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Two front rowers have been putting themselves about too, in prop Pierre Schoeman (36) and hooker Gianmarco Lucchesi (34). Here is the full list of the highest-paid rugby players of 2024, compiled using data from Yahoo News, GQ Australia, and The Scotsman. The best players can earn lofty wages in the most popular rugby leagues worldwide. Owen Farrell, fly-half of Racing 92, tops the list as the highest-paid rugby player in the world for 2024.

World champion-slaying Ireland secure unprecedented record

He’s the only other player on the list to earn over $1 million a year for his services. The former Scotland centre turned schools coach is taking a holistic approach to developing young players. Bestowed the crown of World Rugby Player of the Year in 2021, the recent renaissance of French rugby has largely centred around halfback Antoine Dupont. While France are currently blessed with a raft of talented youngsters who have thrust Les Bleus back to the peak of their powers, few wield the influence Dupont has on both his team and the matches he plays in. Being central to such a significant comeback after years of dormancy deserves recognition, hence why Dupont has claimed top spot in the RugbyPass Top 100. FloRugby broadcasts dozens of international rugby matches throughout the year, including the summer rugby internationals from July to September.

Statement win boosts Wales in World Rugby Women’s Rankings

• He reportedly earns $1.2 million as a key position player in sparking attacks.
• Levani Botia said that during his entire decade of playing Fiji, these behaviours exhibited by FRU were common.
• One of the standout All Blacks of 2023, Roigard is looming as the perfect successor to Aaron Smith in Scott Robertson’s starting side.
• Five years later, at the close of 2023, he was finally granted French citizenship.
• The 2024 Rugby Championship was filled with thrilling encounters between four of the top rugby nations.

That’s neither here nor there because NZ rugby and their fans (if this site is a reflection) don’t value our respect. This is the standard that World Rugby expects all rugby nations including New Zealand to adhere to. Respect for team-mates, opponents, match officials and those involved in the game is paramount. A surprising amount of people were happy when the Irish team beat the All Blacks as it was good for the game.

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His wonderful performance against Argentina at the World Cup will go down in English Rugby history as one of the best individual performances in a white shirt. This is not meant to disparage Farrell’s contribution to English rugby, but his presence no doubt has hampered Ford. A master tactician with a sublime passing and kicking game, Ford is an https://just-bet.org/ old-school game manager in the best sense of the word. With his long-term teammate and friend now unavailable and seemingly on his way to the Top 14, Ford could prove to be both the first-choice fly-half and English captain this year. Despite featuring against Italy and France in the tournament, Williams did not crack the Welsh World Cup squad.

Joe McCarthy – Ireland – Secondrow

A successful try is awarded with an additional conversion opportunity (which sees a team attempting to kick the ball over the other team’s goal-posts) for two points. The main way is by scoring a try – carrying the ball over the opponent’s goal-line, which scores five points. Wales have finished fifth in the Six Nations for the past two years having won just two of their last 11 games in the Championship. England, who finished fourth last campaign, have not won the tournament since 2020.

Ireland in danger of dropping out of top 10 in World Rugby Women’s Rankings powered by Capgemini

The Centenary Quaich named after a Gaelic drinking dish, the ‘Quaich’ has been presented to the winners of the Ireland against Scotland since 1989 and won by Ireland in 2023. The four home nations also compete for various trophies, including the the Millennium trophy which has been given to the winner of the Six Nations match between England and Ireland since 1988. The trophy itself looks a little bit like a Viking helmet with horns. The Triple Crown is given to the team that defeats all the other original home nations and only England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland are able to win it. A match is split into two 40-minute halves – the aim of the game is to score more points than the other team through tries, conversions, penalty kicks and drop goals. Scotland’s last championship title was the 1999 Five Nations and their last two World Cup campaigns have ended at the pool stage.

All Blacks are carrying on like an amateur club, driven by sentimentality rather than what’s best for the team

Clermont are the best sports fans in the World in any sport, never mind rugby. French fans generally are amongst the best in the World, so they are right up there. Anyone who has been to Buenos Aires will tell you how great Argentina is, with a real party atmosphere and passion that can’t be beaten. South Africa is always great and the vast majority of their fans are brilliant. I’ve been plucked from the crowd and invited into corporate boxes on several occasions.

