FloRugby Top 100 Players List: The Investec Champions Cup Update
FloRugby Top 100 Players List: The Investec Champions Cup Update
Updated FloRugby 2024 Top 100 Player Rankings come just as teams prepare for the Investec Champions Cup on Dec. 6. Here are the best players on Earth.
The 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup begins Dec. 6 with Round 1 action, as teams look to dethrone defending champion Toulouse, which is seeking its seventh Champions Cup win in 30 seasons.
The 30th Investec Champions Cup will feature some of the best teams and players in the world. Quite literally.
All 24 teams in the Champions Cup field are in the FloRugby top 50 rankings.
As for the players, FloRugby debuted its Top 100 players list before the start of the Summer International Rugby season.
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After a long summer, and the start of the professional seasons in Europe, things have changed, players have risen, some have fallen and many will be in action during Champions Cup play.
Here is the updated FloRugby Top 100 Players List by Philip Bendon:
FloRugby Top 100 Players List
This list originally was published in June 2024.
Here's a look at the original list with breakdown:
- 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
Here Are The updated FloRugby Top 100 Player Rankings:
- Antoine Dupont – Toulouse & France
- Caelan Doris – Leinster & Ireland
- Pieter-Steph Du Toit – Toyota Verblitz & South Africa
- Cheslin Kolbe – Tokyo Sungoliath & South Africa
- Ardie Savea – Moana Pasifika & New Zealand
- Jamison Gibson-Park – Leinster & Ireland
- Eben Etzebeth – Hollywoodbets Sharks & South Africa
- Damian Penaud – Bordeaux-Begles & France
- Dan Sheehan – Leinster & Ireland
- Tadhg Beirne – Munster & Ireland
- Sione Tuipulotu – Glasgow Warriors & Scotland
- RG Snyman – Leinster & South Africa
- Maro Itoje – Saracens & England
- Hugo Keenan – Leinster & Ireland
- Will Jordan – Crusaders & New Zealand
- Ox Nche – Hollywoodbets Sharks & South Africa
- Juan Cruz Mallia – Toulouse & Argentina
- Damian Willemse – DHL Stormers & South Africa
- Handre Pollard – Leicester Tigers & South Africa
- Finn Russell – Bath Rugby & Scotland
- Jordie Barrett – Leinster & New Zealand
- Bundee Aki – Connacht & Ireland
- Romain Ntamack – Toulouse & France
- Sam Underhill – Bath Rugby & England
- Andrew Porter – Leinster & Ireland
- Blair Kinghorn – Toulouse & Scotland
- Jack Willis – Toulouse & England
- Kurt-Lee Arendse – Vodacom Bulls & South Africa
- Scott Barrett – Crusaders & New Zealand
- Josh van der Flier – Leinster & Ireland
- Garry Ringrose – Leinster & Ireland
- Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu – DHL Stormers & South Africa
- Tadhg Furlong – Leinster & Ireland
- Richie Mo’unga – Toshiba Brave Lupus & New Zealand
- Will Skelton – La Rochelle & Australia
- James Lowe – Leinster & Ireland
- Owen Farrell – Racing 92 & England
- Gregory Alldritt – La Rochelle & France
- Pablo Matera – Mie Honda Heat & Argentina
- Tommy Freeman – Northampton Saints & England
- Thomas Ramos – Toulouse & France
- Fraser McReight – Queensland Reds & Australia
- Julian Montoya – Leicester Tigers & Argentina
- James Ryan – Leinster & Ireland
- Siya Kolisi – Hollywoodbets Sharks & South Africa
- Malcolm Marx – Kubota Spears & South Africa
- Ben Earl – Saracens & England
- Beauden Barrett – Blues & New Zealand
- Cyril Baille – Toulouse & France
- Marcus Smith – Harlequins & England
- Jack Crowley – Munster & Ireland
- Kwagga Smith – Shizuoka Blue Revs & South Africa
