13 Ireland stars selected in new expert-picked ‘Top 100’ list of the best men’s rugby players
Thirteen Irish rugby players have been chosen in a new ranking of the best men's players of 2025 by rugby news site RugbyPass.
The 'RugbyPass Top 100’ - an annual list which is curated by a global panel of the site’s experts and journalists - first launched in 2024, where 14 Ireland players also featured, but the 2025 listings have seen intriguing placements for the Irish contingent.
The total is just short of last year’s Top 100 with lock Tadhg Beirne (14th), being the highest ranked Ireland star in the list - reflecting his strong performances in the Six Nations and British & Irish Lions tour to Australia. Scrum half, Jamieson Gibson-Park, placed 16th, followed by Ireland captain Caelan Doris in 18th - which is down from 8th last year - and Dan Sheehan following closely in 19th.
Further down the rankings, Joe McCarthy placed 33rd, with winger James Lowe at 44th. In 62nd is prop, Andrew Porter, while centre, Gary Ringrose, places 68th followed closely by Josh Van Der Flier (72). Stalwarts of Ireland’s backline, Hugo Keenan (74), Bundee Aki (80) and Mack Hansen (96) also make the 100, with prop, Tadhg Furlong, placing 99th.
Rugby writer and journalist Pat McCarry had this to say about the inclusion of Ireland’s highest placed player, Tadhg Beirne, in this year’s Top 100:
“The Munster captain put in a host of 80+ minute, tank-emptying efforts for club and country this year. Was a turnover machine as Munster stunned La Rochelle in France in the Champions Cup. Scored a vital try in Ireland’s Six Nations win over England and showed his versatility with Lions starts at blindside and lock.
“When Andy Farrell named Beirne as captain for two warm-up games in Australia, it looked as if he was being softened for the tough call of missing the Tests. Not so. Beirne started all three Tests, secured huge breakdown turnovers and scored a vital try, late in the Second Test victory. Won Player of the Series, and deservedly so.”
Ireland’s 13 listed players is joint first with England for represented Northern Hemisphere nations, reflecting the strength of the side in recent years, However, this year saw the side finish a disappointing third in the Six Nations and saw defeats to the All Blacks and the Springboks in the recently concluded Autumn Nations Series. However, the side did have the most players (15) in the squad for this year’s successful Lions Tour of Australia.
The other key points from the 2025 RugbyPass Top 100 were that Springboks star, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was named the panel’s number one, knocking France legend, Antoine Dupont (2nd), off top spot. In total six Springboks make the top ten with Pieter-Steph du Toit (3rd), Malcolm Marx (4th), RG Snyman (6th), Thomas du Toit (7th) and Eben Etzebeth (9th). Ardie Savea was the highest placed All Black (5th), with France’s Louis Bielle-Biarrey in 8th. Across the full Top 100, Leinster also had the largest club representation, with 12 players on the side’s roster making the list.