• Respect for team-mates, opponents, match officials and those involved in the game is paramount.
• Aki possesses the rare skill of being able to generate tremendous power from a standing start, even against a defence as robust as South Africa’s.
• While France are currently blessed with a raft of talented youngsters who have thrust Les Bleus back to the peak of their powers, few wield the influence Dupont has on both his team and the matches he plays in.
• Showed that last week’s tricks weren’t just a consequence the hopeless situation.
• With 2024 NFL training camps on the horizon, the league’s true insiders made their voices heard.
• Their most impressive performance was their win in New Zealand, closely followed by their dominant victory over Australia.
• However, if the occasion calls for it, he is a more-than-able option in the centers or on the wing, making him a prized asset to the South Africa setup.

Cheslin Kolbe dominates Rugby Championship stat while several All Blacks lead the way despite Springboks’ triumph

With Louis Rees-Zammit making the shock decision to leave rugby and pursue a career in the NFL, there is no better time for Rio Dyer to cement himself as Wales’ fast man. The current line-up is missing many of the team’s biggest names, with Leigh Halfpenny, Dan Biggar, Alun Wyn Jones and Justin Tipuric retiring in the last 12 months. Not to mention Louis Rees-Zammit, who has departed the squad for a career in the NFL.

Other Wales players to watch

As a result, several of the sport’s finest have cemented their reputation at the tournament. This includes rugby legends like Jonny Wilkinson, Alun Wyn Jones and Ronan O’Gara, whose names remain synonymous with the championship. Very few players, if any, throughout the world of rugby exude leadership, passion and dedication like Michael Hooper does whenever he plays for the Wallabies.

Jamaica celebrate winning return to test rugby

He backed up his good performance against the old enemy in the 2024 Six Nations, scoring a hat-trick – with each try coming from some individual brilliance. Our round-up of the finest rugby union players in the world right now. Lakapi Samoa, the nation’s rugby governing body, has not yet stated whether the head coach will continue in his current role. “It’s such a rollercoaster of emotions,” rugby player Stephanie Rovetti said. In a last-minute upset, the U.S. women’s rugby team beat out Australia in rugby sevens and claimed the bronze medal. Woods announced his retirement earlier this month after a 14-year career which included 269 NRL games, 14 games for New South Wales and 17 appearances for Australia.

• The young fly-half was brave and skilful, showing great ambition in his play when kicking or running.
• In a last-minute upset, the U.S. women’s rugby team beat out Australia in rugby sevens and claimed the bronze medal.
• Not only can he display his skills on a 15s stage, but he has also started his 7s career with a bang, scoring a try on his debut for France.
• Aaron Woods always wanted to be a rugby league player – but the talented media performer, unsurprisingly, would’ve been talking people’s ears off if he wasn’t one.
• His kicking game, especially his positional kicking, has improved out of sight.
• The cup is named after the former Scotland international lock Doddie Weir who died from motor neuron disease and was created to raise awareness of the illness.

As for Easter, he looked a bit further back and selected one of his former teammates, Lawrence Dallaglio. Men’s and Women’s World Rugby Rankings are calculated using a ‘Points Exchange’ system, where sides gain or lose points based on the match result. Other criteria include the relative strength of each team, the margin of victory, and an allowance for home advantage.

He is the only Fiji star to make the list and one of three tier two players to make the top 50. No England players have been selected in a top 20 list of the world’s best rugby players ahead of the Rugby World Cup. Similarly, the impact that experienced Springboks lock Eben Etzebeth provides to South Africa cannot be questioned, especially given his output at international level last year.

Surrounded by other young exciting forward talent in the new England setup, Martin is perhaps the most exciting of the lot. Somewhat of a throwback in his style of play, Kremer is the enforcer in a gnarly Argentine pack that never takes a backwards step. A true headhunter on defense, the giant center smashes opponents with an unrelenting velocity, while in attack, he has the glint of the great Waisale Serevi about him.

