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Australian National League Team. Author paddynapper.

20 Best Australian Rugby Players

The Australia national rugby union team, nicknamed the Wallabies, is the representative national team in the sport of rugby union for the nation of Australia. The team first played at Sydney in 1899, winning their first test match against the touring British Isles team.

Australia have competed in all nine Rugby World Cups, winning the final on two occasions and also finishing as runner-up twice. More than a dozen former Wallabies players have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

1. John Eales

John Eales AM is an Australian former rugby union player and the most successful captain in the history of Australian rugby. In 1999, he became one of the first players to win multiple Rugby World Cups.

A true Australian sporting legend, Eales won two World Cups and played 84 times for his country, 55 times as captain, from the second row, with a further two caps earned at No.8, contributing to a total of 86 international appearances. A remarkable achievement and honor for any elite rugby player.

A darling of many and nicknamed ‘Nobody’, because ‘nobody’s perfect’, Eales possessed pretty much every skill the modern rugby player requires. Mobility, fantastic hands, mastery of the set piece, advanced reading of the game, strong defence, a huge work rate, and he kicked the goals to boot. The sight of the big second row lining up kicks at goal always provided a sense of wonder for those watching, but the statistics speak for themselves, with Eales kicking a total of 163 international points, including several match-winning attempts.

Not only that, he was thoroughly accomplished as a captain, tactically astute and a shrewd general of his resources, and it is no coincidence whatsoever that his international career ran in parallel with Australian rugby’s most successful era.

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2. Joe Roff

Joe Roff was a key player of one of the most successful Australia sides of all time, playing at three Rugby World Cups and helping the Wallabies to the Webb Ellis Trophy in 1999. Scoring a total of 30 tries in 86 Tests tells only part of the story, as Roff was for a time one of the most reliable cogs in John Eales’ famous side. He had the honor of lifting the Tri-Nations trophy in successive seasons in 2000 and 2001, while spearheading the Brumbies’ ascent to the top of the Super 12.

The rugby great’s international career came to an end in 2004, but following a stint with French side Biarritz, he joined Japanese outfit Kubota Spears for the 2005-06 season. His next move was away from the spotlight, opting to undertake a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University.

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3. Stephen Larkham

Stephen Larkham. Author Originally uploaded by Senortubbs, released with same licence.

 Larkham is a retired Australian rugby union professional player, currently in the role of head coach for Brumbies. He spent his career with the Brumbies in Super Rugby, for whom he played from the inception from the late 1990s, right up to his retirement from international rugby following the 2007 World Cup.

It is said that his partnership with George Gregan, the scrum-half, became one of the most reliable and recognisable in world rugby. As he progressed in his career, his style of play would be a key factor in the success of his side for a decade. His loping stride and deceptive darting pace allowed him an almost imperceptibly large amount of time on the ball. As so many international teams found out, allowing Larkham time and space was something that could have immediate and costly consequences.

He played in some 97 Tests, including at fly-half in the victorious 1999 Rugby World Cup final against France after kicking ‘that drop goal’ in the semi-final against the Boks. However, his injury in the 2007 World Cup campaign cost the Wallabies dearly.  He was also inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2012 and to the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2018.

4. Tim Horan

Tim Horan AM is a former Australian rugby union footballer. He played for the Queensland Reds in the Super 12, and represented Australia. He was one of the best centres in the world throughout the 1990s due to his attacking prowess, formidable defence and playmaking ability.

He was introduced to international rugby against New Zealand in 1989 and would go on to make his Rugby World Cup bow in 1991 where he scored four tries as the Wallabies secured the game’s biggest prize for the first time. Throughout his playing period, the centre picked 80 Tests from 1989 to 2000 and started in every one of them, finishing with a winning percentage of 74.37 per cent. He captained his country for the first time in 1996 and made his final appearance in the Green and Gold in 2000 against Argentina in Brisbane.

He was later inducted into Horan won 80 caps for Australia, scoring 30 tries, in a glittering 11-year career that included two Rugby World Cup victories in 1991 and 1999.

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5. Ken Catchpole

With just 27 Tests from 1961 to 1968, including 13 as captain Ken was regarded as Australia’s greatest ever rugby player. An undoubted rugby genius of rare skill and talent, Catchpole was a mercurial halfback gifted with rare anticipation, superb hands and blistering speed. He possessed a quick, accurate, long and flat pass to either side. It was his speed of release that provided his fly half and the three quarters with an invaluable extra yard of space from which to launch their attack. As well as being the complete scrum half he was a brilliant opportunist and one of the greatest cover defenders the game has ever seen. He electrified players and spectators alike with his particular blend of wizardry and magic.

The scrum-half’s playing career ended at just 28 when he sustained a severe hamstring injury in a tackle from All Blacks legend Colin Meads.

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6. Michael Lynagh

 Michael Lynagh was one of the most recognisable fly-halfs and quite an inspiration in the world of rugby.  By the time he played the last of his 72 internationals he had set a new point-scoring record (911) a mark that still remains. He also boasts of being a key member of the side which won the 1991 World Cup in England.

