186 articles
Ma'a Nonu
Ma'a Nonu (born 1982, Wellington) is a New Zealand rugby centre, All Black No. 1031 with 103 Tests (2003–2015), two-time World Cup winner (2011, 2015), famed for his Conrad Smith partnership and later careers with Toulon, San Diego Legion, and the Sharks.
Mako Vunipola
Mako Vunipola, New Zealand-born English loosehead prop (born 1991), 79 England caps, three Lions tours 2013/2017/2021, five Premiership titles and three European trophies with Saracens before Vannes.
Malcolm Marx
Malcolm Marx (born 1994, Germiston, South Africa) is a Springboks hooker, double Rugby World Cup winner (2019, 2023) and 2025 World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year, the first hooker to win since Keith Wood in 2001.
Manaia Nuku
Manaia Nuku (born 2002), also listed as Manaia C Nuku, is a New Zealand rugby sevens fullback, Black Ferns Sevens #84, Paris 2024 Olympic gold medalist, former New York Locals Premier Rugby Sevens Defensive Player of the Year, and 2026 Chiefs Manawa player.
Manu Tuilagi
Manu Tuilagi (Etuale Manusamoa Tuilagi), Samoan-born rugby union centre, born 1991 in Fogapoa; 60 England caps 2011-2024, 2013 British & Irish Lion, played for Leicester Tigers, Sale Sharks, and Bayonne.
Marcus Smith (rugby union)
Marcus Smith (born 1999, Manila) is an English rugby union fly-half and full-back for Harlequins and England; 2021 Premiership champion and top scorer, 2023 World Cup semi-finalist, and two-time British and Irish Lions tourist (2021, 2025).
Maro Itoje
Maro Itoje, born 1994, English rugby union lock for Saracens; England captain (102 caps) and 2025 British & Irish Lions captain who led the Lions to a series win in Australia.
Martin Johnson (rugby union)
Martin Johnson (born 1970, Solihull), English lock, 84 England caps, captain of England's 2003 Rugby World Cup win, only two-time British & Irish Lions captain (1997, 2001), Leicester Tigers great, later England team manager 2008-2011.
Matt Dawson
Matt Dawson (born 1972), English rugby union scrum-half; 77 England caps, 2003 World Cup winner, three Lions tours; played for Northampton Saints and Wasps, later BBC broadcaster.
Meli Derenalagi
Ratu Meli Derenalagi (born 1998, Nadi, Fiji), Fijian rugby player; won men's rugby sevens gold with Fiji at Tokyo 2020 Olympics, captained Fiji 7s and the Fijian Drua, and plays back row for the Flying Fijians.
Michael Cheika
Michael Cheika (born 1967, Sydney) is an Australian rugby coach: Leinster 2009 Heineken Cup, Waratahs 2014 Super Rugby, Wallabies 2014-19 to 2015 World Cup final, Argentina 2022-23, Lebanon RL, Roosters, Waratahs 2027.
Michael Hooper (rugby union)
Michael Hooper (born 1991) is an Australian rugby union openside flanker, Wallaby number 859 and record 69-time captain, a four-time John Eales Medal winner who later played for Toyota Verblitz in Japan Rugby League One.
Michael Leitch
Michael Leitch, also known as リーチ マイケル, is a Japan-born rugby forward who captained the Brave Blossoms in 2015 and 2019 and leads the Brave Lupus Tokyo.
Mike Tindall
Mike Tindall MBE (born 1978, Otley) is an English rugby union centre, 75-cap England player and 2003 World Cup winner with Bath and Gloucester, husband of Zara Tindall, podcaster and I'm a Celebrity contestant.
Nick Cummins
Nick 'Honey Badger' Cummins (Nicholas Mark Cummins, born 1987) is an Australian former rugby union winger with 15 Wallabies caps, a 2014 move to Japan's Coca Cola West Red Sparks, and a later television career.
Nicole Beck
Nicole Beck (Nicole Elise Beck), Australian rugby sevens player born 1988 in Bulli, NSW; won gold with Australia in the first Olympic women's rugby sevens tournament at Rio 2016, beating New Zealand 24-17 in the final.
Nigel Owens
Nigel Owens, Welsh rugby union referee, first to officiate 100 tests (France v Italy, November 2020), refereed the 2015 Rugby World Cup final, retired December 2020, now a Hereford farmer and S4C presenter.
Norm Slater
Norm Slater (Norman Bernard Slater, 1894-1979) was an American rugby player with the Olympic Club of San Francisco who won gold in men's rugby at the 1924 Paris Olympics; older brother of captain Babe Slater.
Norman Cleaveland
Norman Cleaveland (1901-1997), nicknamed Peabody, American rugby player who won gold with the USA at the 1924 Paris Olympics, last surviving US rugby gold medallist, and later a tin-dredging mining engineer in Malaya.
Osea Kolinisau
Osea Kolinisau (born 1985, Suva) is a Fijian rugby sevens coach and former captain who led Fiji to Rio 2016 Olympic gold, holds the World Series record 62 caps, and now coaches the Fiji men's 7s.
Owen Farrell
Owen Andrew Farrell (born 1991) is an English rugby union fly-half and centre, Saracens captain and 112-cap England captain, 2019 World Cup finalist, and the first professional-era player to win two British & Irish Lions Test series.
Peter O'Mahony
Peter O'Mahony (born 1989, Cork) is a retired Irish rugby back-rower; Munster career 2010–2025 (193 appearances), 112 Ireland caps, 2024 Ireland captain, 2017 Lions first-Test captain.
Phil Carmichael
Phil Carmichael (Phillip Patrick Carmichael), Australian rugby union fullback and centre, 1908 London Olympics gold medalist for Australasia; kicked four conversions and a penalty goal in the 32-3 Olympic final win over Great Britain.
Phil Clark
Phil Clark (Philip Corriston Clark, 1898-1985) was an American rugby union forward who won gold with the United States at the 1924 Paris Olympics; a Stanford graduate who became a geologist and petroleum engineer.
Phil Vickery (rugby union)
Phil Vickery, born 1976, English tighthead prop nicknamed Raging Bull; 73 England caps, 2003 World Cup winner, 2007 England captain, two Lions tours, Gloucester and Wasps.
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Pieter-Steph du Toit (Pieter Stephanus du Toit), South African Springbok loose forward born 1992, two-time World Rugby Player of the Year (2019, 2024), 2019 and 2023 World Cup winner, known for extreme tackle volume and surviving a 2020 leg injury.
Quade Cooper
Quade Cooper, fully Quade Santini Cooper, is an Australian rugby union fly-half, born in Auckland in 1988, who won 80 Wallabies caps and played at the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups.
Rassie Erasmus
Rassie Erasmus (Johan Erasmus, born 1972) is a South African rugby coach and former Springbok loose forward; head coach of the Springboks, he won the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups and became the most-capped Springbok head coach in 2026.
Richie McCaw
Richie McCaw, New Zealand openside flanker and All Blacks captain 2006-2015; 148 Tests, 110 as captain, won the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups, three-time World Rugby Player of the Year.
Rieko Ioane
Rieko Ioane, All Black No. 1156 (born 1997), New Zealand wing and outside centre; 88 tests, 195 points; Blues 2016–2025; 2017 World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year; Leinster sabbatical 2025/26, URC winner 2026.