10 Best Female Rugby Players of All Time

Rugby may be a challenging sport to get into. Even if you are a fantastic player and have the ideal fitness, you could feel like you are up against a lot of competition since there is so much of it.

Female rugby players have transformed the sport, breaking records and winning awards for their efforts.

Who has ever been the best female rugby player? Women who have proven themselves are included on this long list from many countries.

Nowadays, more women hold this role, balancing the playing field and sometimes outperforming their male counterparts.

Find out more about the great female rugby players and their professional successes here. The best 10 female rugby players in history are listed below.

10 Best Female Rugby Players

Players Name	Country	Current Team
Natasha Hunt	England	Gloucester-Hartpury Women
Portia Woodman	New Zealand	Black Ferns Sevens
Emily Scarratt	England	Loughborough Lightning and England women’s team
Rochelle Clark	England	Saracens
Charlotte Caslick	Australia	Lewis Holland
Katherine Merchant	England	Worcester
Magali Harvey	Canada	Canadian Rugby Union
Cheryl Soon	New Zealand	Unknown
Carol Isherwood	England	Unknown
Anna Richards	New Zealand	Unknown

1. Natasha Hunt

British rugby union player Natasha Hunt is the scrum half for England’s women’s national side. She was born in Gloucester, England, on March 21, 1989.

Natasha started playing rugby when she was 17 and has since become one of the best female rugby players in the world.

In 2014, she was seen worldwide for the first time, and she helped England win several games and trophies.

Natasha Hunt’s Short Profile

Full Name	Natasha Mo Hunt
Date Of Birth	March 21, 1989
Place Of Birth	Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England
Height	5 ft 5 in
Weight	67 kg
Occupations	International Rugby Player & Teacher
Positions	Scrum-half
Current Team	Gloucester-Hartpury Women
Net Worth	$5 Million

 Achievements

Natasha Hunt is undoubtedly one of the most successful women to play rugby in the sport’s history. Since her debut in 2014, she has controlled the women’s game.

2. Portia Woodman

Portia Woodman is one of the top female rugby players and a New Zealand rugby union player. The birth date of the 5’7 rugby union player was July 12, 1991.

She has been playing rugby since she was a teenager and has won many trophies. In 2015, Portia was the world’s best women’s sevens player.

She was on the New Zealand Sevens team in 2016 and scored ten tries, which was the most of anyone in the tournament.

She also played on the New Zealand Sevens team that won gold at the Tokyo Olympics in July 2021.

Portia has been chosen to be on the Black Ferns Sevens team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

In the Sevens Series, Portia was the first woman to score 200 tries in 2022.

Portia Woodman’s Short Profile

Achievements

3. Emily Scarratt

Emily Scarratt is another great rugby player who can’t be denied. She plays center and fullback for the Loughborough Lightning and England Women’s Rugby Union.

The rugby player was born in Leicestershire, England, on February 8, 1990.

In 2013, Emily was named the world’s best women’s rugby player. She also set a record for the total points of an England player in an international competition of over 1,000.

Emily Scarratt’s Short Profile

Achievements

In the 2020 Six Nations, Emily scored the most points for the Red Roses.

Emily is among the best female rugby players because of all these awards and accomplishments.

4. Rochelle Clark

Rochelle Clark used to play rugby union for the English team Saracens. Since her first professional game in 2003, she has been one of the best rugby players in the world for women.

She has played for her country’s national team since 2003, when she was nine. Clark was a great student and athlete; she didn’t have to wait long to get on the field!

Clark is famous for her sports skills. She can do things that most people would find hard and moves quickly, giving her an edge in any game.

She has won seven Six Nations championships and has more international caps than anyone else in England’s history.

Clark is a versatile player who can easily play both the prop position and the hooker position.

Because she is so good at tackling, her teammates have called her a “game-changer.”

Clark also does well in scrums because she has good balance and can hold onto the ball.

 Rochelle Clark’s Short Profile

Achievements

5. Charlotte Caslick

Charlotte Caslick is one of the best-known rugby players in Australia, and she has built a name for herself as one of the best in the world at what she does.

She was born in Brisbane on March 9, 1995, and first played for Australia at age 19.

Charlotte has done many great things, including being named series player of the year at the National Youth Championships 2012.

She has won the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year award for two years.

She is among the most followed athletes on Instagram and Twitter, with over 130,000 people following her.

Charlotte Caslick’s Short Profile

Achievements

6. Katherine Merchant

Katherine Merchant is an English rugby union player. She was born in Brighton, UK, on October 29, 1985.

She played for her country 58 times and scored 44 tries. She then attended Birmingham University and graduated with a BSC in athletics and physical science in 2007.

Katherine is a powerful and flexible player who can play in the middle or on the wing.

Her quickness and flexibility let her make quick, surprising moves that are difficult to defend against, but her size keeps her from being tackled.

She played for England in the Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2010 and was picked for the 2014 team.

Katherine Merchant’s Short Profile

Achievements

7. Magali Harvey

Magali Harvey is one of the world’s best women’s rugby players. She won a gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games.

She began playing rugby when she was 16.

Harvey is a good defender on the field because she is quick and moves well. She can reach the ball before any other player on either team because of her speed and talent.

She is also well known for being able to change the game at any point.

Harvey has also played for her country in the fifteenth. She helped Canada finish second in the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

She won the IRB Women’s Player of the Year award in 2014.

Harvey attended the 2014 Women’s Rugby World Cup to play for Canada. She was the first Canadian to win the IRB Women’s Player of the Year award.

Magali Harvey’s Short Profile

Achievements

8. