Rugby Players
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Rugby players are the sports persons who play rugby football. Rugby is a style of football that is played with an oval ball that is kicked, carried and passed from hand to hand. There are two types of rugby sports: rugby league and rugby union. The basic tenets of both these games are the same even though there are distinct rules for each of these forms. The game of rugby as a separate style of football evolved during the late 19th century with the formation of the Rugby Football Union (RFU). Both rugby union and rugby league are played at the amateur as well as professional levels. Rugby union is very popular in countries like Australia, Argentina, England, France, New Zealand, etc. while rugby league is more popular in places like the U.S., Russia, Lebanon, Serbia, etc. Rugby players need to train up to five times a week and follow a balanced diet to maintain themselves in great physical shape. Since rugby is a very popular sport, famous players often attain celebrity status. Check out this section to know more about the greatest rugby players of the all times.
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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.
Birthdate: August 3, 1985
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
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.
Birthdate: February 15, 1988
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Birthdate: December 31, 1980
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Oamaru, New Zealand
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.
Birthdate: March 5, 1982
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Leeston, New Zealand
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.
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Paddy Mayne(British Army Officer and Rugby Union Player)
Birthdate: January 11, 1915
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Newtownards, County Down, Ireland
Died: December 14, 1955
Paddy Mayne was not just a British Army lieutenant colonel but also a legendary rugby player who had represented both Ireland and the British Lions. He was also known for his reckless behavior, including his drunken brawls. He was part of a huge debate after being denied the Victoria Cross.
Birthdate: May 25, 1979
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Frimley
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Eric Liddell(Scottish Sprinter, Rugby Player and Olympic Gold Medalist)
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.
Birthdate: April 2, 1985
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Windsor, England
Birthdate: April 3, 1989
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Minto, Australia
Birthdate: January 13, 1991
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Birthdate: May 27, 1991
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: New Plymouth, New Zealand
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.
Birthdate: July 25, 1974
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Sarn, Bridgend, United Kingdom
Birthdate: April 25, 1983
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Brisbane
Birthdate: December 21, 1966
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bedford, Bedfordshire, England, UK
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Sam Burgess(Former Rugby League Footballer Who Played as a Loose Forward, Prop or Second-Row Forward)
Birthdate: December 14, 1988
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England
Birthdate: October 5, 1987
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Port Macquarie, New South Wales
Birthdate: May 18, 1991
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Fogapoa, Savai'i, Samoa
Birthdate: June 18, 1983
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brisbane
Birthdate: September 14, 1978
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Northampton, England
Birthdate: January 21, 1979
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Dublin, Ireland
One of the most respected rugby players of all time, Brian O'Driscoll holds the Irish record for playing the most number of matches as a captain and also for try scores. He led his country to win a Grand Slam after 61 years and is part of the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
Birthdate: March 23, 1995
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Limerick, Ireland
Birthdate: January 14, 1991
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
Birthdate: August 7, 1990
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Wellington, 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.
Birthdate: January 15, 1987
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kempsey
Birthdate: June 18, 1983
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Nambour
Birthdate: May 21, 1982
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
Birthdate: April 5, 1988
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
New Zealand-born Australian rugby player Quade Cooper is also a talented boxer. While he has represented the Queensland Reds and the Melbourne Rebels, he now plays for the Japanese rugby team Kintetsu Liners. In late 2021, he expressed he was hurt to have to withdraw from the Europe tour of the Wallabies.
Birthdate: November 14, 1997
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Birthdate: March 30, 1998
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Port Hedland, Western Australia
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.
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Kieran Read(Regarded as One of the World’s Best Forwards in Rugby)
Birthdate: October 26, 1985
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Auckland
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.
Birthdate: April 7, 1990
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Birthdate: June 10, 1998
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Birthdate: December 14, 1988
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Dublin, Ohio, United States
Birthdate: May 15, 1991
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Slough, England
Birthdate: December 12, 1965
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bradford-on-Avon, United Kingdom
Birthdate: October 12, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Palmerston North
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.
Birthdate: March 4, 1967
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Sydney
Birthdate: October 7, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Burwood, Christchurch, New Zealand
Birthdate: December 8, 1977
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Valence
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David Pocock(Former Vice captain of the Brumbies in Super Rugby)
Birthdate: April 23, 1988
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Gweru, Zimbabwe
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CJ Stander(Former Rugby union player as number 8, flanker)
Birthdate: April 5, 1990
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: George, South Africa
Birthdate: October 29, 1991
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Manly, New South Wales, Australia
Birthdate: July 24, 1995
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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Ivan Cleary(Former Rugby league footballer Fullback position)
Birthdate: March 1, 1971
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Birthdate: March 18, 1997
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Birthdate: January 8, 1993
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Ryde, Australia
Birthdate: July 12, 1947
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Wales
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.
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Shane Horgan(Irish Former Rugby Union Player Who Played Wing / Centre)
Birthdate: July 18, 1978
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Bellewstown, County Meath, Ireland