meaning he's always in the right place at the right time. 

9. Cheslin Kolbe – South Africa - Winger

Against all odds, Kolbe has gone on to become an undroppable force for the Springboks. 

Diminutive in stature only, the pocket rocket packs a punch with his superhuman strength, routinely coming as a surprise to players who outweigh him by over 50 kilograms. 

With an ability to beat a defender in a phone box, Kolbe leaves would-be tacklers clutching at shadows, with his big-game temperament seeing him shine when the lights are at their brightest.

10. Hugo Keenan – Ireland - Fullback 

Rugby’s Rolls Royce, Keenan is as smooth as Sean Connery’s 007. 

Seemingly never under duress, Keenan covers every blade grass of grass in the Leinster and Ireland backfields with authority. 

Catching opponents off guard with his top-line speed and footwork, Keenan has yet to put in a performance that is below an 8 out of 10 for his country, and he is a key cog to Andy Farrell’s well-oiled machine. 

11. Handre Pollard – South Africa - Fly-Half

With ice running through his veins, Pollard is rugby’s adrenaline junky who is unfazed by the weight of a nation's expectations.

Without his calming influence and big-match temperament, the Springboks would not have won either of their past two Rugby World Cup titles, and that is a fact. 

While several contenders have emerged over the years, none have been realistic alternatives to the Springboks commander in chief.

12. Tadhg Beirne – Ireland - Utility Forward

Sniffing a turnover like a great white shark picking up a scent of blood, Munster’s captain is the best turnover artist in the professional game. 

Venturing down a road less traveled to get to where he is today, Beirne is one of the first names on the Irish team sheet and is the quiet assassin in the pack. 

Underrated in terms of his physicality, Beirne’s work rate is truly elite, as he often is the one to pop up with a key intervention that gets his team over the line late in contests.

13. Damian Willemse – South Africa - Utility Back 

South Africa’s Swiss army knife, Willemse has gradually developed each season.  

Starting his professional life as a highly touted former schoolboy star, the Stormers stalwart has grown into an assured and consistent performer who rarely makes a mistake while sprinkling in a handful of magical moments every match.

14. Jamison Gibson-Park – Ireland - Scrumhalf 

Irish Rugby’s pivot point since the retirement of Jonathan Sexton, JGP is the 1B to Dupont’s 1A as the best scrumhalf in the world. 

Dictating the rate of play for both Leinster and Ireland with masterful authority, JGP has the ability to flip a fixture on its head with a moment of brilliance or shut out an opponent’s comeback with a cold and clinical battening down of the hatches. 

15. Ben Earl – England - Backrow 

Shot out of a cannon is perhaps the best way to sum up how the Saracens star carries into contact. 

Ripping into opponents with vigor, Earl is English Rugby’s go-forward operator who has broken the mold for what a backrow wearing the famous white shirt should look like. 

Not that he is a shrinking violet, but Earl has gone away from the English bulldog look to resemble more of a lean doberman that wins its battles with a relentless approach. 

If you want to know what it feels like to try and contain Earl, simply drop a couple of Mentos into a Coca-Cola bottle and give it a shake. 

16. Will Skelton – Australia - Secondrow 

Straight out of a book of folklore, the Stade Rochelais and Wallabies giant is one of the biggest players to ever take to a rugby pitch. 

Damn near 7 feet tall and tipping the scales at 150 kilograms, Skelton would look more at home on the Dallas Cowboys offensive line than he does on a rugby pitch. 

Utilizing every kilogram of his frame, Skelton is unstoppable in a one-on-one situation, as he simply runs over fellow pro players like they are an average Joe who has never seen a set of rugby posts. 

17. Finn Russell – Scotland - Fly-Half 

Rugby's ‘Lionel Messi’ likely would have put David Blaine out of a job if he had not pursued a rugby career. 

Approaching every match with a devil-may-care attitude, Russell seemingly doesn’t have a care in the world. 

Yet behind the scenes, the Scottish star is one of the hardest-working pros who backs his skillset to play an off-the-cuff style that has opponents at 6s and 7s. 

While it always will be his attacking game that garners the headlines, Russell is one of the most ferocious defenders in the game, and he cuts down even the most effective of ball carriers with ease.

18. Bundee Aki – Ireland - Center

Clattering through contact like an old-school wind-up clattering teeth toy, Ireland’s gain-line puncher does the hard yards for the Irish attack. 

If defenders somehow manage to stop him, it will be meters behind the first point of contact. 

Knowing just how powerful he is, opponents often will double up in a bid to stop him in what is a grave move, as Aki has a truly world-class skillset that puts his teammates away for big gains and scores. 

Had Ireland gone further in last year’s Rugby World Cup, there is little doubt he would be the reigning World Player Of The Year.

19. Jordie Barrett – New Zealand - Center

In an interesting game of snakes and ladders, the youngest Barrett brother now is the best of the three on our list, despite the fact that his middle brother could be a future All Black captain, and his eldest All Black brother is a two time World Player Of The Year. 

The Hurricanes skipper is the prototypical inside center who brings a top-class passing, kicking and running game to go with an outlandish rugby brain.

20. Ox Nche – South Africa - Prop

‘Salads don’t win scrums’ – Ox Nche 2023. 

Has there ever been a sentence that sums up props more aptly? If so we haven’t heard it! 

The Springboks scrummaging maestro is a tricky operator who corkscrews tightheads for fun. 

Utilizing his short-and-stout stature to great effect, he powers through contact when in possession and more than holds his own defensively. 

Outside of the scrum, his biggest strength is his ability to put the clamps on a breakdown and become an immovable force.

Top 100 Rugby Players In The World: Read The Player Breakdowns

• Best Rugby Players In The World 1-20
• Best Rugby Players In The World 21-40
• Best Rugby Players In The World 41-60
• Best Rugby Players In The World 61-80
• Best Rugby Players In The World 81-100

World Rugby Rankings On July 8

Here are the latest rankings from World Rugby: 

1. South Africa, 94.86
2. Ireland, 90.37
3. New Zealand, 90.12
4. France, 88.49
5. England, 85.66
6. Scotland, 82.82
7. Argentina, 80.10
8. Australia, 78.15
9. Italy, 77.99
10. Fiji, 77.44

Here are the full rankings.

Where To Watch Summer Rugby Internationals 2024?

In the USA, FloRugby will broadcast some of the best international rugby fixtures of 2024.

South Africa, Ireland, New Zealand and England will play matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app.

How To Watch International Rugby In USA?

FloRugby broadcasts dozens of international rugby matches throughout the year, including the summer rugby internationals from July to September. 

How To Watch Rugby Matches In the United States On FloRugby

The URC will stream all its matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to: 

• Investec Champions Cup
• EPCR Challenge Cup
• Currie Cup
• Top 14
• Super Rugby
• And more

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays. 

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