Lynagh, who also won 100 caps for Queensland, retired from international rugby following the Wallabies’ defeat to England in the quarter-final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa, the same year the game turned professional. He became one of the first major signings in that new world when he joined Saracens, guiding them to a 48-18 victory over Wasps in the 1998 Tetley Bitter Cup final.

After quitting the game he maintained close links as a TV pundit in the UK with both Sky Sports and ITV as well as working with the IRB. An accomplished after-dinner speaker and director for a marketing business, he suffered a stroke during a trip to Australia in April 2012.

7. Mark Ella

Regarded as one of the finest players Australia have ever produced, Mark Ella won 25 caps for the Wallabies between 1980 and 198410 of them as captain  and was described by team-mate David Campese as “the best rugby player I have ever known or seen”.

A fly-half with exceptional skill, he was a star of the famous Australian schoolboys’ squad that toured Britain undefeated in 1978 and he returned to the United Kingdom in 1984 to mastermind the Wallabies’ Grand Slam tour of the home countries, after which he never played for his country again, retiring at the age of 25.

For his love for the game, he transferred his skills to the young players as a coach including with the Australia Sevens team,- who he steered to a bronze medal at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur – before returning as an assistant in 2008.

He was made a member of the Order of Australia in 1983 having been voted the Young Australian of the Year in 1982. In 2005 he was honored as one of the inaugural five inductees into the Australian Rugby Union Hall of Fame and in 1995 he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.

After hanging up his boots, Ella pursued a career in media, writing articles for The Australian, The Sunday Telegraph and The Daily Telegraph as well as commentating on ABC Rugby. He is currently a marketing and public relations specialist.

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8. George Gregan

George Gregan. Author Eva Rinaldi.

Playing as a scrum-half, he is the most capped ever player on 139 and the fifth all-time in world rugby. In his first season with the Wallabies, Gregan appeared from nowhere to make an amazing tackle on All Blacks wing Jeff Wilson as he was diving for the line. That moment of genius helped Australia win the Bledisloe Cup that year.

The Australian sensation went to three Rugby World Cups with Australia, and captained the Wallabies to the 2003 World Cup final – ultimately losing to England.

He was appointed a member of the Order of Australia in 2004, inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2000, and into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2013.

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9. George Smith

Playing as a flanker, he featured in 111 Tests between 2000 and 2013, starting 93 of them and captaining the team in seven Tests. All of his caps came between 2000 and 2009, bar one 2013 Test when he faced the Lions.

Despite his illustrious career, he missed out on a World Cup victory and only won 59.45 per cent of the matches he played in. A Super Rugby champion with the Brumbies, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012.

10. David Campese

David Campese. Author Australia embassy in Suva.

He is regarded as one of the game’s great players who had the ability to polarize supporters. Nicknamed “Campo” bewitched defenses and infuriated opponents the world over during a career that took in 101 international caps and 64 tries.

The former Australian international made his debut against New Zealand in 1982, confounding and irritating great All Black wing Stu Wilson first with his words and then with his goose-step. Interestingly, the All Blacks had their revenge on Campese the following year when he was entrusted with the goal-kicking at Sydney Cricket Ground, missing all four of his kicks as the Wallabies lost 18-8.

Campese’s attacking brilliance was often counterbalanced by his risk-taking in defense which occasionally landed him and his team in trouble, never more painfully than against the Lions in 1989 when his blunder cost his side the match and ultimately the series.

He was also an inspiration in the team. It is remembered that his “miracle pass” to set up a try for Tim Horan against the All Blacks at the 1991 World Cup – which Australia went on to win – epitomized his considerable powers of invention and execution. Following the tournament Campese was named as World Player of the Year in 1992.

He retired in 1996 as the game was making the transition to professionalism and embracing qualities that Campese had long held for himself. Typically, his final act was to announce his wealth to the public, angering amateur purists, but he was never likely to bow out quietly.

11. Israel Folau

Australian centre Israel Folau. Author paddynapper.

Israel Folau is an Australian professional rugby union footballer who plays for the Shining Arcs in the Japan Rugby League One and the Tonga national rugby union team. He has previously played Australian rules football and rugby league. In 2019, he became the record holder for most tries scored in Super Rugby history.

Despite his ugly departure and multi-million dollar settlement with Rugby Australia, Folau will go down as one of the greatest Australian players of the decade and one of the best fullbacks in recent memories. He is a three-time John Eales Medalist, becoming the fourth-highest try-scoring Australian international player after a brilliant debut season that saw the 30-year-old equal the season-record set by Lote Tuqiri with ten tries.

12. Adam Ashley-Cooper

Adam Ashley-Cooper of Team Australia. Author shafraz.nasser.

Versatile Australian back Adam Ashley-Cooper has made himself an integral part of the Wallaby set-up under Robbie Deans, although his utility status has not disappeared with experience.

Having won international caps at center, wing and fullback, Ashley-Cooper has proven his worth but not dominated a position. Nevertheless, the Brumbies back has become a regular fixture in Australian squads, including the 2009 Tri-Nations where his greater experience saw him edge out teenage sensation James O’Connor for the opener against the All Blacks at Eden Park.

