Nine Springboks in publication’s top 50 influential players

A total of nine Springbok rugby players have made the list of the top 50 most influential players in the world at the moment, according to influential New Zealand publication Stuff.

According to them the most influential player is England lock Maro Itoje, followed by the All Black scrumhalf Aaron Smith.

The highest “ranked” Bok player is flank Pieter-Steph du Toit, at number three on the list. Du Toit has been South Africa’s Rugby Player of the Year on three occasions and in 2019 he was named World Rugby’s Player of the Year, following the Boks’ triumph at the World Cup in Japan.

The other Bok in the top 10 is national captain Siya Kolisi.

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Other Boks on the list include wing Cheslin Kolbe in 14th, scrumhalf Faf de Klerk in 16th, lock Eben Etzebeth (21st), flyhalf Handre Pollard (27th), hooker Malcolm Marx (28th), No 8 Duane Vermeulen (29th) and centre Damian de Allende (36th).

Apart from Smith, three other All Blacks find themselves in the top 10 with flyhalf Beauden Barrett named at No 5, All Black captain Sam Cane at No 7 and lock Brodie Retallick at No 80.

Some interesting picks include Semi Radrada of Fiji in fourth and the Argentina flank and captain Pablo Matera at nine.

Stuff issued the following statement on how the list had been compiled: “Stuff rugby writers Aaron Goile, Marc Hinton, Paul Cully, Richard Knowler, and Robert van Royen; former All Black Aaron Mauger, former All Blacks coach Wayne Smith, former Black Fern Izzy Ford, and Wellington Pride player Alice Soper, each provided their top 50 names and then points were awarded to tally up the results.”

50-40:

50. Sarah Hirini (New Zealand)
49. Kelly Brazier (New Zealand)
48. Sene Naoupu (Ireland)
47. Eloise Blackwell (New Zealand)
46. Jessy Trémoulière (France)
45. Dane Coles (New Zealand)
44. Ruby Tui (New Zealand)
43. Finn Russell (Scotland)]
42. Justin Tipuric (Wales)
41. Stacey Fluhler (New Zealand)
40. Virimi Vakatawa
39. Stuart Hogg (Scotland)
38. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
37. Charles Piutau (New Zealand)
36. Damian de Allende (South Africa)
35. Grégory Alldritt (France)
34. Maki Vunipola (England)
33. Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)
32. Johnny Sexton (Ireland)
31. James Ryan (Ireland)
30. Anton Lienert-Brown (New Zealand)
29. Duane Vermeulen (South Africa)
28. Malcolm Marx (South Africa)
27. Handré Pollard (South Africa)
26. Tom Curry (England)
25. Taniela Tupou (Australia)
24. Michael Hooper (Australia)
23. Emily Scarratt (England)
22. Manu Tuilagi (England)
21. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
20. Billy Vunipola (England)
19. Romain Ntamack (France)
18. Sam Whitelock (New Zealand)
17. Kendra Cocksedge (New Zealand)
16. Faf de Klerk (South Africa)
15.Owen Farrell (England)
14. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa)
13. Portia Woodman (New Zealand)
12. Ardie Savea (New Zealand)
11. Richie Mo’unga (New Zealand)

See the top 10 here. Stuff