Not every year goes to plan, even for the game’s biggest names. Whether through loss of form, persistent injury or a single costly moment, 2025 proved frustrating for a number of elite players.
Join the RUCK’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Here, we take a look at five individuals who will be desperate to put the past year behind them and use 2026 as an opportunity for redemption and resurgence.
5 Gareth Anscombe
After spending the 2024–25 season in the Premiership with Gloucester, a move to France followed on 7 May 2025, with Bayonne securing his services for the upcoming Top 14 campaign. Internationally, it was a frustrating period, as he was initially left out of Warren Gatland’s Six Nations squad before earning a late recall for the final three matches under interim head coach Matt Sherratt.
Throughout his career, serious injuries have been a constant obstacle, and while the fly-half has spoken about his ambition to feature at a third Rugby World Cup in 2027, 2025 proved to be a largely forgettable year. Those lingering injury concerns still appeared to limit him, but a fresh start in France offers hope that he can finally regain full fitness, return to his best rugby, and re-enter the Wales picture ahead of 2027.
4 Ollie Lawrence
Lawrence endured a serious Achilles tendon rupture in March 2025 during the Six Nations match against Italy, which not only ended his season but also ruled him out of the Lions tour. Despite this setback, he made an impressive and quicker-than-expected comeback by September 2025, dedicating himself to intensive recovery and rehabilitation to regain full fitness for Bath and England.
Since his return, he has shown strong form; however, missing the Lions tour due to injury makes it difficult to label the year as entirely successful.
