Rugby
Top 10 Rugby Countries in the World
South Africa are the back-to-back Rugby World Cup champions. They have won the most Rugby World Cups, but New Zealand has won the most international rugby tournaments. These are the top 10 rugby countries in the world.
South Africa's flanker Siya Kolisi lifts the trophy//Getty Images
New Zealand and South Africa are historically the two best rugby countries in the world. Rugby is one of the oldest sports in the world; however, there has always been a handful of nations that have dominated the sport. Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Italy, and Scotland make up the rest of the top 10 rugby countries in the world.
In the last decade, Japan and Georgia have become two of the top rugby countries in the world. Japan famously beat South Africa at the 2015 Rugby World Cup (RWC) in Brighton, England. The hosts made the 2019 RWC on home soil, but the Springboks gained revenge, knocking them out of their tournament in the quarter-finals. Japan also won the Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) in 2019.
Georgia has won 16 Rugby Europe International Championships (REIC), and 14 of the last 15 tournaments. Because of their overwhelming success and domination of the REIC, Georgia is fighting to be included in an expanded Six Nations, like Argentina pushed to join an expanded Tri-Nations tournament. Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga are three Pacific Island rugby nations, that regularly play in World Cups. They compete in the Pacific Nations Cup, with Japan, Canada, and the United States of America.
Samoa has made the knockout stages twice, one more than Japan and Italy. Fiji has won the last two Pacific Nations Cups. Samoa and Japan have had one PNC title apiece since 2019. Italy has the most RWC matches played without making the quarter-finals. Portugal, Uruguay, Spain, and the United States are all up-and-coming rugby nations. SportsBoom ranked the top 10 best rugby countries in the world.
List of Top 10 Rugby Nations in the World
| Rank | Country | Rugby World Cup | Six Nations / Rugby Championship / Pacific Nations Championship |
| 1 | South Africa | 4 | 5 |
| 2 | New Zealand | 3 | 20 |
| 3 | Australia | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | England | 1 | 7 |
| 5 | Wales | 3x RWC Semi-finals | 6 |
| 6 | France | 3x RWC Finals | 6 |
| 7 | Ireland | 8x RWC Quarter-Finals | 6 |
| 8 | Scotland | 1x RWC Semi-Final | 0 |
| 9 | Argentina | 2x Semi-Finals | 0 |
| =10 | Samoa | 2x Quarter-Finals | 1 |
| =10 | Fiji | 2x Quarter-Finals | 2 |
Who is the Best Rugby Team in the World?
Currently, South Africa is the best rugby team in the world. The Springboks have won four of the eight Rugby World Cup (1995, 2007, 2019, 2023) tournaments they have entered, along with a host of other trophies. New Zealand have won three World Cup tournaments, and Australia has two RWC titles, but they have both played in ten tournaments. England are the only Northern Hemisphere country to win a World Cup title. The Red Roses won the 2003 RWC in Australia against the hosts.
The Springboks are the best team in the world despite the World Rugby (WR) rankings putting Ireland top. The Boks won the 2024 Rugby Championship. They beat Australia twice down under and New Zealand twice in South Africa in their first four Rugby Championship (TRC) matches. Rassie Erasmus’ side lost to Argentina in South America; however, they turned the tables on home soil to seal a fifth Rugby Championship title in style.
Erasmus’ team holds two William Webb Ellis Trophies after back-to-back tournament victories in Japan (2019) and France (2023). South Africa reclaimed the Freedom Cup from New Zealand for the first time since 2009 and retained the Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate after beating the Wallabies twice down under. South Africa and Ireland drew their two-Test series 1-1 in the Republic in June 2024.
South Africa v Ireland - Summer Tour//Getty Images
The four-time world champions added the 2023 and 2024 Qatar Airways Cup triumphs against New Zealand and Wales to the trophy cabinet. The Boks are the only nation to hold back-to-back World Cup titles and a British & Irish Lions series simultaneously. Erasmus’ team also won the 2019 and 2024 Rugby Championship titles. They have not lost a home Test series since 1996. Even the great All Blacks team (2010-2017) drew their 2017 Lions’ series (1-1). The Kiwis then lost a first-ever home Test series against Ireland (2-1) in July 2022.
Ireland is not the Best Rugby Team in the World
Ireland are the back-to-back 2023 and 2024 Six Nations Championship winners. They have dominated European rugby for the last ten years, winning five Six Nations titles (2014, 2015, 2018, 2023, 2024), including two Grand Slams (2018 & 2023), and three Triple Crowns (2018, 2023, 2024). However, Ireland have never made it past the World Cup quarter-final stages.
