This is a list of the current top ten rugby teams as decided by the IRB (International Rugby Board) as of February 2nd, 2009. I have kept their list the same but I have added some facts and history on each team. I have also included some videos that I have found on YouTube showing the teams in play. [JFrater: when you see item one you will understand why this list had to be posted!]
Fiji’s national rugby team is a part of the Pacific Islands rugby Alliance along with Samoa and Tonga. Fiji was one of the sixteen teams to participate in the 1987 rugby world cup and made it to the quarter finals only to be beaten by France. Between 1987 and 2007, Fiji has only made it to the quarter finals twice, losing to England in the quarter finals in 1999 and losing to South Africa in the semi-finals in 2007. Fiji has an outstanding Rugby Sevens team and they play their fifteens very similar, with lots of exiting running rugby.
The Scottish Rugby Union was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest teams in the world. They were a founding member of the IRB and participated in the first international match against England where Scotland won 4-1. Scotland participates and is a contender in the Six Nations tournament held every year in Europe. Scottish rugby players are also selected every four years to play for the Barbarians against other national teams. Scotland has taken part in all the Rugby World Cups which they have made the quarter or semi-finals every year except 2007.
The Irish Rugby Football Union was founded in 1874 and was another founding member or the IRB. Ireland competes annually in the Six Nations tournament which they have won eight times. They have participated in every world cup and have been eliminated in the quarter finals every year except 1999 and 2007. The Ireland national team forms a quarter of the British and Irish Lions along with England and Wales every four years. The Irish rugby team has been home to some of the world’s top class players including Brian O’Driscoll who is Irelands top try scorer and considered the best centre in world rugby.
Rugby was first introduced to France in 1872 by the British and since then has become a very competitive and popular sport. France is home to one of the top rugby leagues in the world and sees players coming from all over the world to play for one of their teams. France’s national team is considered the best on continental Europe and competes annually in the Six Nations tournament. The French have competed in every world cup and have made it to more finals than any other team without winning the William Webb Ellis Cup. One of France’s most famous games was against New Zealand in the 1999 world cup where they upset the favored All Blacks in the semi-final. France plays with a free flowing flair that is rivaled by only a few teams in the rugby world and one of the best things about them is that they are always able to produce an upset.
Though facing a few difficulties in the last year, The England National rugby team has always been considered one of the best sides in the world. They have produced many legends of the game such as Martin Johnson and Jonny Wilkinson who is the top point scorer in rugby world cup history. They are the only team from Europe to win the Rugby World Cup when they defeated Australia in 2003 and also came as runners up in 1991 and 2007. They participate annually in the Six Nations tournament and have been crowned champions 25 times. Their style of play can often be characterized by using their strong forwards and running with backs utilizing kicks and open field play, if that doesn’t work, they will kick for points every chance they get.
The Wales National Rugby team was started in 1881 and that same year they had their first test match against England. Wales has had many different golden ages of rugby through the 19th and 20th centuries. During these times they have produced who some consider the best rugby players to ever play the game including J.P.R Williams, Gerald Davies, and of course Gareth Edwards. Wales competes in the Six Nations tournament every year and has won it 24 times (only second to England) with the most recent in 2008. Wales has been active in all six rugby world cups but unfortunately their best result was in 1987 when they reached the semi-finals but lost to New Zealand. Wales currently is improving rapidly and their play has always been recognized with some of the best sidestepping in the game. Just watch the video and see.
The Argentina National rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, had its first international test against a touring British Isles team in 1910. Argentina is ranked as by far the best team in the Americas and although rugby isn’t close to as popular as soccer, it has grown a following due to Argentina’s success in the Rugby World Cups. The only problem is that being on the other side of the world of the other major rugby teams; Argentina does not always get the highly publicized matches it deserves. Argentina has participated in all the Rugby World Cups but was left disappointed until a much more experienced side made it to the 1999 quarter finals. In 2007 a very strong and experienced Pumas side made it to semi finals after producing a handful of upsets. They went on to win 3rd place in the tournament which has let many of their players receive overseas contracts to play professional rugby in Europe. Argentina has generally used an outstanding forward pack mixed in with a barrage of backline passing.
