Famous 20th Century Rugby Players

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 1 
Joost van der Westhuizen
(South African Professional Rugby Union Player)
Joost van der Westhuizen
5
Birthdate: February 20, 1971
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Pretoria, South Africa
Died: February 6, 2017

Joost van der Westhuizen was a South African rugby player. He took part in three Rugby World Cups, helping his national team win the 1995 World Cup. Widely regarded as the greatest scrumhalf in the history of the game, van der Westhuizen was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007.

 2 
Francois Pienaar
(South African Retired Rugby Union Player)
Francois Pienaar
7
Birthdate: January 2, 1967
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Vereeniging, South Africa

Francois Pienaar is a former rugby player who captained the South African national team from 1993 to 1996. He is best-known for helping his team win the 1995 Rugby World Cup. In 2004, he was ranked 50th in a list named Top 100 Great South Africans. In 2005, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.

 3 
Tendai Mtawarira
(Rugby union player)
Tendai Mtawarira
3
Birthdate: August 1, 1985
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Harare
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
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 4 
Victor Matfield
(South African Former Professional Rugby Union Player)
Victor Matfield
10
Birthdate: May 11, 1977
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Pietersburg, South Africa

Victor Matfield is a South African former rugby union player who captained the national team as well as the Blue Bulls. Widely regarded as one of the greatest locks in the history of South African rugby, Matfield was extremely successful at disrupting opposition line-outs, a skill that helped his team win the 2007 Rugby World Cup.

 5 
Jason Leonard
(English former Rugby union player)
Jason Leonard
4
Birthdate: August 14, 1968
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Barking, England
 6 
Gavin Hastings
(Rugby union player)
Gavin Hastings
3
Birthdate: January 3, 1962
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Edinburgh, Scotland
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 7 
Brad Thorn
(New Zealand Australian Rugby Union Coach and Former Rugby League and Rugby Union Footballer)
Brad Thorn
2
Birthdate: February 3, 1975
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Bannockburn, Otago, New Zealand
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
 8 
David Campese
(Former Australian Rugby Union Player)
David Campese
4
Birthdate: October 21, 1962
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 9 
Jason Robinson
(English Former Dual-Code International Rugby League and Rugby Union Footballer)
Jason Robinson
4
Birthdate: July 30, 1974
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Leeds, Yorkshire, England
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 10 
Eric Liddell
(Scottish Sprinter, Rugby Player and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Eric Liddell
7
Birthdate: January 16, 1902
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Tianjin, China
Died: February 21, 1945

Eric Liddell was a Scottish athlete who won a gold medal in 400 meters race at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. In his later years, he became a Christian missionary. Though he was of Scottish origin, he was born in China, where he spent most of his life and died eventually.

 11 
Michael Jones
(New Zealand Former Rugby Union Player and Coach)
Michael Jones
2
Birthdate: April 8, 1965
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 12 
Lawrence Dallaglio
(English Retired Rugby Union Player)
Lawrence Dallaglio
0
Birthdate: August 10, 1972
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: London, United Kingdom
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 13 
Bakkies Botha
(South African Former Professional Rugby Union Player Who Played as a Lock)
Bakkies Botha
3
Birthdate: September 22, 1979
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Newcastle, South Africa
Bakkies Botha, the former professional rugby union player, ​played as a lock for Springboks until 2014. Regularly listed in 'greatest ever' sides, Botha was nominated for SA player of the year in 2003, 2004 and 2005. He is also the only player in the history of rugby union to have won a hat-trick of Super Rugby and European rugby titles.
 14 
Shane Williams
(Welsh Rugby Union Player)
Shane Williams
0
Birthdate: February 26, 1977
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Morriston, Swansea, Wales
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 15 
Martin Bayfield
(English Actor and Former Rugby Union Player)
Martin Bayfield
11
Birthdate: December 21, 1966
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bedford, Bedfordshire, England
Height: 6'10" (208 cm)
 16 
Jonah Lomu
(New Zealand Rugby Union Player)
Jonah Lomu
7
Birthdate: May 12, 1975
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Died: November 18, 2015

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.

