15 Best Female Rugby Players Of All Time

Rugby Ball. Photo by M. Cooper on Unsplash

15 Best Female Rugby Players Of All Time

Rugby, for a long time had always been taken as a physically demanding game,and, therefore a preserve for males. This notion has changed  over the years, the more courageous women coming into the game and successfully managing  to demystify this, leading to its popularity among  and managing also to produce some truly exceptional players who have even performed better than many of their male counterparts. In this article, we’ll take a look at the 15 best female rugby players of all time.

This list is not just a random selection but they have been selected based on information about their exceptional skills on the field, and their contributions to the sport that has helped to elevate women’s rugby to the next level. At the end of it, you will agree with me that they truly deserve to be mentioned in this list.

1. Emily Scarratt

Emily Scarratt. Author Pierre-Yves Beaudouin. Wikimedia Commons

Emily Scarratt  plays as a center for both Loughborough Lightning and the England national team.  She was born on April 8, 1990, in Leicester, England, and is held in high regard as one of the best female rugby players in the world, having been well decorated with numerous awards thoughout her career.

Her achievements are evidenced in her contribution in helping England to win the 2014 Rugby World Cup and the 2019 Six Nations Championship.  A  multi-talented player in both attack and defense, she won respect and admiration among her teammatesfor her leadership on and off the field. She qualifies to be a true legend of the game and a role model for aspiring rugby players around the world.

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2. Portia Woodman

Portia Woodman. Author U.S. Army. Wikimedia Commons

Portia Woodman is rugby player from New Zealand who plays as a winger for Auckland Storm club and the New Zealand national team. The 31-year-old fits the list and is regarded as one of the best female rugby players of all time, having won many awards in her playing career.

Apart from being part of the team that won gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and silver at Rio 2016, she is best remembered as being part of the World Cup winning Black Ferns in 2017. She also  holds the record for most tries in a Farah Palmer Cup match, after scoring six tries against Taranaki for Northland in 2020. 

Her incredible speed and agility makes her to be a player to always look for and an inspiration to other women rugby players. She still has plenty to offer in the coming seasons.

3. Sarah Bern

Bern plays as a prop for the Bristol Bears club and the England national team. The 25-year-old is considered one of the best young female rugby players to have graced the game of rugby. Her contributions cannot be underestimated as she has led England to several major victories, including the 2019 Six Nations Championship and the delayed 2021 Rugby World Cup held in New Zealand in October and November 2022. Her strength and power gives her opponents difficlulties on the pitch.

4. Kendra Cocksedge

Kendra Cocksedge. Author vjpaul. Wikimedia Commons

Kendra Cocksedge is a retired New Zealand Rugby Union player and Cricketer. I her playing days she was utilized as a halfback for both the New Zealand national team and the Canterbury Crusaders club. She was born on February 24, 1987, in Rangiora, New Zealand. She won numerous awards and accolades throughout her career. She was a member of the 2010, 2017 and 2021 Rugby World Cup winning squads. In 2018 she won the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year Award at the annual New Zealand Rugby awards.

In addition to her leadership on and off the pitch, Cocksedge is renowned for her superb passing and kicking skills.

5. Pauline Bourdon

Pauline Bourdon, plays as a halfback for both the AS Bayonne team and France national team. She was born in Limoges, France, on June 26, 1997.  She became a star at a very early age and is regarded as one of the top young female rugby players in the world. She played a major role in France’s in significant triumphs, including the 2021 Women’s Six Nations Championship, and, the 2021 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Her speed and agility give her an advantage over the other players and is also blessed with tactical knowledge and game-controlling skills. She still has many years ahead to entertain us with her brilliance.