The Australian Rugby Union team is nicknamed the Wallabies and is considered one of the best teams in the history of the game. They compete annually in the Tri-Nations Tournament against New Zealand and South Africa. Australia was one of the founders of the Rugby World Cup and shared the first tournament with New Zealand in 1987. The New South Wales Rugby Union became the first team to tour overseas by playing New Zealand in 1883. Australia was later toured by a British Isles team for the first time in 1888. In the century that followed, rugby grew very fast in Australia with the national team touring across Europe on a yearly base. In 1984 the Wallabies became the first Australian team to achieve a grand slam by defeating all the large European teams in one tour. Australia has participated in all six world cups and has the best record of all the participating nations. The Wallabies are one of two teams to win the tournament twice by winning in 1991 and 1999, and they came in as runners up in 2003. In 1995 Australia along with New Zealand and South Africa formed the first professional rugby union known as the Super Ten Competition. The Wallabies have produced a large number of outstanding rugby players including Tim Horan, David Campese, John Eales, and the most capped player of all time, George Gregan. The Wallabies are always entertaining to watch because they take risks in games that other teams wouldn’t event attempt. They are usually acknowledged as having one of the best defenses in world rugby and have great ball retention which allows continuous phases.
The South Africa national team is nicknamed the Springboks and began playing international rugby when a British Isles team toured South Africa in 1891. In the early 20th century rugby grew so rapidly in South Africa that a cease fire was held in the Second Boer War so that the British and Boer forces could play each other. South Africa took their first tour of the British Isles and France in 1906. Although still being involved in international test matches, the Apartheid Laws saw the South Africa Rugby Union highly criticized by other teams which led to the Springboks being unable to participate in the first two Rugby World Cups although their vote won the debate on whether or not to have the tournament. This changed in 1995 when South Africa was included and hosted the third Rugby World cup and defeated the New Zealand All blacks 15 to 12 in the final. The Springboks would only go on to the semi-finals in 1999 and the quarter finals in 2003 until they defeated England in 2007 to become the second nation to win the world cup twice. The success of the 1995 tournament in South Africa influenced the rugby laws to be changed to allow professional rugby teams to emerge. South Africa plays annually in the Super Twelve tournament and the Tri-Nations against New Zealand and Australia. South Africa is one of many teams to utilize all aspects of the game to produce exiting matches incorporating running, kicking, passing, and forward drives.
The New Zealand National Rugby Team, nicknamed the All Blacks is the most famous and respected team in the world with winning records against all national sides. The first team from New Zealand to compete in a match was against New South Wales in 1883 and their first international test was against Australia in 1903. Rugby has since then become New Zealand’s national sport with the All Blacks conquering just about every team in their way. They have a record of 330 wins out of 443 matches which makes them the most successful team in rugby history; the IRB has also named them team of the year in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Out of the Southern nations, the All Blacks retain the top Tri-Nations record with nine series wins while the Springboks and the Wallabies only have two. The All Blacks have also been able to retain the Bledisloe Cup from Australia for many years at a time. In addition, the All Blacks have only lost one test series to the British and Irish Lions and have won more Grand Slam tours of Europe than any other Southern Hemisphere team. The All Blacks hosted the first Rugby World Cup along with Australia and David Kirk would be the first to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy as the All Blacks easily defeated all the opposition including France in the final with the score of 29 to 9. The All Blacks have brought about many rugby legends to the field including Sean Fitzpatrick, John Kirwan, Grant Fox, Ian Kirkpatrick, Christian Cullen, Andrew Mehrtens, Tana Umaga, Carlos Spencer, Richie McCaw and of course Jonah Lomu. With the great players and talent that New Zealand has, the only question asked is why they have only won the Rugby World Cup once because they have gone into every tournament as the favorites to win. The New Zealand All Blacks have also gained fame from doing the Haka or the Kapo-o-Panga before every match.
Contributor: guy
Taken as a percentage of the teams in the world the same can be said of football and Union (particularly union)
No way, Ireland, Wales, england, South Africa, New Zealand, Fiji, Scotland, Australia, Argentina and maybe even samoa and Tonga are all capable of winning the Rugby world cup with a strong enough team. Thats half the Competition or even more if it ends up being a 16 side world cup.
As for the football cup its anyones game.
Omh how come heaps of ppl are surprised NZ arent top?
we are the best in the game as mentioned
although we havnt won it since yonks ago but 2011 Rugby World Cup is played in NZ and will stay there!
Best game in the world and League is 2nd, btw 20. Georgia, who are the current world champs for league? haha it seems like aussies are the chokers of league!!!
And just a shout out to all those sprinkbok n wallaby fans, deep down you guys know who the best team is…
btw how come Dan Carter (best played ever who is also my idol cos i play same position as him
) isnt mentioned as a rugby legend?
maori boi- yeah dan carter is amazing. if i was to name all the legends that NZ have produced the list would be so long and i guess i just left him off.
ps i have always liked watching how george gregan from australia played because i play scrumhalf. whenever i have to play flyhalf, i usually look at how larkham used to play.
Rugby is a fun sport and for those who had played rugby would understand ANY guy can play. And only REAL men get in the team….. Springboks is the Nr1 team in the World I mean the aussies are good dont get me wrong and the all blacks as well but people plz scotland no ways. I saw a primary school play better rugby and dont even get me started on argentina THEY REALY SUCK
First. As much as it pains me to say it as a welshman, the only teams with real ability to win the WC are at this moment in time are the southern hemi sides – they really are in a class of their own as the recent autumn internationals proved. Samoa!? Tonga!? Scotland!? Argentina!? PLEASE. Did you even watch the last RWC? These sides are regularly demolished by the Southern Hemisphere as WELL as by Wales England France and Ireland. If you are watching the current six nations, scotland are pathetic atm – they won’t even field their best side and Italy are a better side than Samoa and Tonga on their day and they don’t make your list. You obviously are just an armchair fan!
Second. Football WC. Again – PLEASE. You obviously know NOTHING about football if you think the South Korean side can win it, or Japan or Scotland or England! The only sides atm with a CHANCE are Spain (current European champs and faves for the next EC and WC), Brazil, Portugal, Italy (current champs) and maybe France or Germany (Argentina at an outside shot)
Jan Hendrik – if the pumas really suck then how do you explain them coming third in the 2007 RWC? As for the list – it is based on the current IRB rankings so where do you get off saying its wrong?
BTW anthony p – what do you mean “if it ends up being a 16 side world cup”?
It has BEEN a sixteen side WC (at least) since the inaugral WC in NZ and Australia in 1987. As it is now, it is a 20 side tournament, and 8 of those places need to be qualified for – hence more than 20 sides vie for those places.
That just proves you know nothing about rugby lol
(Quick research shows the IRB has 95 full members, and browsing the qualifying tables for 2011 WC that seems about right. As an interesting side note though, only 24 different teams have played in the RWCFs although seeing as it used to only be a 16 team tournament and now 12 of the 20 places are auto qualification through previous WC performance – previously all quarter finalists but from now on everyone who finishes third or higher in their group – this isnt really that surprising)
cymraegbachgen87 – There was talk of it going back to a 16 side tournament to avoid huge miss matches in pool play but it looks like it has been decided against as it would damage the game in newer nations who do not get to play the top teams unless they are in there pool at the world cup
cymraegbachgen87 – As for Argentina getting regularly demolished by the top teams, may i point out them wolloping France twice in the last world cup, had they played that well in there semis match i think south africa would have had a much harder time but without the exposure the other top teams get what do you expect.
I completely agree that Los Pumas need more top tier practice. There was talk of them joining the Tri-Nations but it fell through unfortunately. I think the last WC was excellent for the smaller teams. Many of them made excellent showings. However it will be a long time before they are capable of challenging for the title. Take Italy – 10 seasons in the six nations and they are slowly getting better, but nowhere near good enough to take the title, not yet at least. I suppose I was alluding to more southern hem sides for Argentina (although europe stil do beat samoa, tonga and scotland) You can also invoke the old axiom that you never know which french side will turn up. (That isn’t to detract from argentinas amazing achievement in 2007) You
could possibly credit S.A for not allowing them to play to potential in their semi…
That semi is a case in point. At this moment in time it is blatantly clear that southern hemisphere sides are dominant. It helps that their funding isnt as heavily split. Most european countries have football as their national sport (thats soccer not AF for the americans out there
) which detracts from funding and personel going to rugby.
I was really dissapointed when Los Pumas didnt end up in the Tri nations but it isnt off the cards, i think the main problem was timing and the geographt. I would expect them to get kicked around a bit the first couple of seasons but the potential is there as they play a very unique style of rugby. The islands would also benefit from more top tier games, we (N.Z) played samoa early last year and the score was in the hundreds.
I would love for the tri nations to become more inclusive with many more teams. Unfortunately, due to the spread out nature of the top southern hemisphere teams, this is a much harder logistical problem than the 6 Nations.
There was also talk of extending the six nations with Argentina playing out of Spain or Portugal.
Before discovering The List Universe, there were only five things I knew about New Zealand:
1) Xena the Warrior Princess founded it
2) Lots of sheep
3) Lord of the Rings was filmed there
4) Sir Edmund Hillary
5) The All Blacks rule the rugby world.
As for rugby, I only know one thing.
124 – guy: fair nuff…
ye i dont really like gregan, i mean hes a frekin good player (probs why i dont liek him)and hes a tuff lil bugger as well. gets smashed alot and carries on.
Dont liek larkam as well, suppose i dont like any of the ozzy players n SA players apart from Quade Cooper and Barnes
no offence to anyone haha
IRB World Rankings – 23 February 2009
1(1) NEW ZEALAND 92.68
2(2) SOUTH AFRICA 89.45
3(3) AUSTRALIA 85.86
4(4) WALES 82.51
5(5) ARGENTINA 81.56
6(6) IRELAND 80.49
7(7) ENGLAND 80.37
8(8) FRANCE 79.10
9(9) SCOTLAND 75.47
10(10) FIJI 75.24
maori boi- since i am pretty much neutral because i play and live in the states, i just like whoever plays the way that i like to play. justin marshall was also a badass when he played for the all blacks, he was aggressive and everything.
guy – true true, one of my other favourites is Sivivatu!, also plays for Waikato Chiefs (YEH BABY 2009 Super 14 Champs!!!!!!)
Love him cos he always makes something out of nothing and whenever he plays he looks bored n tired n seems he doesnt know what hes doing
But yer good list btw ay, good to see some more rugby realted ones up here. Maybe u can do one with like most tries or points scored in one game etc…
yeah sivivatu has such a good side step.
i was thinking about writing a few other lists like greatest flyhalfs, scrumhalfs or wings of all time. idk but i think it would be cool.
U like Shane Williams? The lil Welsh boi he has good step as well…Idk if i get my step from welsh side or maori side hahaha
Ye that will be cool ay, but i already know whos gonna be #1 1st 5/8 (Fly half) of all time… Me
haha but yer deffs will be good to do.
It’s worth mentioning that even when South Africa won the latest World Cup, the All Blacks were still ranked No.1 in the world! And neither the Irish or the Scots have ever beaten the ABs in over one hundred years of rugby.
AUSSIE’S for the win we should be at least number two i think americans would be good at rugby if it got big in the states their better of with the NFL
i meant bad at rugby americans would be bad at rugby lol so they should stick to nfl and basketball etc
but the Llanelli Scarlets have beaten the ABs…that was a good day for welsh regional rugby!
(Not great for me tho seeing as I’m a Blues Fan)
140. moari boi- yeah shane williams is amazing, it is always cool to see a little guy dominating in sports.
yeah i would say i am probably the best scrum half ever… jk.
i got a good question though.. who do you think would be better going against each other at flyhalf, dan carter, or johnny wilkinson in his prime and top form?
how is it like playing in new zealand at a club or whatever level you play? (cause looking at your nickname i am guessing you live there)
145. guy – Tbh i dont really think wilkinson is that good, i rekon hes over rated because of his famous drop goal. I rekon James Hook, Ronan O’Gara or even Steven Larkham
hehe
are better than wilkinson when at their peak, and overall Carter dominates haha. But thats my opinion anyway
I was born and bred in NZ till i was 13 when i moved to australia. I played rugby and league for the whole time i was in NZ but never really got to play at a serious level because of age. But when I moved to australia and played here (just started training for 09 season
) I always played 1 grade or even 2 grades higher at times because im too good 
But i think the reason is because I live in Perth and rugby isnt very big here (Aussie Rules dominates any other sport here), but if I played in Sydney it will be much harder over there, probably similar to playing back in NZ cos there’s heaps of Maori’s there haha
I also played a bit in Wales when i went there for a holiday when I was 16 and that was like playing school rugby bak in primary school in NZ, it was fun but I was expecting a hard game especially playing against the teams from the valleys.
The IRB rankings are a little skewed. Argentina ahead of Wales? Since the world cup, they have only won against 2 mediocre teams (Scotland & Italy). Ireland better than England? No not really. I would love to see England higher up the list, but alas they’re just not up to the job recently. They lost against Wales, and the try they scored was more luck than skill.
Bring back the good old days!
147. Biscuit – if u missed my post earlier (# 136), Wales are ahead of Argentina. Ill post agen if u want lol
*************************************************************
IRB World Rankings – 23 February 2009
1(1) NEW ZEALAND 92.68
2(2) SOUTH AFRICA 89.45
3(3) AUSTRALIA 85.86
4(4) WALES 82.51
5(5) ARGENTINA 81.56
6(6) IRELAND 80.49
7(7) ENGLAND 80.37
8(8) FRANCE 79.10
9(9) SCOTLAND 75.47
10(10) FIJI 75.24
*************************************************************
well I am former Croatia rugby player.I havequited rugby becouse I could not agree with coach.You would ask me why haven’t I changed cloub? well I was minor.(17 years old is minor in croatia)so I could not travell. I played football too and I have to say that rugby i far more brutal. Next in football you have protection in rugby not.
I have just spent the day explaining the basic rules of rugby to my girlfriend whilst watching and sadly missing most of todays 6 nations game between Wales and France.
However she now understands it a lot more and actually quite enjoys it now that she knows what is actually happening – it’s definitely a game that you either need to play to understand or read up on/watch a good few games before it all starts to make sense and look much more organised than it seems.
It’s a bloody brilliant game and by far my favourite sport. I suggest you all have a read up on some of the basic rules and watch a game or two.
hey ireland won 2009 gand slam so they shoud be put at number 5
Walesssss !!!!!
ENGLAND ARE ***** !!!!
you couldnt be much more wrong
The Kiwi side is great and deserve being in the top 3
having stated that – it is difficult to understand on what basis they are no 1
South Africa should clearly be rated as the number one team – They won the world cup – have a system that does not always favour the best team being put on the field to play
and have a brilliant recors since re- entry despite many obstacles.
**** at the end of the day – Rugby Union is the real winner, we are all enjoying the benefits of a game that is incredible to watch – with any of the above 10 teams playing brilliantly when at their best
for all you “non-believers” out there:
YES, ARGENTINA.
read it and weep
I think this list is great. My whole family is a bunch of rugby fanatics (my NZ dad started the whole thing). And to be honest, if NZ wasn’t at the top, i would have been pretty mad….thank goodness they are because, well…they rock.
Argentina?? Heh?
New Zealand can’t play if the referee is not on their side. I think they pay bribes to the Rugby Board or someone, if it wern’t for politics nobody would have beaten South-Africa.
159. Bugsy : Lol, you keep telling yourself that, mate.
I was a South African for 8 years, and have been a New Zealander for 10 years…that’s why I’m so happy they both came above Australia!
Agree with the list, just a shame you didn’t post the footage of the Haka where Wales just stared down the All Blacks; that was a great moment.
It should go
(South Africa 1)
(New Zealand 2)
(Wales 3)
(Argentina 4)
(Australia 5)
(England 6)
(Ireland 7)
(France 8)
(Fiji 9)
(Scotland 10)
Go bokke! Well done to the Blue Bulls that beat the Chiefs!
Is there going to be an all-time list? Yes i agree with the current list as is results of last world cup etc. However having Argentina 4th best team is a bit dodgy as before the world cup itself they wouldn’t have even made the top 5!
All time list would be (top 15);
1 New Zealand
2 Australia
3 South Africa
4 Wales
5 France
6 England
7 Ireland
8 Fiji
9 Argentina
10 Scotland
11 Samoa
12 Italy
13 Romania
14 Tonga
15 Japan
argentina? 4? are you *****ting me?
ireland number 8!!!!
wat the hell!!!
ireland are much better than teams like england and wales yet we are *****ing eighth!!!
racist!
ALL BLACKS RULE
I SWEAR, I’LL NEVER WRITE ANOTHER MESSAGE AGAIN. I’VE JUST HAD ENOUGH OF HOLDING MY TONGUE ON THIS SUBJECT ABOUT THESE 2 SPORTS… HERE WE AND GOOD LUCK!!!
Pt. 1 – Gridiron vs. Rugby
Man this probably won’t do anything to solve the debate over which football code is better (Gridiron/American Football vs. Rugby) but I’m gonna say it anyway..
First off there’s 2 aspects of the game, Mentality and physicality. I’ll explain both aspects in both codes and you can decide off that. I played League for 4 years, Union for 3 and Gridiron 3yrs and going so I’m not just blowing hot air…
Pt. 2 – Mentality
Rugby: It’s not just about taking and giving hits or passing the ball around to score points. It’s doing it CONSISTENTLY and EFFICIENTLY while keeping your team STRUCTURED for 80mins. You hardly have stoppages to re-group and you don’t sit down for 5mins to figure out how the other team scored, only at half time. If your plan is not working, you improvise on the fly while play is still running. If your plan is working, good on ya… Now keep it up and stick to your plan for 80mins…. Very tiring mentally.