 17 
Sean Fitzpatrick
(Former New Zealand Rugby Union Player)
Sean Fitzpatrick
2
Birthdate: June 4, 1963
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 18 
Martin Johnson
(English Retired Rugby Union Player)
Martin Johnson
1
Birthdate: March 9, 1970
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Solihull, United Kingdom
Height: 6'7" (201 cm)
 19 
Joel Stransky
(South African Former Rugby Union Player)
Joel Stransky
4
Birthdate: July 16, 1967
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

South African rugby legend Joel Stransky is best known for scoring all points, including the famous drop goal, in the nail-biting 1995 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand that he led his country to win. He has also worked with the marketing departments of Altech Netstar and the Steinhoff Group.

 20 
Rory Underwood
(English Former Rugby Union Player)
Rory Underwood
4
Birthdate: June 19, 1963
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Middlesbrough, United Kingdom

Rory Underwood is an English former rugby union player. He predominantly played in the wing position and spent the majority of his career with Leicester Tigers. He also played for Middlesbrough and Bedford Blues. He was previously a pilot with the Royal Air Force and has played for the RAF rugby team as well. 

 21 
Will Carling
(English Former Rugby Union Player)
Will Carling
4
Birthdate: December 12, 1965
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, England
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 22 
John Eales
(Australian Former Rugby Union Player and the Most Successful Captain in the History of Australian Rugby)
John Eales
4
Birthdate: June 27, 1970
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Height: 6'7" (201 cm)
 23 
Andrew Johns
(Australian Former Professional Rugby League Footballer)
Andrew Johns
5
Birthdate: May 19, 1974
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 24 
Chester Williams
(South African Rugby Union Player Who Played as a Winger)
Chester Williams
1
Birthdate: August 8, 1970
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Paarl, South Africa
Died: September 6, 2019
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 25 
Andrew Mehrtens
(New Zealand Former Rugby Union Player)
Andrew Mehrtens
2
Birthdate: April 28, 1973
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Durban, South Africa

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.

 26 
Tana Umaga
(New Zealand Former Rugby Union Footballer and Former Captain of the National Team)
Tana Umaga
3
Birthdate: May 27, 1973
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Lower Hutt, New Zealand

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.

 27 
Michael Lynagh
(Australian Former Rugby Union Player Who Played Mainly as a Fly-Half)
Michael Lynagh
2
Birthdate: October 25, 1963
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 28 
Percy Montgomery
(South African Rugby union player)
Percy Montgomery
4
Birthdate: March 15, 1974
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Walvis Bay
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 29 
Wally Lewis
(Australian Former Professional Rugby League Footballer)
Wally Lewis
3
Birthdate: December 1, 1959
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Hawthorne, Australia

The King of the Australian rugby league, Wally Lewis was no stranger to sports, being the son of a rugby player father and a netball player mother. The successful player, coach, and commentator, who had captained the national team, split with his wife of 36 years after cheating on her.

 30 
Michael Cheika
(Australian Rugby Union and Rugby League Coach, and Former Rugby Union Player)
Michael Cheika
5
Birthdate: March 4, 1967
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
 31 
Darren Lockyer
(Australian Television Commentator and Former Professional Rugby League Footballer)
Darren Lockyer
5
Birthdate: March 24, 1977
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 32 
Jeremy Guscott
(British Former Rugby Union Outside Centre)
Jeremy Guscott
1
Birthdate: July 7, 1965
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bath, Somerset, England
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
 33 
Bill Beaumont
(Former Rugby Union Player, and Was Captain of the England Rugby Union Team)
Bill Beaumont
3
Birthdate: March 9, 1952
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Chorley, Lancashire, England

Bill Beaumont is a former rugby player who was the captain of the England rugby union team. He played as a lock and earned 34 caps, then a record for a lock. The unexpected 1980 Grand Slam achieved by his team under his captaincy is considered the highest point in his career. He is currently the chairman of World Rugby.   

 34 
Danny Care
(English Rugby Union Player)
Danny Care
3
Birthdate: January 2, 1987
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Leeds, United Kingdom

Danny Care is an English rugby union player. He currently plays for Harlequins in the Premiership as a scrum-half. He began playing rugby union as a small child and made his international debut with the England Sevens team in 2006. In 2008, he made his debut for England and has since won 84 caps. 