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His teammate, Ardie Savea, is the only other member of Ian Foster’s squad that makes the list, as he comes in at number three. McReight looked very good against the ABs but I think that’s the first time I’ve seen him excel against top opposition. Ioane also makes disrespectful gestures to the Irish crowd twice, which is a citable offense and misconduct under the same regulation that Sexton was disciplined for abusing Peyper. He was as fast as Christian Cullen, had a pass on him as good as Quade Cooper’s and a Roger Gould boot. His telling off of Sacha was very much the right thing but hopefully not too late.

Although he only played five tests this year, the class and quality of the Les Bleus star catapults him high up the rankings in an indication of his influence in the French set-up. A core member of South Africa’s 2019 World Cup-winning side, Lukhanyo Am continued to blossom into one of the game’s most dependable midfielders this year. Rock-solid on defence and supremely adept with ball in hand, Am has become a staple of the Springboks backline and has formed a tired and trusted midfield combination with Damian de Allende. With the World Cup just a year away, Am is set to play a crucial role in South Africa’s chances of retaining the Webb Ellis Cup. The top spot should come as little surprise after Antoine Dupont led Toulouse to both Investec Champions Cup and Top 14 title.

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That didn’t change in 2021, a year of which he earned a World Rugby Player of the Year nomination, and one could argue Hooper can feel hard done by that he wasn’t the outright winner of the award. Antoine Dupont needs no introduction, and few would disagree that he is the best player in the world right now. Not only can he display his skills on a 15s stage, but he has also started his 7s career with a bang, scoring a try on his debut for France. So far in his career, he has won the Six Nations with France and three top 14 titles with Toulouse.

Lowe has “rapidly become one of the most exciting wings in international rugby”, said Rugby All Star. His performances for Ireland have been marked by “blistering pace, deft handling, and an uncanny ability to find the try line”. And, as his impressive attacking stats prove, he is a player who can “turn a game on its head with a single moment of brilliance”.

With Scott Barrett also captaining the Crusaders, Jordie will also be desperate to get his hands on a Super Rugby title. This will be a year of significant growth for the talented loose forward, with spots now wide open and a chance to impress his former coach, Scott Robertson. After a strong year in Super Rugby that saw the Crusaders retain their title, Blackadder was called into the All Blacks squad for the World Cup as an injury cover. While he only featured in one Test, Blackadder looms as one of the All Blacks most exciting prospects coming through the ranks, and certainly has already established himself in the Crusaders line up. A shoo-in for the Blues starting XV, he looms as one of their most dangerous attacking weapons and one of the best finishers in the competition.

With Manly bowing out of the premiership race, Woods enjoyed his last ‘Mad Monday’ as a professional rugby league player recently. It was “pretty tame” compared to when he first entered the NRL world. With game time now under the belt, ALB will be perfectly primed for a strong year as Waikato look to go one better, and will plenty on the line to play for with positions in the All Blacks starting XV open. Sharing the record with Telea with 12 tries last season, Codie Taylor is a formidable veteran at the head of a dangerous Crusaders pack. With 2024 NFL training camps on the horizon, the league’s true insiders made their voices heard.

The Week is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. In 2022 Ireland beat England, Wales and Scotland but didn’t win the Six Nations tournament overall. Ireland were crowned Six Nations Grand Slam champions in 2023 thanks to a bonus point win against England in Dublin. One of the most important rules of the sport is that the ball can only be passed backwards. Finally, a player is allowed to attempt a drop-goal in play for three points.

Nicknamed the ‘Italian wonder kid’, Ange Capuozzo will compete at his third Six Nations in 2024. Seemingly unstoppable, Italian fans have high hopes that he will soon become one of their best Six Nations players of all-time. Ringrose achieved new heights at the 2023 Six Nations, scoring Ireland’s winning try against France. Commenting on his performance, O’Driscoll praised Ringrose’s ability to disrupt and halt oncoming attacks. But which players could make their mark at this year’s Six Nations?

The once-intimidating aura of the All Blacks seems to have faded.They are by no means in crisis like the Wallabies, but at the moment, they aren’t performing at a level that puts them among the elite. The Wallabies finished last, with only a last-minute win against Argentina in South America to their name. Australian rugby is clearly feeling the effects of a disruptive tenure under Eddie Jones.Joe Schmidt has a massive job ahead of him. The Wallabies are in the doldrums and need a significant boost in quality in their forward pack, particularly in the tight five, as well as finding a flyhalf capable of controlling the game. The 2024 Rugby Championship was filled with thrilling encounters between four of the top rugby nations. Bet Central takes a look at how all the teams fared in this year’s competition.