Moreover, they went into the 2019 and 2023 tournaments as favourites. The Irish were ranked number one in the world going into the previous two RWC competitions before being dumped out at the first knockout stage of both tournaments. Ireland is ranked first but are not the best rugby country in the world. South Africa holds every international trophy on offer, Ireland does not and never have.
World Rugby Men’s Test Rankings
| Rank | Country | Points | Major Honours 2019-2024 |
| 1 | Ireland | 92.12 | 2x Six Nations Championship |
| 2 | South Africa | 91.77 | 2x Rugby World Cup / 2x Rugby Championship / 1x British & Irish Lions |
| 3 | New Zealand | 88.70 | 4x Rugby Championship |
| 4 | France | 86.96 | 1x Six Nations Championship |
| 5 | England | 85.40 | 1x Six Nations Championship |
| 6 | Argentina | 84.30 | 2023 Rugby World Cup (4th Place) |
| 7 | Scotland | 82.82 | 4x Calcutta Cups (England v Scotland) |
| 8 | Italy | 79.98 | 2019 & 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool Stage |
| 9 | Fiji | 79.64 | 2x Pacific Nations Cup |
| 10 | Australia | 79.32 | 2019 Rugby World Cup Quarter-final |
| 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 | 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool Stage |
The Best Countries in Rugby World Cup History
Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa have won nine Rugby World Cup tournaments. The Southern Hemisphere giants have dominated modern rugby. England is the only European nation to win the William Webb Ellis Trophy. Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, and France have swapped world number-one rankings between the 2019 and 2023 World Cup cycles.
The Boks and the Irish have swapped number-one rankings since the 2023 tournament began until late 2024. The Springboks have one more RWC than the All Blacks, and two more than the Wallabies. The Kiwis, however, have the most Rugby Championships, winning 20 of the 29 tournaments. The Boks only have five titles, and the Aussies have four. Argentina has never won TRC since joining in 2012.
The All Blacks have played in ten RWC tournaments. They have made the knockout stages every time and are a shoe-in for the semi-finals. Their worst tournament was in France in 2007 when they lost to the hosts in the quarter-final. The Kiwis have made nine semi-finals and five finals. They finished third three times, and fourth once.
South Africa captain, raises the Webb Ellis Cup//Getty Images
South Africa have only played in eight tournaments, missing the first two due to international sporting isolation. The Boks have played in four finals, winning all of them. Their worst finish was in 2003 and 2011 when they got knocked out in the quarter-finals by New Zealand and Australia, respectively. The men in green and gold have made six semi-finals and finished third twice in 1999 and 2015.
Australia has played in all ten tournaments, winning in 1991 and 1999. The Wallabies have lost in two of their four finals (2003 and 2015). They finished third in 2011 and fourth in 1987. In France in 2023, the Aussies did not make the quarter-finals for the first time. England has lost three of their four finals (1991, 2007, and 2019).
The Red Roses finished third in 2023 and fourth in 1995. The only time the English did not get out of their Pool was in 2015. They became the first hosts not to reach the quarter-finals and to get knocked out the quickest. England only lasted 19 days before elimination by Wales.
Image Credits: liewig christian/Corbis via Getty Images
France is the only country to play in the World Cup final but never win the tournament. The French have lost three finals. The All Blacks beat France in both finals held in New Zealand in 1987 and 2011. France did, however, knock the Kiwis out of the 2007 RWC. South Africa and New Zealand are the only countries who won the tournament as hosts. The Springboks and All Blacks have also won World Cups in the same country twice.
The All Blacks won home RWCs in 1987 and 2011. The Springboks won the 2007 and 2023 RWC in France. The Boks are the only country to win the World Cup in four countries. The Kiwis' only RWC final defeats were against the men in green in 1995 and 2023. Argentina (2) and Wales (3) are the only countries with multiple semi-final appearances (two each) without reaching the final. Los Pumas’ best finish was third in 2007. The South Americans finished fourth in 2015 and 2023. Wales finished third in 1987 and fourth in 2011 and 2019.
Kaylan Geekie is a sports fanatic. He attended Durban High School before moving to Scotland, where he lived for 15 years. During his time in the United Kingdom, Kaylan graduated with a first-class BA Honours Degree in Sports Journalism at the University of the West of Scotland. Kaylan worked for nine years as the Match-Day Editor of SuperXV.com, reporting on Super Rugby, The Rugby Championship, the 2015 Men's Rugby World Cup and the 2017 British & Irish Lions series for the website.