Top Current Rugby Players In New Zealand

New Zealand Rugby Players

/ 10 min

The All Blacks are true icons! Our team will present you with several information about the New Zealand rugby players tasked with continuing the legacy of three World titles.

Best 2022 NZ Rugby Players

Name Position Games With the All Blacks
Ardie Savea Loose Forward 59
Aaron Smith Halfback 102
Sam Whitelock Lock 132
Sam Cane Loose Forward 77
Brodie Retallick Lock 92
Beauden Barret First Five-Eights 101
Richie Mo’unga First five-eight 32
Will Jordan Outside back 13
Jordie Barret Fullback 36
Codie Taylor Hooker 56

Advice from us

If you love Rugby or are simply keen to place a wager on one or two games, it’s well worth taking the time to get to know the New Zealand Rugby players’ names and their achievements.

It’ll make your betting experience that much better the next time the All Blacks get out on the field.

Have you heard about Wheelchair Rugby?

Wheelchair Rugby refers to a mixed-gender professional game aimed for players with various disabilities. Our team of experts has compiled a list featuring the Wheel Blacks so you can also take them into consideration when placing your sports bets!

Globally, the All Blacks are one of the most accomplished national teams, with an incredible 77.41% winning percentage.

In the last few decades, New Zealand has been the number one ranked team more than 80% of the time and has held the Team of the Year title for seven consecutive seasons. Hence, it is no wonder that Rugby is quite popular for arb betting in New Zealand.

A unique trademark

The New Zealand team is best known for the haka, the Māori warrior battle cry they perform before each game, but Rugby fans also appreciate their three World Cup titles.

The All Blacks won their last title in 2015, and management has spent the past seven years draughting an accomplished squad.

Ardie Savea

Ardie Savea was the 70th Test captain for the All Blacks in the 2021 match against Australia, held in Perth. His first NZ Rugby team appearance was against Wales in 2016. Savea’s love for sports runs in the family since his older brother, Julian Savea, is also a former All Black.

Ardie Savea
Source: planetrugby.com

After starting his career in Wellington, Savea is currently playing for the Hurricanes as captain of the team. His playing style includes impressive speed and athleticism, and he is known for battling on after hard tackles.

In his off-field life, fashion-savvy Savea founded his own clothing brand, which has generated increased support from his fanbase.

Aaron Smith

Experienced halfback Aaron Smith has 102 games for New Zealand so far. He’s considered one of the best halfbacks due to his ability to spark backlines with passes and simultaneously assist the defensive line with effective tackles.

Aaron Smith
Source: planetrugby.com

Smith played for the New Zealand Under-20 team that won the Junior World Championship in 2010. Just two years after that win, Smith became the go-to halfback for the All Blacks. He rarely misses a Test, leading to him receiving the most caps for his position in the team’s history.

Smith won the Super Rugby Championship with the Highlanders and was named Māori Player of the Year for his national team and club performances. Due to his multiple achievements, we think he is indeed a worthy mention on our curated list.

Sam Whitelock

With 132 games on his national team resume, lock Sam Whitelock holds the record among New Zealand Rugby players for the most caps in his position. His stellar national career has begun in 2010, and he was an integral part of two world titles, playing all seven matches in the RWC in 2011 and 2015.

Sam Whitelock
Source: planetrugby.com

Whitelock was named captain in the All Blacks’ 2017 match against Wales and captained the Crusaders during their 2017 back-to-back club title runs. Outside of these senior team accomplishments, Whitelock also won the inaugural Junior World Championship in 2008.

Sam Cane

A full-time captain of the All Blacks, Sam Cane made his name with his devastating tackles. He is among the NZ Rugby players who also receive an incredible amount of support from his international fans.

Sam Cane
Source: planetrugby.com

In 2011, Cane played in the Under 20 New Zealand World Championship team. His All Blacks debut came in 2012, and he simultaneously won back-to-back Super Rugby titles with the Chiefs in 2012 and 2013.

Cane severely fractured his neck in 2018 but quickly returned to the game following rehabilitation. Sam Cane has been the All Blacks team captain since 2015.

Brodie Retallick

Brodie Retallick
Source: planetrugby.com

Brodie Retallick plays lock for the All Blacks, and his colossal stature paired with an air of confidence make him a precious asset to the New Zealand squad. He’s played 92 games for the NZ rugby team since his debut in 2012.

Retallick’s most notable match came in 2018 when he won the World Rugby Try of the Year award after a sensational dummy earned him five points against arch-rivals Australia in Sydney.

Beauden Barrett

Former two-times World Rugby Player of the Year Beauden Barrett is widely known for his incredible speed and precise boot. As one of the best playmakers in New Zealand Rugby, he’s third on the all-time point-scoring list.

Beauden Barrett
Source: planetrugby.com

He started his career as a bench player for the national squad but soon moved into the starting lineup. In the 2015 final, he scored an exciting try in the Final, bringing home 26 points in the tournament.

Barrett also has a notable club career. He has been the one to lead the Hurricanes to their first-ever Super Rugby title in 2016. So far, Barrett has notched up 101 games for the All Blacks, scoring 703 points.

Richie Mo’unga

Richie Mo’unga is a versatile player who plays the first five-eight and line-up as a fullback. He’s notched up 32 starts with New Zealand Rugby team players. In his club career, Mo’unga scored 25 points in the Super Rugby final against the Tasman Rugby Union—the record for a single player.

Richie Mo'unga
Source: rnz.co.nz

Mo’unga debuted for the All Blacks in 2018 and was a starting player at the 2019 Rugby World Championship. He backed up that success with an incredible season for the Crusaders.

Will Jordan

Will Jordan
Source: rugbypass.com

Will Jordan is an emblematic NZ player with immense promising talent. He created a buzz with his 2017 Under 20 World Championship debut and helped Tasman win their first premiership title, an outstanding performance that led him to an All Blacks debut in 2020.

During his 13-game stint with the NZ rugby team, Jordan’s most notable achievement has been to score five tries in a Test match against Tonga—only one behind the current record holder, Marc Ellis.

Jordie Barrett

Another rising Rugby star in NZ is Jordie Barrett. This versatile player can play multiple incredible Rugby techniques, which include the first-five, second-five, wing, and fullback. He is also an efficient goal kicker.

Jordie Barrett
Source: planetrugby.com

His break-out year was 2017 when he scored 135 points for the Hurricanes and debuted for the All Blacks against Samoa.

Barrett has recorded 36 games and 203 points for Team New Zealand and had an incredible 2020 season at the club level.

Codie Taylor

Codie Taylor boasts a proud Rugby lineage dating back to his great-great-grandfather, who played for the All Blacks in the 19th century. Talyor is one of the world’s top hookers with the speed needed to score winning tries. He’s played 56 games for the All Blacks, including one in the historic 2015 World Cup run.

Codie Taylor
Source: fijitimes.com

Taylor was named captain of the Crusaders for the winning the Super Rugby 2020 season.

New Zealand rugby team players

New Zealand rugby team players Source: skysports.com

Jonah Lomu is arguably the most famous Rugby player in NZ history. At the same time, captain Richie McCaw, who led All Blacks to two World Cup titles, is considered the GOAT.

Indeed, the All Blacks haven’t won any outstanding titles over the past few years. However, the current New Zealand Rugby players are still considered some of the best in the entire world.

Love learning more about sports?

If you are a fan of New Zealand’s national sports, you may want to check out CasinoAlpha’s insightful top featuring the best NZ Netball teams. Additionally, you may also want to take our look at our pages on New Zealand UFC fighters and New Zealand National Cricket team players.

The Forever Great Team

The Forever Great Team
Source: unsplash.com

Playing a good game of Rugby isn’t enough for the All Blacks team. There is a reason why they’re widely regarded as the best Rugby team of all time. After all, they are the first team to win three World Championships titles.

Since New Zealand still dominates the Rugby game in younger categories, the future looks bright for the country’s premier team. New Zealand has two players on the current Top 10 list, too. Nonetheless, the expectations for the All Blacks from Rugby fans worldwide remain the same: win or bust.

Current New Zealand Rugby team players have a challenging task ahead of them if they want to continue to live up to such an incredible legacy.

So, what do you say?

Did you find our article helpful? Is there any incredible player that we should have included in our list? Let us know all of your thoughts on the subject in the comment section below.

Sources

Anca Iamandi
Author Anca Iamandi Senior Author & Editor at CasinoAlpha

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