• Dee’s accuracy here meant England wouldn’t get handed free balls at the set-piece.
• An agreement has been put in place which will prevent France’s best players from touring New Zealand in 2025.
• Praise is due for Cyril Baille as well, who is the solitary front rower in the top ten.
• We run through their team, rating each player out of a possible 10.
• Pieter-Steph du Toit was central to South Africa’s 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup campaigns.
• A kicker without a game is like going to a great restaurant and having nothing but a slice of white bread.

Making his senior debut for Leinster last season in the URC, he has begun to get more first-team opportunities this season. Quite possibly, the most talented 20-year-old in professional rugby, Sam Prendergast dominated the U20 circuit for the past few seasons. Like Crowley, Cian Frawley is a versatile operator who can play fly-half, center and fullback to a high standard. However, he has looked best when wearing the No. 10 shirt and has been in Andy Farrell’s thinking regarding the fly-half berth.

A superb tactician, George will take the place of Owen Farrell at this year’s Championship. Unless you’re a London Irish or Harlequins fan, then Chandler Cunningham-South is a name you might not know. However, he could become a familiar face following the 2024 Six Nations. Praise is due for Cyril Baille as well, who is the solitary front rower in the top ten.

When England played to his style at the latter end of the World Cup it worked wonders and his kicking game could be pivotal in the Six Nations. George has been picked by the England head coach for his tactical nous, ability to build relationships, and emotional intelligence. With Owen Farrell opting to take a break from international duty and then signing for French side Racing 92, the time came for England to turn to someone new as their full-time captain. Additionally, with Antoine Dupont absent, Grégory Alldritt will steer the 2024 Six Nations squad. Widely regarded as one of the finest number eights in the modern game, fans will be eager to see how Dupont’s replacement performs.

• Still just 27 years old, the 2019 Rugby World Cup star brings a nasty edge to an explosive England pack.
• Arguably his best try scored was against England in the 2023 Six Nations, where he beat five defenders and ran 55m.
• Nayacalevu also said that during the team’s trip to England, the card that the team used to pay for excess luggage was rejected since there was no money on it at all.
• I’ve been plucked from the crowd and invited into corporate boxes on several occasions.
• Finally, a player is allowed to attempt a drop-goal in play for three points.
• So far in his career, he has won the Six Nations with France and three top 14 titles with Toulouse.
• We got ex-England captain Chris Robshaw to speak about leadership, where he explained all the different leaders and captains in a rugby squad.

Rugby World Cup hosts France have six players in the top 20, starting with full-back Thomas Ramos in 16th place with hooker Julien Marchand in 13th. Given the hoopla in NZ over O’Mahony sledging Cane, if Ireland had simlarly abused NZ players and supporters after one of the matches in the test series we can assume the uproar would have been heard from space. In short, NZ rugby did not take responsibility for the disrespect shown to Irish players, Irish supporters and Ireland. In a year where the All Blacks struggled to reach the lofty goals they expect of themselves, Ardie Savea stood head and shoulders above his peers as the best New Zealand had to offer. The unrelenting loose forward’s powerful ball-carrying, committed defence and immense work ethic have made him an integral player for the Kiwis, as reflected by his captaincy appointment for the Rugby Championship.

If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. With the likes of Mark Telea and Will Jordan keeping him from returning to the All Black line up, Reece will be hoping to push his case to return to the national side – but he has a lot of competition. An effective kicker, dangerous in broken play and a strong finisher, the decision to re-sign him for two years is a strong indication of his potential as an attacking weapon.

And being named co-captain with Rory Darge signals an end to his previously stormy relationship with head coach Gregor Townsend. Following his recent move to Lyon, Monty Ioane is also one of this year’s Six Nations players to watch. The same goes for Lorenzo Cannone, another up-and-coming player whose powerful tackles have cemented his place in the Italian squad.