- Tom Curry – Sale Sharks & England
- Tommaso Menencello – Benetton Rugby & Italy
- Ronan Kelleher – Leinster & Ireland
- Dewi Lake – Ospreys & Wales
- Jack Conan – Leinster & Ireland
- Grant Williams – Hollywoodbets Sharks & South Africa
- Henry Slade – Exeter Chiefs & England
- Duhan van der Merwe – Edinburgh Rugby & Scotland
- Angus Bell – New South Wales Waratahs & South Africa
- Jesse Kriel – Canon Eagles & South Africa
- Immanuel Feyi-Waboso – Exeter Chiefs & England
- Rory Darge – Glasgow Warriors & Scotland
- Mack Hansen – Connacht & Ireland
- Ange Capuozzo – Toulouse & Italy
- Jac Morgan – Ospreys & Wales
- George Furbank – Northampton Saints & England
- Peter 0’Mahony – Munster & Ireland
- Codie Taylor – Crusaders & New Zealand
- Levani Botia – La Rochelle & Fiji
- Louis Bielle-Biarrey – Bordeaux-Begles & France
- George Martin – Leicester Tigers & England
- Michele Lamaro – Benetton & Italy
- Robbie Henshaw – Leinster & Ireland
- Aphelele Fassi – Hollywoodbets Sharks & South Africa *
- Manie Libbok – DHL Stormers & South Africa
- Damian McKenzie – Chiefs & New Zealand
- Mark Telea – Blues & New Zealand
- Huw Jones – Glasgow Warriors & Scotland
- Jamie George – Saracens & England
- Joe McCarthy – Leinster & Ireland
- Peato Mauvaka – Toulouse & France
- Elrigh Louw – Vodacom Bulls & South Africa
- Zander Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors & Scotland
- Alex Mitchell – Northampton Saints & England
- Marcos Kremer – Clermont & Argentina
- Ellis Genge – Bristol Bears & England
- Jamie Osborne – Leinster & Ireland
- Faf de Klerk – Yokohama Cannon Eagles & South Africa
- Ollie Lawrence – Bath Rugby & England
- Julian Marchand – Toulouse & France
- Taniel Tupou – New South Wales Waratahs & Australia
- Damian de Allende – Saitama Wild Knights & South Africa
- Kyle Steyn – Glasgow Warriors & Scotland
- Caleb Clarke – Blues & New Zealand
- Ignacio Brex – Benetton Rugby & Italy
- Thibaud Flament – Toulouse & France
- Ciaran Frawley – Leinster & Ireland
- Charles Ollivon – Toulon & France
Investec Champions Cup Format
Key points of the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup:
- A multi-pool format, as launched in the 2023-2024 season
- 24 elite clubs - eight each from the Gallagher Premiership, URC and TOP 14 - in four pools of six
- Sporting jeopardy, with each club playing against four different opponents, home or away, in the pool stage
- Four highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualify for the Round of 16
- The Investec Champions Cup will be played over eight weekends, with four pool rounds and four knockout rounds culminating in the 2025 final, which will be staged at Cardiff's Pincipality Stadium on Saturday, May 24.
Investec Champions Cup Weekends
- Round 1 – 6/7/8 December 2024
- Round 2 – 13/14/15 December 2024
- Round 3 – 10/11/12 January 2025
- Round 4 – 17/18/19 January 2025
- Round of 16 – 4/5/6 April 2025
- Quarter-finals – 11/12/13 April 2025
- Semi-finals – 2/3/4 May 2025
- 2025 Investec Champions Cup final – Saturday, May 24, Principality Stadium, Cardiff
Champions Cup Qualifications
Twenty-four clubs have qualified for the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup as follows:
- United Rugby Championship (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
- TOP 14 (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
- Gallagher Premiership Rugby (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
- If not already qualified, the winner of the 2024 Investec Champions Cup will take the place of the eighth-ranked club in its league.
