The World Rugby Rankings is a ranking system for national teams in rugby union, managed by World Rugby, the sport's governing body. The teams of World Rugby's member nations are ranked based on their game results, with the most successful teams being ranked highest. A point system is used, with points being awarded on the basis of the results of World Rugby-recognized international matches. Rankings are based on the team's performance, with more recent results and more significant matches being more heavily weighted to help reflect the current competitive state of a team. The men's ranking system was introduced the month before the 2003 Rugby World Cup, with the first new rankings issued on 6 October 2003, when they were called the "IRB Rankings".
Rankings Rank leaders World Rugby Ranking leaders
When the system was introduced England were the top team and maintained that position following victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. New Zealand took the lead from 14 June 2004.
After winning the 2007 Rugby World Cup final, South Africa became the third team to achieve first place. The first two fixtures of the 2008 Tri Nations resulted in the top two teams switching places: the All Blacks regained the top spot after defeating South Africa in the Tri-Nations opener on 5 July 2008 in Wellington; a week later the Springboks returned the favour in Dunedin, scoring their first win over the All Blacks in New Zealand since 1998, reclaiming the top spot, only for the All Blacks to defeat both Australia and South Africa in August 2008 to regain the top spot by a considerable margin. South Africa regained the lead in July 2009 after beating New Zealand in Bloemfontein and kept the lead until losing to France in November of that year, allowing the All Blacks to regain the top spot.
A change at the top would not occur for a record period of 508 weeks (from 16 November 2009 to 19 August 2019), when Wales became the top ranked team for the first time after defeating England at Cardiff in a World Cup 2019 warm-up test in August, following on a streak in which they won 15 of 16 tests, including a Six Nations Grand Slam. Two weeks later New Zealand returned to the top of the summit following Ireland's victory over Wales in Cardiff in a World Cup 2019 warm-up test. However, on 7 September 2019, Ireland defeated Wales again, this time in Dublin, and they were installed as the number 1 team for the first time in their history, which they held entering the 2019 Rugby World Cup.
The first round of matches in the 2019 Rugby World Cup saw a further change at the top, with New Zealand's pool stage victory over the Springboks seeing them regain the top spot. England's defeat of New Zealand in the 2019 World Cup semi-finals saw them return to the top spot for the first time since 2004. A week later, South Africa reclaimed top spot after defeating England in the final.
2021 saw the ranking lead change several times with South Africa and New Zealand each holding the top spot at various points. In 2022, France replaced South Africa on top of the rankings following their victory over Japan in their summer tour and the Springboks' home defeat by a touring Wales team. A week later, Ireland claimed top spot following victory in their summer tour to New Zealand.
Ireland held the top spot until October 2023, when they lost to New Zealand in the quarter-final stage of the 2023 Rugby World Cup – with South Africa replacing them. However, following their away defeat to Argentina in the 2024 Rugby Championship, South Africa relinquished the top spot to Ireland.
The Springboks regained the no. 1 position after Ireland's home defeat to New Zealand during the 2024 Autumn Nations Series.
Since the rankings began, the winners of every edition of the World Cup have held the number 1 spot at the end of the tournament.
New Zealand have been the most consistently ranked #1 team since the introduction of the world rankings in 2003, having held the #1 ranking for most of the time during this period. South Africa is second, with Ireland, England, Wales and France making up the remainder.
To date, 2019 is the only calendar year in which more than three nations have held the number 1 spot – with five nations holding that title at some point during the year.
Best and worst ranking positions Below is a list of the best and worst ranking positions for nations that have appeared in the Rugby World Cup: TeamBestWorstRankYear(s)RankYear(s) 3 2007–08 12 2014 2 2003, 2004–05, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011–12, 2015–16 10 2023, 2024 11 2011 25 2025, 2025–26 16 2026 30 2016–17, 2019 1 2003, 2003–04, 2019 8 2009, 2015–16, 2023 7 2023 16 2011, 2012 1 2022 10 2018, 2019 11 2016, 2019, 2023, 2025 23 2004 1 2019, 2022, 2022–23, 2024 9 2013 8 2007, 2024 15 2015, 2017, 2018, 2018–19, 2021 38 2003, 2005, 2006, 2021 69 2026 7 2019 20 2003, 2006 18 2017 29 2006 1 2003, 2004–07, 2008, 2009, 2009–19, 2019, 2021, 2025, 2026 5 2022 13 2023, 2023–24 30 2015, 2016 13 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 22 2025, 2025–26, 2026 16 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012 34 2025 7 2013 20 2026 5 2017, 2017–18, 2018, 2023, 2026 12 2012, 2013, 2015 14 2025 32 2004–05 1 2007–08, 2008, 2009, 2019–21, 2021–22, 2023–24, 2024–25, 2025–26, 2026 7 2017, 2018 9 2011 202005, 2006, 2026 12 2018, 2018–19 20 2008, 2022 14 2005, 2025, 2025–26 23 2012, 2017 1 2019 14 2025 24 2025, 2025–26 57 2007, 2008
Rating leaders According to World Rugby the "top side in the World will normally have a rating above 90","Rankings Explanation". World Rugby. Retrieved 22 August 2019. . New Zealand retained the number 1 position in August 2019 following defeat by Australia at Perth in the Rugby Championship, despite their ratings falling to 89.04. A week later, Wales increased their rating to 89.43 and claimed the top spot by beating England at Cardiff in a World Cup 2019 warm-up test. In contrast, some countries that have reached a rating of over 90 rating points, such as Australia (91.75) and Ireland (91.17), did not achieve the top spot, although Ireland would eventually reach the top of the summit with a rating of 89.47 following their victory over Wales in a World Cup 2019 warm-up test in Dublin, while Australia still to date have never attained the number 1 ranked position. This is due to the success of New Zealand who had been rated above 90 rating points for a record of 509 weeks and 6 days (from 2 November 2009 to 11 August 2019), which ended following the aforementioned defeat to Australia.
