186 articles
Aaron Smith (rugby union)
Aaron Smith (born 1988) is a New Zealand rugby union scrum-half, the most-capped All Blacks number nine with 125 tests, a 2015 Rugby World Cup winner, Highlanders record cap holder, now with Toyota Verblitz in Japan's League One.
Alan Valentine
Alan Chester Valentine (1901–1980), American academic and rugby player, won rugby gold for the United States at the 1924 Paris Olympics, was president of the University of Rochester from 1935, and first head of Truman's Economic Stabilization Agency.
Alan Williams
Alan Frank Williams (1893-1984), American civil engineer and Cornell graduate, won Olympic gold in rugby union with the USA at Paris 1924, playing no. 8 against Romania; distinct from other Olympians named Alan Williams.
Alena Saili
Alena Saili (born 1998, Porirua, New Zealand) is a Black Ferns Sevens rugby player, two-time Olympic gold medallist at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, and the first Southlander with two Olympic golds.
Alexandre Pharamond
Alexandre Pharamond (Alexandre Emmanuel Pharamond, 1876-1953), French rugby union player and Paris restaurateur; won rugby gold for France at the 1900 Paris Olympics and French titles with Racing Club de France and Stade Français.
Alicia Quirk
Alicia Quirk, now Alicia Lucas, Australian rugby sevens player born 1992 in Wagga Wagga; touch football convert who won Rio 2016 Olympic gold playing every minute, plus 2018 Commonwealth silver and World Cup bronze; retired 2022.
Alun Wyn Jones
Alun Wyn Jones (born 1985, Swansea) is a Welsh former rugby union second row and the most capped international rugby player, with a world-record 170 caps (158 Wales, 12 British and Irish Lions), five Six Nations titles including three Grand Slams, and four Lions tours.
Andre Roosevelt
Andre Roosevelt (Cornelius Louis Andre Roosevelt, 1879-1962) was an American-born Parisian rugby player who won gold for France at the 1900 Olympics and a filmmaker whose Goona-Goona started America's Bali craze.
Andrew Mehrtens
Andrew Mehrtens (born 1973, Durban) is a New Zealand former rugby union fly-half; 70 All Blacks Tests 1995-2004, 967 Test points, 1995 World Cup finalist, Crusaders Super 12 winner, later Béziers co-president.
Andy Farrell
Andy Farrell (born 1975) is an English rugby coach and former dual-code player, Ireland men's head coach since 2019 and British & Irish Lions 2025 tour head coach, contracted through the 2031 Rugby World Cup.
Anthony Foley
Anthony Foley (1973-2016), nicknamed Axel, Irish rugby union number eight: 201 Munster caps and 62 Ireland caps, captain of Munster's 2006 Heineken Cup win, later Munster head coach, died suddenly in Paris aged 42.
Antoine Dupont
Antoine Dupont, France rugby union scrum-half and captain, Stade Toulousain No. 9; World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year 2021, 2022 Grand Slam, and Paris 2024 Olympic sevens gold.
Antoine Zeghdar
Antoine Zeghdar, born 1999 in Monaco, is a French rugby union centre for Top 14 club Castres Olympique who won gold with France in men's rugby sevens at the Paris 2024 Olympics, beating Fiji 28-7.
Anton Lienert-Brown
Anton Lienert-Brown (born 1995) is a New Zealand rugby union center who debuted for the All Blacks in 2016, reached 98 Tests, and played for the Chiefs.
Ardie Savea
Ardie Savea, New Zealand All Blacks number eight and captain, 2023 World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year; played for Hurricanes, Moana Pasifika, Kobe Steelers, joining Blues in 2027.
Auguste Giroux
Auguste Paul Almire Giroux (1874–1953), French rugby union wing and physician with Stade Français; won gold in men's rugby at the 1900 Paris Olympics with the USFSA team.
Babe Slater
Babe Slater (Colby Edmund Slater, 1896-1965), American rugby union player, two-time Olympic gold medalist (1920 Antwerp, 1924 Paris) and captain of the 1924 U.S. team; first UC Davis alumnus to win Olympic gold.
Beauden Barrett
Beauden Barrett, New Zealand rugby union first five-eighth/fullback, All Black #1115 since 2012, 150 Tests and 833 points, two-time World Rugby Player of the Year (2016, 2017), 2015 World Cup winner, Hurricanes then Blues, brother of Scott and Jordie.
Ben Cohen (rugby union)
Ben Cohen (born 1978) is an English former rugby union wing, 2003 World Cup winner, 57 England caps and 31 Test tries, joint-second all-time behind Rory Underwood; founder of the StandUp Foundation.
Ben Foden
Ben Foden (born 1985), English rugby union full-back and scrum-half; 34 England caps, 2011 Six Nations winner, Sale Sharks and Northampton Saints (250 appearances, 2014 Premiership), later Rugby United New York; retired 2022.
Ben Volavola
Ben Volavola, Fijian international flyhalf born in Sydney, played for the Waratahs, Crusaders, Rebels, Racing 92, Leicester Tigers, and the 2026 Queensland Reds, and signed with the Fijian Drua for 2027; Fiji World Cup veteran 2015 and 2019.
Ben Youngs
Ben Youngs (born 1989, Aylsham) is an English rugby union scrum-half, Leicester Tigers one-club man with 332 appearances and five Premiership titles, and England's most-capped men's player with 127 caps across four World Cups; retired in 2025.
Bill Beaumont
Bill Beaumont (born 1952) is an English former rugby union lock who captained England to the 1980 Grand Slam and the 1980 Lions tour of South Africa, then served as World Rugby Chairman 2016-2024 before Brett Robinson succeeded him.
Billy Vunipola
Billy Vunipola (Viliami Vunipola), English rugby union number eight, 1.91 m, 128 kg; Saracens 2013-2024 (194 games, five Premiership, three European titles), 75 England caps, now Montpellier, contracted to 2027.
Bob Devereaux
Bob Devereaux (Robert Humphrey Coleman Devereaux, 1897-1974) was an American rugby union player from Cheshire, Ohio, who won gold with the United States at the 1924 Paris Olympics, the last Olympic rugby union tournament until 2016.
Brad Weber
Brad McCormick Weber (born 1991, Napier) is a New Zealand rugby scrum-half, All Black No. 1140 with 18 tests 2015-2022, a 123-game Chiefs halfback and co-captain, later of Stade Français and Mitsubishi Sagamihara Dynaboars.
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll, born 1979, is an Irish former rugby union center who played for Leinster, Ireland, and the British & Irish Lions, retiring in 2014 as Test rugby's most-capped player with 141 appearances.
Bryan Habana
Bryan Gary Habana, South African rugby union wing (born 1983, Johannesburg), Springboks' all-time leading try scorer with 67 tries in 124 tests, 2007 World Cup winner and IRB Player of the Year, 15 World Cup tries level with Jonah Lomu, World Rugby Hall of Fame 2023.
Bundee Aki
Bundee Aki (Fua Leiofi Bundellu Aki), born 1990 in Auckland, is a Samoan-descended New Zealand-born centre for Connacht and Ireland, a 2018 and 2023 Grand Slam winner, two-time British & Irish Lion, and 2024 Irish citizen.
Caesar Mannelli
Caesar Mannelli (1897-1936), Italian-born American rugby union prop for Santa Clara Broncos; won gold with the USA at the 1924 Paris Olympics, beating Romania and France; later a San Francisco engineer.