Rugby is a full-contact team sport that is popular in various countries over the globe. However, recently, not only the countries that have a culture of rugby, but also newbie countries have acquainted themselves with this interesting sport and have managed to get a good position in the World Rugby Ranking. People not only love playing rugby, but rugby betting is also quite popular, as it is a good way to make some quick money. No matter what your reasons are for liking this exciting sport, read on to know about the top 20 rugby union countries with the most registered players, and we assure you, you will be shocked!
- France – When it comes to France, with over half a million, (542,242), it has the highest number of registered rugby players. Moreover, the country ranks fifth in the World Rugby Rankings.
- South Africa – South Africa is a winner and stands in the first place when it comes to World Rugby Rankings. Moreover, the country has 405,438 registered rugby players, which is the second-highest in the world.
- England – With 382,154 registered rugby players, England has the third-highest number of registered rugby players. The country also comes third in the World Rugby Rankings.
- Australia – With 230,753 registered rugby players, the country comes fourth when it comes to the figures for the highest number of registered rugby players. Moreover, Australia stands at number seven in the World ranking.
- New Zealand – New Zealand, with its small size, has 150,727 registered rugby players. The country is on the top in rugby and stands at second in the World ranking.
- Fiji – Again a small country, Fiji has 122,453 registered rugby players, which means it has the sixth-highest number of registered rugby players. The country stands at the eleventh position in the World ranking.
- USA – USA has 119,682 registered rugby players, which is still as huge, as the country is still developing in this sport. Currently, the country stands at the sixteenth position in the World ranking, but it can change once things become more organized.
- Japan – Japan, with its 105,693 registered rugby players has eight highest number of registered players. The country stands at number ninth in the World ranking.
- Argentina – With over 105,151 registered rugby players, the country has the ninth highest number of registered rugby players. Argentina has a World ranking of number ten.
- Ireland – The country has 101,922 registered rugby players and has a good World ranking, which is number four.
- Italy – Italy has 87,211 registered rugby players, which is the eleventh highest in the world. The ranking of Italy has dropped quite a bit, and currently, it is at position fourteenth.
- Wales – With 83,120 registered rugby players, the country has less number of players when compared to Italy. However still, Wales, with its sixth World ranking is much ahead of Italy.
- Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka has never been famous for Rugby, so it is quite a surprise to know that the country has 53,282 registered rugby players. The country stands at 47th position in its World ranking.
- Kenya – Kenya, with 50,541 registered rugby players has a World ranking of 32.
- Scotland – Scotland has 49,265 registered rugby players, and the country stands at eighth position in the world ranking, which is quite good.
- China – China is a big country with the highest population in the world. So, it comes as no surprise that the country has 35,361 registered rugby players. However, given the good number of registered rugby players, the World ranking of the country is not that good, and it stands at the eightieth position. If a little more focus is put on the game, China can also show exceptional performance in rugby, just like Japan.
- Spain – Spain, with 34,822 registered rugby players has the seventeenth highest number of players and has a World ranking of the eighteenth.
- Madagascar – The small country of Madagascar has 34,393 registered rugby players, which is huge given to its tiny size. In recent times, rugby has got a lot of exposure in Madagascar, and if it continues, the country will also surely improve its ranking, which is country fifty.
- Canada – Canada has 27,512 registered rugby players and a World ranking of twenty third.
- Russia – Russia has 25,558 registered rugby players and stands at a position of twenty in its World ranking.
Conclusion With countries around the world seeing an increase in the number of registered rugby players, it will not be shocking to see that many of the above countries will improve in their World ranking, and many new names will be seen in the top 5. New countries, like Japan and Madagascar have already accepted this sport, and more and more people from all over the world are becoming a fan of rugby.