New Zealand also holds the record for the highest rating points amassed by any team, which currently stands at 96.57. England first held the record at 93.99 on the 24 November 2003, following their World Cup win in Australia; however, New Zealand surpassed this on 28 August 2006 with a rating of 94.62, following their Tri Nations victory over South Africa in Pretoria. The All Blacks would go on to push this record further over the years, reaching 95.01 points on the 25 June 2007 after beating South Africa in Durban, 96.10 points after their 2015 World Cup win in England and 96.30 points on 22 August 2016, following their Rugby Championship victory over Australia in Sydney, to its current record of 96.57, which they attained on 10 October 2016 after defeating South Africa in Durban. New Zealand's defeat by Ireland at Soldier Field, Chicago as part of the Autumn International Test Series in November 2016 ended their record streak.
Most and least accumulated ratings Below is a list of the most and least accumulated rating points for each of the nations that have appeared in the Rugby World Cup since the ranking tables were first published on the 6 October 2003:
TeamMostLeastRating pointsDate achievedRating pointsDate achieved 87.45 22 October 2007 73.98 23 June 2014 91.75 26 October 2015 76.50 25 September 2023 73.74 19 September 2011 57.75 21 July 2025 67.59 13 July 2026 53.65 6 February 2017 93.99 24 November 2003 77.79 17 September 2007 81.16 2 October 2023 68.78 26 September 2011 90.59 11 September 2023 77.03 4 February 2019 76.23 20 March 2023 59.82 8 November 2004 93.79 25 September 2023 77.25 16 June 2008 81.09 9 March 2026 69.98 13 October 2003 50.47 15 June 2009 39.06 21 July 2025 82.09 14 October 2019 61.42 3 November 2003 62.98 18 July 2016 54.71 11 September 2006 96.57 10 October 2016 85.78 29 August 2022 72.78 9 October 2023 54.25 21 March 2016 70.71 20 November 2017 59.68 9 February 2026 67.63 15 February 2010 52.06 6 January 2025 80.50 17 June 2013 64.73 20 July 2026 84.78 20 July 2026 72.91 14 November 2005 95.09 14 September 2026 80.63 20 October 2003 69.34 3 February 2020 53.43 29 March 2004 76.80 27 May 2013 62.0425 July 2005 73.62 19 November 2018 63.11 23 June 2008 69.19 24 November 2025 59.37 12 November 2012 89.97 18 March 2019 72.65 7 July 2025 58.80 21 July 2025 44.45 9 July 2007
List of rankings leader
Men's Six national teams have led the world rankings, of which two had a single short stay at that position - Wales for two weeks in 2019, and France for one week in 2022. Either New Zealand or South Africa have led for over 90% of the time, with New Zealand having held no. 1 position for over 60% of the time.
New Zealand have spent over 14 years in the top spot, including a dominant nearly ten-year consecutive stretch from November 2009 to September 2019, highlighted by consecutive World Cup titles in 2011 and 2015 and seven Tri Nations/Rugby Championships. Both of these records (most weeks and most consecutive weeks) at no. 1 are unparalleled, but since relinquishing the top spot to Ireland in September 2019, they have only led for 12 weeks. New Zealand have led the rankings on 10 separate occasions, most recently in August 2026.
South Africa have topped the rankings on nine separate occasions for over six years collectively. They have led the rankings for the over 75% of the time since end of 2019, highlighted by consecutive World Cup titles in 2019 and 2023 and three Tri Nations/Rugby Championships. During this time, their closest challenger has been Ireland, who have led for over 70 weeks in 3 batches, mainly a 65-week consecutive stretch from 2022–2023 and highlighted by a 2022 Tour victory over New Zealand, plus a Grand Slam at the 2023 Six Nations Championship.
England have led for a total of 40 weeks across three stretches; two across 39 of the first 40 weeks of the rankings beginning just prior to their 2003 World Cup victory, followed by a record fifteen-year gap between reigns - the latter a 1-week stint between their semi-final win over New Zealand and final loss to South Africa at the 2019 World Cup.
New Zealand (twice, June 2004 to October 2007 and November 2009 to August 2019), South Africa (November 2019 to September 2021) and Ireland (July 2022 to October 2023) are the only sides to spend at least one-consecutive-year (effectively an entire season) on top of the men's world rankings. TeamStart dateEnd dateWeeks Total weeks8 September 2003 10 November 20039910 November 200317 November 200311 17 November 200314 June 20043039 14 June 200422 October 200717517622 October 20077 July 20083737 7 July 200814 July 20081177 14 July 200818 August 2008542 18 August 200827 July 200949226 27 July 200916 November 20091658 16 November 200919 August 201950973519 August 20192 September 201922 2 September 20199 September 201917369 September 201923 September 201922 23 September 201928 October 20195741 28 October 20194 November 2019140 4 November 201920 September 202198156 20 September 20214 October 20212743 4 October 202111 July 20224019611 July 202218 July 202211 18 July 202216 October 20236567 16 October 202323 September 202449245 23 September 202411 November 2024774 11 November 202418 August 202540285 18 August 202515 September 20254747 15 September 202524 August 202648333 24 August 202631 August 20261748 31 August 20263336
Summary TeamTotal weeksMost consecutiveweeksSeparatereigns748509103369897465340303221111
Current calculation method