Top 10 Fastest Rugby Players in the World (2026 Rankings)
Rugby NewsSaturday, 03 January 2026 at 19:42
Speed remains rugby’s ultimate weapon — and in 2025, it’s faster than ever. From lightning-quick wingers to explosive backs, these are the 10 quickest players tearing up the global game right now.
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Fastest Rugby Players:
10. Kurt-Lee Arendse (South Africa)
Top Speed: ~10.7 m/s (24 mph)
Arendse's explosive acceleration and agility make him a formidable presence on the wing, consistently breaking through defenses.
Arendse's explosive acceleration and agility make him a formidable presence on the wing, consistently breaking through defenses.
9. Damien Penaud (France)
Top Speed: ~10.7 m/s (24 mph)
Penaud combines speed with sharp footwork, turning even small gaps in the defense into scoring opportunities.
Penaud combines speed with sharp footwork, turning even small gaps in the defense into scoring opportunities.
8. Grant Williams (South Africa)
Top Speed: 10.2–10.7 m/s (22.8–24 mph)
Williams' pace puts him among the fastest rugby players in South Africa, making him a threat on the counter-attack.
Williams' pace puts him among the fastest rugby players in South Africa, making him a threat on the counter-attack.
7. Rieko Ioane (New Zealand)
Top Speed: ~10.7 m/s (24 mph)
Ioane's versatility allows him to exploit spaces with his rapid bursts, whether on the wing or at centre.
Ioane's versatility allows him to exploit spaces with his rapid bursts, whether on the wing or at centre.
6. Louis Rees-Zammit (Wales)
Top Speed: 24.2 mph (39 km/h)
Rees-Zammit's acceleration and top-end speed make him a constant threat in open play.
Rees-Zammit's acceleration and top-end speed make him a constant threat in open play.
5. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
Top Speed: 10.7 seconds per 100m
Kolbe's agility and footwork, combined with speed, make him one of rugby's most elusive wingers.
Kolbe's agility and footwork, combined with speed, make him one of rugby's most elusive wingers.
4. Louis Bielle-Biarrey (France)
Top Speed: 37.8 km/h (23.5 mph)
Bielle-Biarrey's rapid acceleration and instinctive running lines highlight him as a rising star.
Bielle-Biarrey's rapid acceleration and instinctive running lines highlight him as a rising star.
3. Will Jordan (New Zealand)
Top Speed: ~10.7 m/s (24 mph)
Jordan's combination of speed and timing allows him to exploit defensive gaps and finish scoring opportunities with precision.
Jordan's combination of speed and timing allows him to exploit defensive gaps and finish scoring opportunities with precision.
2. Henry Arundell (England)
Top Speed: 11.5 m/s (25.7 mph)
Arundell's blistering pace and try-scoring ability make him one of the top fastest rugby players in England.
Arundell's blistering pace and try-scoring ability make him one of the top fastest rugby players in England.
1. Adam Radwan (England)
Top Speed: Tops GPS charts for current XVs players
Radwan's raw speed, agility, and finishing ability make him arguably the fastest rugby player in the world today.
Radwan's raw speed, agility, and finishing ability make him arguably the fastest rugby player in the world today.
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- Jordie Barrett over Damian de Allende is far from being correct. The hype around Dupont is also overreaching, he's probably 4th in the world and has been since the 2023 WC. He also avoids certain matchups which is strange. The rest of the list is pretty good apart from minor subjective biases.JasonMarlow16-09-2026
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