20 Best Rugby Players from New Zealand

New Zealand Rugby Team. Author paddynapper. Wikimedia Commons

20 Best Rugby Players from New Zealand

There’s no rugby side in the world today with a more prominent legacy than the mighty All Blacks of New Zealand. Rugby is New Zealand’s national sport, and the country is renowned for being a strong contender in both domestic and international arenas. With many legendary players carving out a positive reputation, it’s hard to pick out the most iconic. But here are 10 that have made a difference.

1. Charles Monro

It is said that without Charles Monro, there would likely be no New Zealand rugby. He is the person who introduced the sport to New Zealand upon returning from England, where he was studying to pursue a military career as per his father’s wishes. He is credited to teaching  the game rules to the Nelson Football Club, arranged matches with other teams, and helped rugby mania spread from his South Island town to all of New Zealand’s provinces.

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2. Jonah Lomu

Jonah Lomu. Author Blackcat. Wikimedia Commons

Most of us agree that rugby wouldn’t have grown the way it did in the 90’s without Lomu. He is arguably the most recognizable rugby player of all-time, and well deserves to gain recognition.

Known for his speed, an imposing physique and a penchant for charging right into the defending side, Jonah Lomu quickly became a force to be reckoned with upon making his debut in 1994. Opponents viewed him with equal parts admiration and fear, especially after witnessing his daring rampage through several England players at the 1995 World Cup to score one of the most memorable rugby tries in history.

Over the course of his career, Lomu scored a remarkable 37 tries, 15 of which were during World Cup matches and played 63 tests for New Zealand. His unexpected death in 2015 was lamented by fellow players and colleagues from across the globe.

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3. Colin Meads

Colin Meads. Author Crown Studios. Wikimedia Commons

One of the legends of a golden era of amateur rugby, Colin Meads was widely regarded as the epitome of the All Blacks hard man. From a traditional farming background, He was deemed the most famous rugby forward of the 1960s by the International Rugby Hall of Fame, and was also made a New Zealand Companion of Merit (the local equivalent of a knighthood) in 2001.  

He was known universally as Pinetree, a nickname given to him by his New Zealand Under-23 team-mate Ken Briscoe on the 1958 tour of Japan. He also had a massive presence within teams he represented. A colorful character that encompassed a golden era of rugby in New Zealand, Meads became a folk hero who is still held up as a nostalgic symbol of All Blacks dominance.

4. Richie McCaw

Richie McCaw. Author Jeanfrancois Beausejour. Wikimedia Commons

He is one viewed as one of the greats of the modern game having led the All Blacks to Rugby World Cup glory in 2011 and claimed the International Rugby Board’s Player of the Year award on a record three occasions.

He has carved out a formidable reputation as arguably the best open side flanker in the world since emerging onto the international stage at only 20 years of age. A master of the breakdown area, he possesses the size and strength to be a formidable defender whilst displaying the speed and handling skills to excel in the loose. Alongside his two Rugby World Cup triumphs, McCaw won seven Tri-Nations/Rugby Championship titles and 10 Bledisloe Cup series, and captained two All Blacks Grand Slam tours.

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5. George Nepia

George Nepia. Author Unknown author. Wikimedia Commons

George Nepia was the face of the legendary invincible team of 1924-25 at 19 years. He was a full back who played in every one of the All Blacks matches on their tour of Britain, France and Canada where they won all 32 games. His hard work earned him 77 points on tour.

He had natural speed and at 5ft 9in and 12st 13lbs he had an impressive physique for a back at that time. He started at fly half for Hawke’s Bay but switched to full back where he impressed with his powerful kick, fierce defense and fearless tackling at the national trials and with the All Blacks in the northern hemisphere.

6. Dan Carter

Dan Kicking The Conversion. Author No machine-readable author provided. Wikimedia Commons

A true rugby superstar, Dan Carter is arguably the world’s best fly-half and his reputation and subsequent fame transcends both hemispheres. His position among the rugby elites is complemented by his speed, defensive strength and a dangerous side-step. Besides field play, he was also a reliable goal-kicker and astute tactician. The accomplished Carter is the All Blacks’ leading all-time Test points scorer having eclipsed the mark of Andrew Mehrtens.

After making his Super Rugby debut for the Crusaders in 2003, he became an All Black in 2003, displaying huge talent at the tender age of 21. The Canterbury-native made an impressive international debut at inside center against Wales on June 21, scoring a try, six conversions and a penalty in New Zealand’s crushing 55-3 win in Hamilton. This earned him inclusion in New Zealand’s 2003 Rugby World Cup squad where he first came to the attention of the wider international rugby audience,  despite being a bit-part player in the latter stages of the All Blacks’ campaign that ended with a semi-final defeat to Australia.