Investec Champions Cup Qualifiers
- TOP 14 – Stade Toulousain, Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Stade Français Paris, RC Toulon, Stade Rochelais, Racing 92, Castres Olympique, ASM Clermont Auvergne
- GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP – Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Sale Sharks, Saracens, Bristol Bears, Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers
- UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – Glasgow Warriors, Vodacom Bulls, Munster Rugby, Leinster Rugby, DHL Stormers, Ulster Rugby, Benetton Rugby, Hollywoodbets Sharks
EPCR Challenge Cup Format
Key points for the 2024-2025 EPCR Challenge Cup:
- A multi-pool format, as launched in the 2023-2024 season
- 18 clubs in three pools of six
- Sporting jeopardy, with each club playing against four different opponents, home or away, in the pool stage
- Four highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualify for the knockout stage
- Eight weekends, with four pool rounds and four knockout rounds culminating in the 2025 final at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday, May 23
EPCR Challenge Cup Weekends
- Round 1 – 6/7/8 December 2024
- Round 2 – 13/14/15 December 2024
- Round 3 – 10/11/12 January 2025
- Round 4 – 17/18/19 January 2025
- Round of 16 – 4/5/6 April 2025
- Quarter-finals – 11/12/13 April 2025
- Semi-finals – 2/3/4 May 2025
- 2025 EPCR Challenge Cup final – Principality Stadium, Cardiff; Friday, May 23
EPCR Challenge Cup Qualifiers
Clubs from the United Rugby Championship, the TOP 14 and the Gallagher Premiership that have not qualified for the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup will compete in the 2024-2025 EPCR Challenge Cup.
If not already qualified, the winner of the 2024 EPCR Challenge Cup will secure a place in the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup, replacing the eighth-ranked club in its league.
EPCR Challenge Cup Qualifiers
- UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – Ospreys, Emirates Lions, Edinburgh Rugby, Connacht Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Scarlets, Dragons RFC, Zebre Parma
- TOP 14 – Section Paloise, USAP, Lyon Olympique Universitaire, Aviron Bayonnais, Montpellier Hérault Rugby, RC Vannes
- GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP – Gloucester Rugby, Newcastle Falcons
- INVITED – Black Lion, Toyota Cheetahs
When Does The 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup Begin? When Is The Champions Cup Final?
The Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup begin Dec. 6, and the four-round pool-play action ends on Jan. 19, 2025. The Round of 16 starts April 4, while the quarterfinals are April 11-13. The semifinals are May 2-4.
The EPCR Championships weekend is in Cardiff, Wales at Principality Stadium. There are championship games on May 23 (EPCR Challenge Cup) and May 24 (Investec Champions Cup).
What Are The Investec Champions Cup And EPCR Challenge Cup Pools?
Here are the pools:
Investec Champions Cup:
- Toulouse (Stade Toulousain)
- Bordeaux-Bègles (Union Bordeaux-Bègles)
- Hollywoodbets Sharks
- Exeter Chiefs
- Leicester Tigers
- Ulster Rugby
Pool 2:
- Leinster Rugby
- Clermont Auvergne (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
- La Rochelle (Stade Rochelais)
- Bristol Bears
- Benetton Rugby
- Bath Rugby
Pool 3:
- Northampton Saints
- Munster Rugby
- Vodacom Bulls
- Stade Français Paris
- Saracens
- Castres Olympique
Pool 4:
- Glasgow Warriors
- Racing 92
- Sale Sharks
- DHL Stormers
- Toulon (RC Toulon)
- Harlequins
EPCR Challenge Cup
Pool 1:
- Cardiff Rugby
- Connacht Rugby
- Toyota Cheetahs
- Perpignan (USAP)
- Lyon Olympique Universitaire (Lyon O.U.)
- Zebre Parma
Pool 2:
- Montpellier Hérault Rugby
- Pau (Section Paloise)
- Newcastle Falcons
- Dragons RFC
- Emirates Lions
- Ospreys
Pool 3:
- RC Vannes
- Black Lion
- Bayonne (Aviron Bayonnais)
- Scarlets
- Edinburgh Rugby
- Gloucester Rugby
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