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6. Gill Burns

Gill Burns. Author John Walton (51). Wikimedia Commons

Gill Burns belongs to the old generation of female rugby players. She played as a prop for the England national team. Born on September 30, 1961, in Cheshire, England, Burns belongs to the group of pioneers of women’s rugby and is considered one of the best female rugby players of all time. Being a member of the first-ever England women’s rugby team, she assisted in many of their victories during the course of her career. Burns was renowned for both her outstanding leadership abilities and strength and force on the field. In 2016, she was honored for her services to the game by being inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

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7. Karen Paquin

Karen Paquin. Author JohnNewton8. Wikimedia Commons

Karen Paquin, a lock for the Canadian national rugby team and the Castres club in France, is a female rugby player from Canada. Born in Quebec City, Canada, on August 7, 1987, she is one of the few women rugby players who are skilled at both the sevens and 15s version of the game. Paquin, who has received numerous honors and trophies throughout her career and is recognized as one of the top female rugby players in the world.

She played a key role in Canada’s significant triumphs, which included the bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio and the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup. She received the Women’s Player of the Year at the 2016 Canadian Rugby Awards.

8. Sophie Spence

Spence is a former female rugby player who played as a lock for the Ireland national team. The 36-year old is one of the best female rugby players in the history of rugby, having won many trophies throughout her career. 

Endowed with physique and exceptional skill in the lineout, her record with Ireland is superb as she made major contributions to her countries victories, including the Grand Slam in the 2013 Women’s Six Nations Championship. 

Like her teammate aboveAside from rugby, she fought for the rights LGBT rights in athletics. In 2015, she won the top LGBT award in athletics in Europe.

She retired in 2018, and is still an inspiration to upcoming rugby players everywhere she goes.

9. Natasha Hunt

10. Portia Bing

Former New Zealand women’s rugby union player Portia Bing. She was born in Rotorua, New Zealand, on January 29, 1995. She played for the Bay of Plenty Volcanix in the Farah Palmer Cup, the premier women’s rugby competition in New Zealand. She also played for the Waikato-based Chiefs in the Super Rugby competition. Internationally, she participated in the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup winning squad for the Black Ferns, the New Zealand national women’s rugby team.

11. Sioned Harries

Sioned Harries, a female rugby player from Wales, now wears the number 8 jersey for the Bristol Bears side in England. At Aberystwyth, Wales. The 33-year-old has received numerous honors and trophies over her career. She is one of Wales’ top female rugby players. She assisted Wales in achieving a number of significant triumphs, including the 2016 Women’s Six Nations Championship.

Harries is renowned for both her superb tackling abilities and her strong ball carrying ability on the field. A true leader and role model for future rugby players in Wales and elsewhere, she was named the Welsh Rugby Union Women’s Player of the Year in 2016.

12. Kimiko Taniguchi

Kimiko Taniguchi is a retired female rugby player who played as a prop for the Japan national team. Due to her exemplary performance and contribution to Japanese women rugby, the 48-year-old  is regarded as one of the top female rugby players in Japan. Her contributions include guiding Japan to the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup, where they made history by reaching the quarterfinals for the first time.

She retired in 2014, and, continues to serve as an inspiration for young rugby players in Japan and all across the world.

13. Liza Burgess

Liza Burgessis a retired lock who played for the Wales national team and the Saracens club in England. She was born in Treherbert, Wales, on May 5, 1964, and, is considered as one of the best female rugby players in the women’s rugby sport’s. She left a mark in terms of her remarkable lineout abilities and her physicality on the field.

She retired in 2007 and is still viewed as.a role model for young rugby players in Wales and around the world.

14. Heather Moyse

Heather Moyse, Canadian Olympic gold medalist in the bobsleigh and player of the women’s national rugby union team. Author Vincent Lions for Prince Edward Island Potatoes Board. Wikimedia Commons

Former Canadian rugby player Heather Moyse was a wing for the country’s national squad. She was born in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada, on July 23, 1978 and is one of the greatest female rugby players in the world. She was very successful in her playing career and supported Canada’s bobsleigh team when they won gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

15. Maud Muir

The late Maud Muir was a former Scotland national team flanker, She was born in Dunfermline, Scotland, on October 12, 1890, and passed on May 20, 1963.  She is noted as one of the pioneers of women rugby, and is best honored for her contribution in the development of women’s rugby in Scotland in the early 20th century. Unknown to many, she was a part of the first Scotland women’s rugby team, which took on England in 1917.