7. Sean Fitzpatrick

Sean Fitzpatrick 2008. Author Own work. Wikimedia Commons

Coincidentally, rugby success ran in Sean Fitzpatrick’s family. His father, Brian Fitzpatrick, played with the All Blacks 22 times between 1951 and 1954. Upon making his test debut in 1986, the younger Fitzpatrick earned his place as one of the greatest hookers of all time. He became the captain of the All Blacks in 1992 and led the team into victory over the British Lions a year later.

 By the time he had retired in 1997, Fitzpatrick had appeared in more international matches than any other player in the world. He is now based in the UK since 2004, where he works as a sports commentator and public speaker. A true All black, he made his New Zealand debut against France on June 28, 1986 and would remain an All Blacks stalwart for the next 11 years, collecting a record 92 caps before a chronic knee injury forced him into retirement.

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8. Michael Jones

He is renowned partly because of the infamous injuries that gave him his nickname (The Iceman), and also partly because he was an ‘almost perfect’ rugby player with a destructive defense  and commendable ball skills. Sadly, a knee injury during a match against Argentina almost threatened to cut Jones’s career short, but he persevered through another decade of playing before calling it a day. The rugby great was recently knighted for his continuous efforts off the field to give back to his community and help marginalized Maori and Pacific youth.

9. Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford

Wayne ‘Buck’ Shelford. Author New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General. Wikimedia Commons

Shelford is remembered for teaching his team-mates the proper version of the ‘Ka Mata’ Haka which the All Blacks still perform to this day.  The No.8 Wayne “Buck” Shelford captained the All Blacks in the late 1980s on a 14-game streak and was part of the squad which took the 1987 World Cup.

His time in test rugby wasn’t that long as he only amassed 22 caps. All the same it made a strong impact on New Zealand rugby.

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10. Dave Gallaher

Dave Gallaher. Author Unknown author. Wikimedia Commons

Dave Gallaher was the inspirational leader of the All Black “Originals” that toured the British Isles and France in 1905. Already assured his place within the annals of All Black history due to his prowess as a leader on that hugely successful and historic tour, Gallaher has passed into legend due to his tragic early death, whilst serving as a company sergeant major in the fighting at Passchendaele. He was 43.

During his time as a superstar in rugby, he was unusually large for a player of that era, standing at 1.83m tall and weighing 84kg. His size was married to an astute and diligent rugby brain however, and his tactical awareness was second to none. Between 1896 and 1909 he played 26 representative matches for Auckland, including the first ever Ranfurly Shield matches against Wellington.

11. Sonny Bill Williams

Sonny Bill Williams. Author Australian Embassy in Samoa. Wikimedia Commons

A unique sports personality, Sonny Bill Williams is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union player. He is currently working for Stan Sports. He is only the second person to represent New Zealand in rugby union after first playing for the country in rugby league, and is one of only 21 players to have won the Rugby World Cup twice.

He began his career in rugby league, and has played as a second-row forward over eight seasons in three spells in the National Rugby League (NRL. He also won 58 caps for New Zealand (the All Blacks), and was part of the teams that won the 2011 and 2015 World Cups. He also played rugby sevens for New Zealand, competing in the 2015–16 World Rugby Sevens Series and the 2016 Olympics. He retired from both rugby codes in March 2021. Williams has boxed professionally ten times. He was the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association (NZPBA) Heavyweight Champion.

12. Beauden Barrett

Beauden John Barrett is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays as a First five-eighth (fly-half) and fullback for Taranaki in the Mitre 10 Cup, the Blues in Super Rugby and New Zealand’s national team, the All Blacks. He was a key member of the 2015 Rugby World Cup winning team.

Quite a decorated player, he won the World Rugby Player of the Year award in 2016 and 2017, was also a nominee for the award in 2018, and is only the second player to win the award in back-to-back years, after former teammate Richie McCaw. He also won the overall Sportsperson of the Year Award in the Taranaki Sports Awards in 2013, 2016 and 2019.

Internationally, Barrett played at under-20 and Sevens levels for New Zealand before being called into the All Blacks’ squad in May 2012, and made his international debut as a replacement in the final test against Ireland in Hamilton, when he kicked nine points, on 23 June 2012. He debuted for Taranaki in 2010, and debuted in Super Rugby with the Hurricanes in 2011. Barrett holds the world record for consecutive wins since his first test (19 wins from 19 tests).

13. Brodie Retallick

Brodie Allan Retallick is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, who plays as a lock for the Chiefs in Super Rugby and is part of the Hawke’s Bay squad for New Zealand’s domestic National Provincial Championship competition. He pulled on the famous All Blacks jersey for the first time as a 21-year-old  for New Zealand in 2012 and has been a regular starter ever since, with 92 test caps. He was a key member of 2015 Rugby World Cup-winning team, the winner of World Rugby Player of the Year in 2014 and is the award’s youngest winner to date. Retallick has earned frequent comparisons to the late former All Black lock, Sir Colin Meads.

