Rugby is the most physically taxing sport out there, so it’s no surprise that its top players would need to be at the peak of their games.
The game itself first came to be in the 1850s, when it quickly became popular across the UK. Rugby is actually a variation of football that gained traction in English public schools in the 1900s.
Today, a huge number of skilled players have emerged from the sport, and have won incredible levels of international acclaim. Here are 2019’s top 10 rugby players in the world according to performance and skill!
#1. Cian Healy
Healy is a famed Irish rugby player born on October 7, 1987. He is currently signed up to play with Leinster and Ireland’s national team.
Cian Healy is an alma mater of the local Belvedere College, and is best known for winning the Leinster Senior Cup in 2005. Interestingly, he is also a DJ who sometimes goes by the name of DJ Church.
#2. Bismarck du Plessis
This South African rugby player was born on May 22, 1984, and represents his nation in international contests.
On local soil he plays for the Natal Sharks, one of the teams that take part in the Currie Cup. He has also participated in the Super Cup many times with the Sharks since his professional career kicked off in 2005.
#3. Logovi’i Mulipola
Logovi’i Mulipola hails from Samoa and is currently signed with England’s Leicester Tigers. The professional sportsman was born on March 11, 1987 on Samoa’s Manono Island.
He first appeared in the Samoan national team in 2009 while playing against Papua New Guinea, and rose to fame in the 2011 Rugby World Cup when his team played against South Africa.
#4. Brodie Retallick
Retallick is a New Zealand based rugby star who was born on May 31, 1991. An alma mater of Christchurch Boys’ High School, the player now players for the Chiefs, who represent the Bay of Plenty Streamers in the ITM Cup and also participate in the Super Rugby Tournament.
He first appeared in the NZ National Team in June of 2012, and this year won the World Rugby Player of the Year award.
#5. Courtney Lawes
Lawes is an English sportsman who was born on February 23, 1989 in London. He is currently playing with the Northampton Saints, and is also an alumnus of the Northampton Old Scouts.
His first major sports achievement came in 2009 when his team won the Senior Cup against Australia.
#6. Richie McCaw
Richie McCaw is currently signed to the All Blacks as an open side flank player. The incumbent test captain and 34-year-old started his rugby career in 2001, and has since risen to fame as one of the best open side flankers of all time.
He headed up the team that won the 2011 Rugby World Cup – a performance that was just as memorable as the best real money slots Philippines games.
#7. Thierry Dusautoir
Dusautoir is a renowned French Rugby Union player who was born on November 18, 1981 in Cote d’Ivoire. He currently plays for Toulouse in the French Premiership, and also works his day job as a chemical engineer.
Dusautoir is famous for leading his team into the 2011 Rugby World Cup finals against the All Blacks.
#8. Sergio Parisse
31-year-old Parisse is a pro rugby player for the Italian Rugby Union.
He was the first player from Italy to be nominated for IRB Player of the Year, and captained the French club Stade Francais before becoming his own national team’s incumbent captain.
#9. Danny Care
English union rugby player Danny Care was born on January 2, 1987 in West Yorkshire. The player is signed with the Harlequins who play in the Aviva Premiership, with whom he plays in both the scrum-half and fly-half.
Care originally played with Leeds Tykes before signing with the Harlequins in 2006.
#10. Johnny Sexton
Sexton hails from Dublin, Ireland where he was born on July 11, 1985. He is a famed member of the Irish Rugby Union, which he has been signed with since 2009.
The fly-half joined Leinster Club in the 2007/8 season, and claimed his spot in the first team a year later.