South Africa is the reigning champion of the Rugby World Cup, having won it back-to-back. They hold the record for the most World Cup victories, while New Zealand has won the most international rugby competitions overall. Here are the top 10 rugby nations globally.
Top 10 Best Rugby Nations in the World
| Rank | Country | Rugby World Cups Won | Major Championships |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | 4 | 5 (Rugby Championships) |
| 2 | New Zealand | 3 | 20 (Rugby Championships) |
| 3 | Australia | 2 | 4 (Rugby Championships) |
| 4 | England | 1 | 7 (Rugby Championships) |
| 5 | Wales | 0 | 3x Semi-finals |
| 6 | France | 0 | 3x Finals |
| 7 | Ireland | 0 | 8x Quarter-finals |
| 8 | Scotland | 0 | 1x Semi-final |
| 9 | Argentina | 0 | 2x Semi-finals |
| 10 | Samoa | 0 | 2x Quarter-finals, 1 |
| 10 | Fiji | 0 | 2x Quarter-finals, 2 |
Historically, New Zealand and South Africa are regarded as the top rugby countries. Rugby is one of the oldest sports, and a few nations have consistently excelled in it. Besides South Africa and New Zealand, the other countries in the top 10 include Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Italy, and Scotland.
In the past ten years, Japan and Georgia have risen as significant rugby nations. Japan made headlines by defeating South Africa in the 2015 Rugby World Cup in Brighton, England. They also hosted the 2019 World Cup but lost to South Africa in the quarter-finals. Additionally, Japan won the Pacific Nations Cup in 2019.
Georgia has achieved remarkable success, winning the Rugby Europe International Championships 16 times, including 14 of the last 15 tournaments. Their success has prompted them to seek inclusion in an expanded Six Nations tournament, similar to Argentina’s push to join the expanded Tri-Nations. Pacific Island nations like Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga regularly compete in World Cups and the Pacific Nations Cup alongside Japan, Canada, and the USA.
Samoa has reached the knockout stage twice, more than Japan and Italy. Fiji has won the last two Pacific Nations Cups, while Samoa and Japan each have one title since 2019. Italy has played the most World Cup matches without reaching the quarter-finals. Other emerging rugby nations include Portugal, Uruguay, Spain, and the USA.
ALSO READ: What is the Impact Player Rule? Impact Player Rule IPL Explained
Current Top Rugby Team
As of now, South Africa is recognized as the best rugby team. The Springboks have won four of the eight Rugby World Cups they entered (1995, 2007, 2019, 2023) and numerous other trophies. New Zealand has three World Cup wins, and Australia has two, but both have competed in ten tournaments. England is the only Northern Hemisphere team to win a World Cup, claiming the title in 2003 against Australia.
Despite Ireland being ranked first in the World Rugby rankings, the Springboks are considered the top team after winning the 2024 Rugby Championship. They defeated Australia and New Zealand twice each in their first four matches of the Championship, although they did lose to Argentina. However, they managed to win the title after a strong performance at home.
South Africa has won two Rugby World Cups in a row, claiming the trophy in 2019 and 2023. They also reclaimed the Freedom Cup from New Zealand and retained the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate after winning twice against Australia. Their series against Ireland in June 2024 ended in a draw.
Ireland’s Achievements
Ireland has been successful in the Six Nations Championship, winning it in 2023 and 2024. They have dominated European rugby over the last decade with five titles and have achieved two Grand Slams. However, they have never advanced beyond the quarter-finals in the World Cup, despite entering the last two tournaments as favorites.
Though Ireland is currently ranked first, they do not hold the title of the best rugby country. South Africa has claimed every international trophy, a feat that Ireland has not achieved.
World Rugby Men’s Test Rankings
| Rank | Country | Points | Major Honors (2019-2024) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ireland | 92.12 | 2x Six Nations Championships |
| 2 | South Africa | 91.77 | 2x Rugby World Cup, 2x Rugby Champs |
| 3 | New Zealand | 88.70 | 4x Rugby Championships |
| 4 | France | 86.96 | 1x Six Nations Championship |
| 5 | England | 85.40 | 1x Six Nations Championship |
| 6 | Argentina | 84.30 | 4th Place in 2023 Rugby World Cup |
| 7 | Scotland | 82.82 | 4x Calcutta Cups |
| 8 | Italy | 79.98 | Pool Stage in 2019 & 2023 Rugby World Cup |
| 9 | Fiji | 79.64 | 2x Pacific Nations Cup |
| 10 | Australia | 79.32 | Quarter-final in 2019 Rugby World Cup |
| 11 | Wales | 76.04 | 2x Six Nations |
| 12 | Georgia | 74.10 | 6x Rugby Europe International Championship |
| 13 | Samoa | 72.68 | 1x Pacific Nations Cup |
| 14 | Japan | 72.31 | 1x Pacific Nations Cup |
| 15 | Portugal | 70.61 | Pool Stage in 2023 Rugby World Cup |
ALSO READ: Who Won the 1992 Cricket World Cup?
Rugby World Cup History
Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa have collectively won nine Rugby World Cups, dominating the sport. England is the only European country to lift the William Webb Ellis Trophy. Between the 2019 and 2023 World Cup cycles, the top rankings shifted among South Africa, New Zealand, and Ireland.
As of late 2024, South Africa holds one more World Cup title than New Zealand and two more than Australia. However, New Zealand has won the most Rugby Championships, achieving 20 out of 29 titles. South Africa has five championships, and Australia has four. Argentina has yet to win since joining the competition in 2012.
The All Blacks have participated in all ten World Cups, consistently reaching the knockout stages, with their worst performance in 2007, when they lost in the quarter-finals. They have made it to nine semi-finals and five finals.
South Africa has competed in eight tournaments, missing the first two due to international isolation. They have won all four finals they reached, although they faced quarter-final exits in 2003 and 2011.
Australia has played in every World Cup, securing titles in 1991 and 1999 but losing in two finals (2003 and 2015). They did not advance past the group stage in 2023. England has reached four finals but has won only once, finishing third in 2023.
France has reached the final three times but has never won. They were defeated by the All Blacks in the finals held in New Zealand. South Africa and New Zealand are the only nations to win the tournament while hosting. The All Blacks achieved this in 1987 and 2011, while South Africa won in 2007 and 2023.
Argentina and Wales are the only countries with multiple semi-final appearances (two each) without reaching the final. Argentina’s best performance was third place in 2007, while Wales finished third in 1987 and fourth in 2011 and 2019.
ALSO READ:
