Rugby union is one of the most exciting sports on the planet, with competitions such as the World Cup, Six Nations, Rugby Championship, and European Cup catching the eye. Fans around the world enjoy backing their nations and clubs in competitions, with online rugby betting proving extremely popular. You only have to look at the number of different markets available for individual matches to understand why rugby betting is so much fun. At JohnnyBet.com, you will find several exclusive offers for rugby betting, including a bet365 bonus code 2022 but before you bet, let us take a look at the top 5 rugby players of all time.
Dan Carter
We begin with former New Zealand number 10, Dan Carter. The outside half is the all-time leading points scorer in the history of international test rugby and on that basis alone, he deserves his place in this list. With an incredible 1,598 points from 112 caps for the All Blacks, Carter was extremely dependable when it came to converting penalties and conversions and you could bet on New Zealand to win many matches purely because of the boot of Carter. However, he could also control games from his position at 10 and Carter was a true match winner.
Brian O'Driscoll
When looking down the list of players on the team sheet of Ireland, the name Brian O'Driscoll would put fear into the opposition. O'Driscoll is only second to Richie McCaw in terms of all-time appearances at international test level, with 141 caps to his name, 11 of which came when playing for the British and Irish Lions. O'Driscoll is Ireland's record try scorer with 46 and in addition to his tremendous attacking talent, which saw fans sing the ‘Waltzing O'Driscoll' song, he was formidable in defence. As far as centres go, O'Driscoll was the complete package.
Richie McCaw
Back to New Zealand and as highlighted above, Richie McCaw holds a world-record 148 caps for the All Blacks. During those 148 games for his country, New Zealand came out on top 131 times, which is an incredible statistic. McCaw captained New Zealand 111 times and played in 32% of New Zealand's Test match victories since 1903, which is an unbelievable feat. Operating as a flanker, McCaw often played on the edge of the rules but his bravery and leadership qualities saw him take control of the game at the breakdown, often picking up the ball and leading the charge through the defensive line of the opposition. McCaw lifted the World Cup for New Zealand in 2011 and that was a fitting tribute to his tremendous career at the top of world rugby.
Gareth Edwards
Rugby World Magazine conducted a poll in 2003 to find the best rugby player of all time and the name Gareth Edwards came out on top. The former Welsh international made his debut at the highest level in 1967 against France in Paris and became the youngest ever international rugby captain at the age of 20 just one year later. Playing at scrum-half, Edwards was always a prominent figure for Wales in the biggest matches and took them to the top of the international game in the 1960s and 1970s. Wales won the Six Nations several times with Edwards at the helm and Wales dominated rugby in the northern hemisphere for many years.
Jonah Lomu
In terms of getting fans off their seat, has any player had more of an impact on the sport of rugby union than Jonah Lomu? The winger burst onto the scene at the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa and took the tournament by storm. Lomu was like a human battering ram, not only did he have the strength to burst through tackles but he had the speed to take on his man on the outside and glide away from him with ease. However, Lomu was at his most exciting when collected the ball and ran through his opponent, with his performance in the win over England at the 95 World Cup being a prime example. Lomu was like a demolition ball in that match, scoring four tries and returned at the 1999 World Cup to score 8 tries, meaning he holds the joint record for the most World Cup tries in history with Bryan Habana of South Africa.
Lomu sadly lost his life to kidney disease at just 40 years of age but will be remembered as the man who has done more to popularise the sport of rugby than any other player.