 35 
Os du Randt
(South African Former Rugby Union Player)
Os du Randt
2
Birthdate: September 8, 1972
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Elliot, South Africa

Os du Randt is a South African former rugby player who retired as the most-capped forward in the South African national team's history. One of the most successful players of his generation, Du Randt is one of 21 players who have won the World Cup twice or more. In 2019, he was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame. 

 36 
John Kirwan
(New Zealand Former Rugby Union and Rugby League Player, and Former Rugby Union Coach)
John Kirwan
2
Birthdate: December 16, 1964
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 37 
Brian Moore
(English Former Rugby Union Footballer)
Brian Moore
3
Birthdate: January 11, 1962
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Birmingham, United Kingdom

Brian Moore is an English former rugby union footballer. He played as a hooker for Nottingham, Harlequins, and Richmond. He was abandoned by his father as a child and had a difficult childhood. He sought solace in rugby and became a formidable player. He is currently a rugby presenter and pundit for BBC Sport, Talksport, and Love Sport Radio. 

 38 
Zinzan Brooke
(New Zealand Former Rugby Union Footballer)
Zinzan Brooke
3
Birthdate: February 14, 1965
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Waiuku, New Zealand

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.

 39 
Martin Offiah
(English Former Professional Rugby League and Rugby Union Footballer)
Martin Offiah
3
Birthdate: December 29, 1966
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Hackney Central, London

Martin Offiah is an English former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer. He was active in the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s and scored over 500 tries during his rugby league career. He is counted among the greatest rugby league players of his era and was inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame in 2013.  

 40 
Tony O'Reilly
(Irish Former Businessman and International Rugby Union Player)
Tony O'Reilly
4
Birthdate: May 7, 1936
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland

Tony O'Reilly excelled in various sports as a child, including football and cricket, but later chose rugby as his career path. Apart from being a famed Irish rugby player, he had also been a successful businessman, heading H.J. Heinz Company as its CEO. A debt issue led him to be declared bankrupt later.

 41 
Stuart Lancaster
(English Rugby Union Coach and Former Player)
Stuart Lancaster
3
Birthdate: October 9, 1969
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Penrith, Cumberland, England, United Kingdom
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 42 
Mat Rogers
(Australian Former Professional Rugby League Footballer)
Mat Rogers
5
Birthdate: February 1, 1976
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 43 
Ivan Cleary
(Australian Professional Rugby League Coach and a Former Professional Rugby League Footballer)
Ivan Cleary
1
Birthdate: March 1, 1971
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 44 
Andrew Sheridan
(English Rugby Union Player Who Played as a Loosehead Prop)
Andrew Sheridan
2
Birthdate: November 1, 1979
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Bromley, England

Andrew Sheridan is as much known for his towering 6’5” frame as he is for his game. The star rugby player came under the spotlight after singlehandedly destroying Australia at the autumn international at Twickenham in 2005. The legendary prop had a 12-year stint with the Sale Sharks.

 45 
Josh Lewsey
(English Former Rugby Union Player)
Josh Lewsey
3
Birthdate: November 30, 1976
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: London Borough of Bromley
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 46 
Neil Back
(England’s Former Rugby Union Footballer)
Neil Back
0
Birthdate: January 16, 1969
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Coventry, England
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 47 
Gareth Edwards
(Welsh Former Rugby Union Player)
Gareth Edwards
3
Birthdate: July 12, 1947
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Wales
 48 
Emile Ntamack
(French Former Rugby Union Footballer)
Emile Ntamack
0
Birthdate: June 25, 1970
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Lyon, France
Height: 6'2" (188 cm)
 49 
Serge Blanco
(Athlete)
Serge Blanco
1
Birthdate: August 31, 1958
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Caracas, Venezuela
Height: 6'0" (183 cm)
 50 
Colin Meads
(New Zealand Rugby Union Player)
Colin Meads
2
Birthdate: June 3, 1936
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Cambridge, New Zealand
Died: August 20, 2017
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)