14. Portia Woodman

Portia Woodman is a New Zealand rugby union player. As a strong and gifted player, her presence is felt at both fifteen-a-side and seven-a-side rugby union, and is a member of the New Zealand Women’s Sevens team and New Zealand Women’s National Rugby Union team. Woodman was a member of the New Zealand Women’s Sevens team when they won a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. In 2022, Woodman became the first woman to score 200 tries in the Sevens Series.

15. Christian Cullen

Playing as Full Back, he was also known as the “Paekakariki Express,” Cullen showed exceptional rugby qualities at an early age. Cullen’s ability as an astonishingly prolific try-scorer is reflected in the fact that in 58 tests between 1996 and 2002 he scored 46 tries, which became the All Black record at the time. Even though the tail end of his career was blighted by injury, Christian Cullen is regarded by many as the finest fullback the game has ever produced.

With exceptional talent, he announced his arrival on the world scene at just 20 years of age, scoring a hat-trick on his All Blacks debut in a game against Samoa. In his next outing for the Kiwis, against Scotland, he went one better, notching four tries against Scotland. It did not stop there. The tries continued to flow thereafter and after playing an integral role in New Zealand’s triumph in the inaugural Rugby Sevens event at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia, Cullen was a part of the All Blacks squad which travelled to the 1999 World Cup.

His entire first class career includes representation for Horowhenua, Manawatu (15 matches in 1995-96), Central Vikings (nine games in 1997), Wellington (39 matches in 1998-2003) and the Hurricanes (85 Super 12 matches) he scored in excess of 150 tries.

16. John Kirwan

John Kirwan played the wing position. He was strongly built and unusually tall for a wing; he dazzled the rugby world with his considerable pace and determination. At his peak, in the seasons between 1986 and 1988, he was magnificent, exceeding in those years even his great Australian rival, David Campese. In 1987, he was a star of the All Blacks’ World Cup, his length of the field run for a try against Italy is an enduring image remembered by rugby fans across the globe.

He also scored a crucial try despite being in agony with a hamstring injury in the final against France. His greatest year, certainly in terms of try-scoring, was in 1988 when in five test matches against Wales and Australia; he scored a tally of 10 tries.

17. Frank Bunce

Interestingly, Bunce was born and raised in New Zealand,  but he was first capped at international level for Western Samoa. He played four games for Western Samoa as they reached the quarter-finals of the 1991 Rugby World Cup in England. His impact at international level brought him to the attention of All Blacks coach Laurie Mains, who selected him for the All Blacks in 1992. Bunce became the immovable man in the All Blacks backline, missing just one game (against Japan in the 1995 Rugby World Cup) before bowing out of the international arena against England in 1997.

In his prime, Frank Bunce and North Harbour teammate Walter Little formed a formidable midfield combination, arguably the best in the world. In all, Bunce played 69 matches for New Zealand, 55 of them tests. Inevitably, he is compared with another late blooming All Black center, Joe Stanley, with his ability to read a game and make play for his outsides.

After retirement he coached Italy before taking up a role with Auckland as defensive coach and then technical advisor to Samoa in 2005.

Perhaps as a result of a background of working on Auckland trash trucks, one of Bunce’s assets was his strength in the tackle, either giving or receiving. A subtle as well as a strong runner he scored 20 test tries.

18. Grant Fox

Grant Fox dominated the All Black fly-half position in the late 1980s through to the mid- 90s, and was one of the most potent scorers in New Zealand history. In 78 matches for the All Blacks, he scored  a remarkable 1067 points and in his 46 tests he registered 645 points, his sole try coming against Scotland in 1990. In 303 first class matches, he scored a record 4112 points, of which 2746 came in 189 games for Auckland.

19. Sid Going

Sidney Milton Going played twenty-nine test matches for New Zealand between 1967 and 1977 and during his decade at the top, he was regarded as one of the most renowned halfbacks to play for the All Blacks. Strong and stocky, weighing 81kg and 5’7″, he was a superb runner close to his forwards, with a flair for the unorthodox.

“A bundle of barbed wire, cast iron and rubber, Sid ran like a slippery eel making for the water. Without warning he exploded like a bunch of firecrackers and some of his fantastic feats on the field could only be equaled in a topline circus”.

20. Sam Cane

He is currently the captain of New Zealand Rugby Team. Cane made his international debut for the All Blacks when he came on as a replacement against Ireland in June 2012. A week later he made his first start in the third test of the three-match series and impressed hugely, scoring two tries and making 20 tackles to enhance his reputation as the heir-apparent to Richie McCaw.