Gridiron: I’m gonna make this simple coz mentally this game will make you swipe the cups off the gatorade table if you don’t study (yes, study)… I’ll put in caps to stress the importance. IF YOU DON’T STUDY YOUR PLAYBOOK, YOU’VE ALREADY LOST THE GAME! Get it???… Now that you’ve memorised your playbook off the field, can you remember it when your face mask is 5 inches away from the dude that wants to flatten you every play for the whole match… I haven’t even started with the importance of discipline in your role and making adjustments according to which team your playing. I’m not gonna start with it either but they are vital to succeeding mentally. See, all that and the quarterback hasn’t even said “HIKE!!!” Every mistake you make in gridiron could be your last because there’s always someone waiting in line to take your spot.
Pt. 3 – Physicality
Gridiron: You take the field every 5mins. You play 5mins and run back off. But in that time on the field, you give it everything you’ve got so when you get off the field your dying for water, oxygen and instructions on what to do next drive. You recuperate for a few mins and do it again. It’s harder for the bigger dudes because they’re fit in strength, not in endurance.
The padding and helmet issue… I found that when you use your helmet to tackle, you can really smack s**t out of someone. In rugby, it’s rule of thumb that when in you tackle coming from the side (going for the legs, textbook), you place your head behind the ball carrier while putting in the shoulder and wrapping your arms to avoid head/neck injuries. In gridiron you’d be runnin full speed, you’d stick your helmet into the chest, head, legs wherever you think will hurt em most and go straight through em without seriously hurting yourself. In rugby, you’d be paralysed doing something stupid like that with no helmet… Another thing in gridiron is you don’t need to be near the action. The play could be on the other side of the field and you could still get blind shotted while your jogging downfield. That is all fair game too. The padding is their so you can be more “suicidal” when it comes to the point of impact. Less technique is required. You put him on his back USING ANY MEANS NECESSARY as quick as you can! (besides chop blocking, grass cutting & all that cheap s**t)
Rugby: Do I need to say much about the physicality of the sport. No helmet, no shoulder pads. Some Americans might think the tackling is a bit soft impact wise but that’s because you don’t have an inch of hard padding protecting your head and body. You’ve gotta absorb all the shocks you take on your own, you’ve gotta protect your head on your own, and when you get tackled or tackle someone you’ve gotta brace for the ruck (gotta love the rucks, best part of the game!!). Get caught on the wrong side of the ruck and you will get stomped on. Yes they use their cleats/boots! And yes it hurts sometimes… Remember, your doing this for 80mins with 10min break 1/2 way through.
I haven’t even started with the endurance side. I’ll say this though, a good forward could make an avg of 2 tackles and 1 a run every 4mins. Then he’s gotta help his teammates do the same. For 80mins… Sound exhausting??? On top of all of that I’ve gotta mention cauliflower ears. If you don’t know what it is, google it…
If you still can’t decide, then look at it this way. They’re all a bunch of pansies because one code wears short shorts & the other code wears tights…
But really, it’s like comparing Freddy to Jason. They’re both out for blood!!! The only difference is Jason will just kill you and Freddy will kill you in your dreams…
You have to laugh. Unlike football and soccer (the other football) where the origins are not alluded to in the name Rugby’s origins are very plain.
Surely ranking this is like saying France are the most famous Judo nation because they produce more current champions than Japan.
England are the most famous rugby nation, NZ just the nation that chooses to define itself through Rugby exploits which is a mistake is you are a bunch of chokers when it comes to the World Cup.
@furnivk (170): New Zealand consistently have the best Rugby team in the world, England are even more consistently embarrassing.
I can see how you could confuse consistency for not sucking though…
It’s 2009 Tri-Nations and so far South Africa have 2 victories over New Zealand. Can’t wait for the match against Australia on saturday!! Go Springboks!!! =)
South Africa without doubt are the best team this year but I’ll be hoping for an upset on Saturday, c’mon the Wallabies!
¡¡Vamos Los Pumas!!
In your face England.
Currently the rankings have changed with SOUTH-AFRICA now number one. Go check for yourself at: http://www.irb.com/rankings/full.html
What bull*****. Bokke are two times world champions. We would have a greater trinations record if we didn’t have crap refs from Aus and NZ officiating our games. Bokke are number 1
And when America starts taking rugby seriously we will be #1. Imagine Patrick Willis, AD and multiple others playing rugby. It would be a hilarious massacre because the USA has the best athletes in the world.
luke watson should be in the top 10 for best 8thman in the world
luke watson should be in the to 10 for best eighthman in the world,great ball carrrier I’ll give him 9 out of 10
what’s with the whole “American Football is for pussies”????