Best rugby players in the world 2024

RadioTimes.com brings you our round-up of the best and most exciting rugby players currently tearing it up across both the northern and southern hemisphere, with an explanation as to why the players are placed in their positions

Read on to find out the full list.

10. Handrè Pollard (South Africa)

Handrè Pollard is the definition of a clutch player - always there to depend on in the tough moments. His kick in the 2023 Rugby World Cup semi-final against England got his team into the final, and his kicking ability came good again as he scored all the points as the Springboks beat New Zealand to claim back-to-back titles.

9. Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland)

Wing Duhan van der Merwe is lethal with ball in hand and some space. Arguably his best try scored was against England in the 2023 Six Nations, where he beat five defenders and ran 55m. He backed up his good performance against the old enemy in the 2024 Six Nations, scoring a hat-trick - with each try coming from some individual brilliance.

8. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)

Eben Etzebeth is one of the first players that comes to mind when fans think of the Springboks jersey. The lock has won more than 100 caps for his country, and continues to be one of, if not the best lock in the world. He has won the Rugby World Cup twice, and in the 2023 campaign he was key in turning momentum in South Africa's favour in their quarter-final against hosts France.

7. Ardie Savea (New Zealand)

No. 8 Ardie Savea was named World Rugby's Player of the Year in 2023 after picking up a silver medal at the Rugby World Cup. Savea's standout performance in the tournament held in France came in the quarter-final, where his scoring prowess aided his team to victory over Ireland. He has also added his leadership skills to the All Blacks, captaining the team on multiple occasions.

6. Bundee Aki (Ireland)

Centre Bundee Aki is best known for his ability to get over the gain line and for his crunching tackles. His form is always consistent, and some may have thought he could not get any better, then his performances at the 2023 Rugby World Cup happened and he proved there is no limitation to his talents. He made 10 clean breaks, beat 30 defenders, made 28 tackles and scored five tries at the tournament. Aki has won two Six Nations titles with Ireland and the Pro12 with club Connacht.

5. Dan Sheehan (Ireland)

Sheehan is a world class hooker. He is an expert at the line-out and solid at scrum time. The Leinster player has also shown his abilities down the wing during the 2024 Six Nations, including with a fast-paced try against Italy in round two - which also displayed his power. He has cemented himself into Andy Farrell's side and has already won a Grand Slam title.

4. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)

Pieter-Steph du Toit was central to South Africa's 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup campaigns. His consistency for club (Toyota Verblitz) and country is second to none, and he raised his game once again for the 2023 final - where he was named Player of the Match. Away from the Rugby World Cup, he was named World Rugby's Player of the Year in 2019 and won the Rugby Championship the same year.

3. Will Jordan (New Zealand)

Will Jordan has lit up the rugby stage for years, and added to his list of achievements at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. He finished the tournament with eight tries, equalling the record for most tries at a Rugby World Cup. The other two players to have achieved the feat are legends Jonah Lomu and Bryan Habana. The versatile back, who has won the Super Rugby title multiple times with the Crusaders, has at least one more Rugby World Cup cycle in him to add to his points tally.

2. Finn Russell (Scotland)

Finn Russell went viral for jokingly calling himself the 'Messi of rugby', but he is not wrong. Slick offloads, an accurate boot and audacious plays are at the heart of the fly-half's game. His impact has been made clear by Bath's uptick in form during the 2023/24 season. He is yet to win a tournament trophy with Scotland, but the team's form is improving every year, in part thanks to Russell's magic.

1. Antoine Dupont (France)

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. He is one of the greatest of all time, let alone just 2024. So far in his career, he has won the Six Nations with France and three top 14 titles with Toulouse.

Check out more of our Sport coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.