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Discover the rugby players whose remarkable talents put them a cut above the rest in the world this year.
Over the years, rugby has become one of the most popular sports, attracting a lot of interest from fans and also becoming a lucrative career for its players.
That has witnessed a rise in the number of great players whose talents are now on show at various tournaments while clubs around the world pay top dollar to bring in the best in a bid to have a competitive edge over their rivals.
Among those shining in the game is an exclusive class of players who are heads and shoulders above the rest. Pulse Sports highlights the top 10 best rugby players in the world in 2025.
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Top 10 Best Rugby Players in the World 2025
10. Ox Nche
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South Africa and Sharks prop Ox Nche is among the 10 best rugby players in 2025 and he has proven it over a number of times with his skills on the pitch.
Ox may be dimunitive but he possesses great strength and intelligence, helping the Springboks dominate games with his ability to destroy world class tightheads and in the scrums, he is the man who always comes out on top.
So good is Ox in the scrum that even opponents built as big as Tonga’s Ben Tameifuna have saluted him for giving them a hard time whenever they clashed.
9. Beauden Barrett
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New Zealand and Toyota Verblitz flyhalf Beauden Barrett is getting into the twilight years of his career but what a journey the 2015 World Cup winner has had.
He has a century of Tests under his belt and has been great whether utilised at fly-half or fullback. However, for many, he is the best 10 ever witnessed and while injuries have hampered him in recent months, fans will hope that he stays healthy to continue serving his brilliance.
8. Caelan Doris
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Ireland back row Caelan Doris is another rugby phenomenon that makes the list of the best players in 2025 and he will surely show his might once more when the British and Irish Lions go on their summer tour of Australia.
Caelan Doris is a world class player who leads from the front with his prolific footwork and carries while he remains a try machine that opponents fear coming up against.
7. Thomas Ramos
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A fly-half, who can also play at full-back, Frenchman Thomas Ramos joins the list of the best rugby players given what he has achieved with his national team and club Toulouse.
Thomas Ramos has the ability to grab the game by the scruff of its neck with his goal-kicking record a cut above the rest, something that is being witnessed in 2025 after doing the same last year.
6. Finn Russell
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Scotland fly-half Finn Russell is everything woven into one with his all-round performances at an all-time high in Test matches.
Russell’s game has greatly improved while working with Johann van Graan has seen him become a complete player, having learned how to deal with the different in-game challenges.
5. Cheslin Kolbe
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One of the finest in the sport, South Africa’s Cheslin Kolbe is considered the best finisher in the game and he has displayed it numerous times.
The two-time World Cup winner stands shoulders above the rest with his quick thinking and intelligence while he is a joy to watch when taking penalties, in the lineouts or charging downs.
The Suntory Sungoliath winger has also been deployed at fullback and flyhalf, excelling in all of them, and is also known for his power in contact despite his small frame.
4. Ardie Savea
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New Zealand backrower Ardie Savea is so good at what he does that few can name his best position. A great athlete, Savea’s greatest strength comes from his tackling, forcing turnovers, while his carries are out of this world.
Some even think he is the best player in the world and he is proving that with a great start to the season at Moana Pasifika after returning to the Super Rugby Pacific, following a season in Japan, with many feeling he is the frontrunner for the 2025 Super Rugby Player of the Year.
3. Pieter-Steph du Toit
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Being a two-time World Cup winner and two-time World Rugby Player of the Year should tell you everything about the qualities of South Africa’s Pieter-Steph du Toit.
The 32-year-old lock, who can also play as a flanker, has been instrumental for great success for the Springboks and his clubs, which include the Sharks, Stormers and Toyota Verblitz as he has combined his incredible attacking game with his great defensive work.
Cape Town-born Pieter-Steph du Toit, popularly known as PSDT, has doubled his strike rate in recent months, even while playing as a lock, and has the ability to lift everyone around him.
2. Eben Etzebeth
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Another Cape Town-born star on the list, South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth has been there and done that as he is the most capped Springboks player of all-time.
Eben Etzebeth, like the other South Africans on the list, is a double World Cup winner and his importance to the side cannot be overemphasised as his quick thinking and ability to read the game is second to none.
When it comes to execution, few want to face the 33-year-old lock when he charges down while his ruck disruption has enabled him to win several points for his teams, helping maintain a very high standard for both the Boks and his side Sharks.
1. Antoine Dupont
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France and Toulouse scrum-half Antoine Dupont has mesmerized fans with his skills on the pitch, showing remarkable skills and composure in various tournaments.
Tiny yet mighty, Dupont is the player who changed the course of the Paris Olympics Sevens final with some six minutes of magic when he came off the bench to score two tries and set up another as France beat Fiji 28-7 to win their first-ever Sevens rugby Olympics gold.
His tackles, carries, jackals are class while his kicking puts him among the best, added to his great finishing. Dupont has won everything apart from the World Cup which he will be targeting in 2027.
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