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Richie McCaw is a New Zealand retired rugby union player who captained the national team in 110 test matches. One of the most successful captains of the All Blacks team, McCaw helped New Zealand win two Rugby World Cups in 2011 and 2015. In 2019, Richie McCaw was made an inductee of the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
Once considered the world’s best fly-half, New Zealand rugby star Dan Carter is best known for his stint with the Crusaders and the All Blacks. He was part of the Rugby World Cup-winning New Zealand squads of 2011 and 2015. He is also the all-time leading point scorer in international rugby.
Former captain of the New Zealand national rugby team, Kieran Read was not just named World Rugby Player of the Year once but was also part of the World Cup-winning New Zealand rugby squads of 2011 and 2015. He has been regarded as one of the world’s best forwards.
Sonny Bill Williams is a New Zealand boxer. Interestingly, he played professional rugby union and rugby league before turning his attention towards boxing. A very successful sportsperson, Williams has won several Rugby World Cups. He also represented New Zealand as a rugby player at the 2016 Olympics.
Known for his speed and game management, New Zealand rugby player Beauden Barrett is a 2-time World Rugby Player of the Year award winner. He caught the attention of national selectors at age 19, he later has a long stint with the Hurricanes. He is the highest try-scorer of any first-five in history.
Kalyn Ponga is a rugby league footballer who represents the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League (NRL). A multi-skilled sportsperson, Kalyn Ponga played several sports, including soccer, hockey, touch football, golf, and rugby union before becoming a professional rugby league footballer. He even won the under-13 national golf championship in 2010, representing New Zealand.
Julian Savea is a New Zealand professional rugby player who played a major role in his national team's triumph at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. With eight tries under his belt, Savea was the highest try-scorer of the World Cup. Julian Savea is also one of New Zealand's highest try-scorers of all time.
New Zealand rugby player Sam Whitelock is one of the 4 Whitelock brothers who have played high-level rugby. He was part of the World Cup-winning New Zealand squads in 2011 and 2015. He also owns a farm and has been an ambassador for Farmstrong, an initiative that helps farmers.
Tana Umaga is a New Zealand retired rugby union footballer who served as the captain of the national rugby union team. After retiring as a player, Umaga took up coaching career and served as the head coach of the Blues from 2016 to 2018. In 2021, he was appointed as the assistant coach of the Samoa national rugby union team.
Jonah Lomu was a New Zealand rugby player whose dominance on the field had a huge impact on the game. Considered the first global superstar of rugby, Jonah Lomu proved to be a crowd-puller. In 2007, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame. In 2011, he was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame.
One of the greatest rugby players from New Zealand, Andrew Mehrtens has gained over 967 Test points for the national team, All Blacks. He was part of his country’s 1999 Rugby World Cup squad and was later associated with the English club Harlequins and the Paris-based Racing Metro 92.
A talented fly-half, Stephen Donald, or Beaver, as he is known by his fans, soared to fame after scoring the winning penalty at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. He has played for teams such as Waikato, Chiefs, and Bath, too. He has also appeared on the singing reality show The Masked Singer NZ.
Known for being a skilled forward, New Zealand rugby player Zinzan Brooke was a major part of his country’s World Cup teams in 1991 and 1995. His 17 tries in Test matches was a world record back then. He was once criticized by many for posting unscientific and false information on COVID.
Joe Rokocoko is a New Zealand retired rugby union player who won 68 caps for his national side between 2003 and 2010. Having scored 46 tries during his career, Joe Rokocoko is the joint-second-top try scorer for his country.
Christian Cullen is a New Zealand former rugby union player who played for the national rugby union team. Nicknamed the Paekakariki Express, Cullen is often counted among the most potent running fullbacks of all time. Christian Cullen was part of the national team that won the gold medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
