With the most recent edition of the Six Nations tournament on its way, it is interesting to see which side holds the title of being the world’s number one. Wales enter the tournament as the defending champions but are they good enough to bring home back to back trophies.
Today we count down the best Rugby nations as ranked by the most recent world rugby rankings, for which you can use Sports Betting in New Jersey to have some fun without thinking too much about it.
1. South Africa
Currently sitting on the top as the number one Rugby nation is South Africa. The Springboks were detrimental in helping create the Rugby World Cup, although they did not compete in the first two ones in 1987 and 1991 due to anti-apartheid sporting boycotts.
They made their World Cup debut in 1995 where they won gold against the All-Blacks in the final, marking one of the most famous sports achievements in South African history. They won the World Cup on two more occasions, in 2007 and the latest one in 2019.
They also have four Rugby Championship titles as well.
2. New Zealand
The New Zealand rugby national team is commonly recognized as the best team rugby team in the world. Sporting their black gear (where the nickname All-Blacks comes from) and striking fear in their enemies by performing the Haka dance before each match is what makes them so recognizable.
But their performances are legendary as well. The All-Blacks won the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 and won it on two more occasions in 2011 and 2015. They also have 16 trophies won in the Rugby Championship and also completed the Grand Slam Tour against the four home nations on four separate occasions (1978, 2005, 2008 and 2010).
3. England
The English nation Rugby team is the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to lift the Rugby World Cup, which they did only once in 2003. But they are the most successful side of all that compete in the Six Nations tournament.
England won the tournament a record number of 28 times, won the Grand Slam 13 times, and the Triple Crown trophy 26 times.
4. Ireland
The Irish rugby team competes both in the annual Six Nations Championship and the Rugby World Cup. Ireland is also one of the four unions that make up the British and the Irish lions, meaning that Irish players are also eligible to play for the Lions.
Ireland has reached the World Cup quarter-finals on several occasions, marking it as their best achievement. They have also won the Six Nations trophy on four occasions (2009, 2014, 2015 and 2018).
5. France
Les Bleus, as the French national rugby team is referred to, has competed in every iteration of the Rugby World Cup so far. They also managed to qualify for the knock-out stages each time. However, they never won a trophy despite making it to the finals three times.