As 2023 drew to a close, Telegraph Sport assessed the top 30 players in Britain across various sports. The series started with men’s and women’s football, then moved on to men’s cricket. Next up was men’s rugby.
To make the top 30, players had to be currently playing domestically in Britain.
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Telegraph named best 30 rugby players in the UK:
30. Rory Darge (Glasgow)
They wrote: “Now a starter for club and country, Darge has developed into one of Scotland’s leading lights. The all-court flanker has also been at the heart of Glasgow’s early season domestic excellence.”
29. Juan Martín González (Saracens)
28. Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester)
They wrote: “Pace and finishing prowess cannot be questioned – the Welsh wing is world class in that regard – but he has probably reached a point whereby he needs to diversify a touch. Still lethal and world class in the wide channels.”
27. Emiliano Boffelli (Edinburgh)
26. Alex Goode (Saracens)
25. Nick Tompkins (Saracens)
24. André Esterhuizen (Harlequins)
23. Iain Henderson (Ulster)
22. Theo McFarland (Saracens)
21. Tommy Reffell (Leicester)
They wrote: “The Tigers’ head coach, Dan McKellar, said recently the Wales flanker was aiming to be one of the world’s best. With how Reffell has returned to Leicester following the World Cup, he is not far off. The Premiership’s best jackaller.”