Who are the top Rugby players?

Answer 1

England has 270,000 and France about 220,000 registered players (The vast majority unprofessional). Ireland, wales and Scotland have far less - I think around 40,000 - 50,000 for Ireland and wales, but only around 30,000 in Scotland. There are around 140,000 in New Zealand, 166,000 in Australia and 430,000 in South Africa. South Africa wins!

Since the world cup in France in 2007 there's been an explosion of registration here in clubs (still all voluntary club registration during off-school time, rugby is almost inexistant at school level in France) ; in 2009 there were 360 000 affiliates, of whom around 300 000 were players , 96% males ; in collective sports ranking, rugby was behind football (soccer) with 2M affiliates, 97% males, Basketball, + 400 000 affiliates, 60% males, and handball, 390 000 affiliates, 60 to 70% males.

Rugby is still the second most popular collective sport in France by far behind soccer, of course, but way in front of all others (I mean TV ratings and media coverage).

England has the most but they are counted differently in Anglo-saxon countries and the rest of the world; here it is more or less mandatory in school, there it is learned and played off school in clubs on a purely voluntary basis.

Anyway the winner is England, around 1 million (to take with caution but anyway it is probably the country with the most rugby players in one way or another)

Then it's South Africa (same remarks) with around 400 000, mostly whites

Then it's France (purely voluntary) 230 000

Then it's New Zealand 220 000

Then it's probably Japan somewhere between 150 000 and 200 000

Italy is exploding with new players with something like 90-100 000

John Kirwan declared that there are 90 000 players in Sri Lanka (curious, but why not?)

There are thousands of undeclared players playing informally in the slums of Antananarivo, and around a hundred clubs in the town itself, in Madagascar ; it is a unique country in the sense that the game there is the poor people's one, a unique case in the developing world

They are around 70 000 players in Argentina as well as in Australia, between 60 000 and 70 000 in Ireland as well as in the USA , something like 30 000 in Wales and like 20 000 in Scotland, between 20 000 and 30 000 in Canada.

Georgia didn't even have a proper rugby field until recently despite its international results ; the biggest proportion of rugby players relative to the population (whole!) is in the polynesian countries ; a staggering 5 to 10 per cent in fidji, Samoa, Tonga!!!

Answer 2

England. There are about 250,000 adult male Rugby union players there.

Answer 3

South Africa, around 430,000. England 270,000 France 240,000 Aus 166,000 NZ 140,000

Answer 4

as of 2011 its England with 2.5 million registered players

Answer 5

There are many great rugby players out there. Some of the current top players include: Will Genia, George Smith, Kane Douglas and Ben Alexander amongst others.

Answer 6

Australia has the most Rugby players.