Ashley-Cooper was the Wallabies ‘Mr Fix It’ man throughout the decade, playing across the backline during his 84 caps for his country. He found the most success on the wing, crossing the line 27 times, which saw him gain selection in all three World Cup squads in the 2010s. This ensured that he became just the second player to play in four World Cups for Australia alongside George Gregan.

13. Tevita Kuridrani

Tevita Kuridrani. Author Stemoc.

Tevita Kuridrani is a Fijian-born Australian rugby union player. His usual position is outside-center. He is currently with French club Biarritz and previously played for the Brumbies and Western Force in Super Rugby. Kuridrani has sixty caps for Australia in international rugby.

He was a bulldozer for the Wallabies at outside center, terrorizing defenders since his debut in 2013. The 28-year-old established himself as the first-choice center during the middle years of the decade, crossing 27 times throughout his 61 games in gold, becoming just the 15th Wallaby to score 20 career Test tries and the 28th Wallaby to score 100 career Test points in 2017. Despite injury derailing his final years, he showed his class in his maiden 2019 World Cup appearance by winning the man of the match award against Uruguay.

14. Bernard Foley

Bernard Foley. Author Hpeterswald.

Bernard Foley is an Australian rugby player of Irish descent. He plays professionally for the Australia national rugby team and the New South Wales Waratahs in Super Rugby. He can cover both fullback and fly-half.

He burst onto the scene in 2013 and his impressive playmaking abilities ensured that he had first go at the fly half position for the back-end of the 2010s. His most impressive run of form came in the 2015 World Cup where he scored 82 points throughout the tournament, including 28 against England to knock them out of the tournament on home soil.

15. Nathan Sharpe

Nathan Sharpe. Author Craig Boyd.

He played as a Lock forward which is a tough position in which to excel, but Sharpe has been one of the most consistently excellent players of his generation.

Sharpe’s outstanding work in the line-out and effective but undemonstrative work around the field received recognition in 2007 when he was awarded the John Eales Medal as Australia’s Player of the Year.

He represented Australia in rugby at U19 and U21 level in 1996-97 and went on to represent the Australia’s U21 team for two more years, captaining the side in 1999. He made his Super 12 debut for Queensland Reds in 1998, playing alongside Eales, and he was later named Rookie of the Year as well as the winner of the Australian Rugby Union Players’ Association’s Medal for Excellence – voted for by his peers.

16. James Horwill

James Horwill. Author Craig Boyd.

A brilliant player during his time, Horwill provided a formidable one-two punch with Sharpe during the 2011 World Cup and cemented his place as one of the great locks with his consistent performances across his five-year stint in gold. Horwill’s solid carries and safe hands at set-piece time made him one of the first picked during his time in the international game, with the 33-year-old only recently retiring from the game  a couple of months ago.

17. Scott Fardy

He received 39 caps and proved to be a vital cog in the Wallabies forward pack after making his Test debut as a 29-year-old in 2013. The aggressive flanker was the unsung hero of the formidable trio between himself, Hooper and Pocock, with Australia still struggling to find his replacement after his departure to European rugby in 2016.

18. Stephen Moore

He represented Australia for 83games as a hooker. He was the captain during the unstable period when the side went through three different coaches in less than 24 months. Moore would captain the side for just over three years, with the Brumbies and Reds rack pulling up stumps in 2017 after a decorated career.

19. Sekope Kepu

Kepu is a young player for the Wallabies in the current transitional phase. A representative for New Zealand at junior levels, Kepu was born in Sydney and debuted for Australia against Italy in 2008.

The prop was in the wider Chiefs squad in Super Rugby between 2005 and 2007, before the Waratahs threw him a lifeline for the 2008 Super 14 season.

At club level, he excelled for the NSW side and for Sydney club Randwick, catching the eye of Wallabies selectors with his power and ability to crash over for the odd try.

After impressing throughout the 2011 Super Rugby season,  Kepu pushed into reckoning for a Wallabies first-team spot at loose-head following an injury to usual first-choice Benn Robinson. Kepu kept his place in the front-row and started throughout the Tri-Nations. He went on to make six appearances for the Wallabies in the World Cup.

20. Will Genia

Will Genia is a superstar of Australian rugby and one of the best scrum halves to ever play the game. Throughout his distinguished career, he’s represented the Wallabies more than 100 times and he’s also enjoyed stints at elite domestic clubs like Stade Français, the Reds and the Rebels.

Though born in Papua New Guinea on 17 January 1988, he only began playing rugby union when he moved to Australia at the age of 12. However, he took to the game quickly, moving up the ranks from resenting Australia at schoolboy level, U19 and U20 level before making his debut for the Wallabies in 2009.

Although he’s highly distinguished at the domestic level, Will Genia is best known for his time in an Australian shirt. Between 2009 and 2019, he represented the Wallabies 110 times. He also regularly captained the side between 2011 and 2013.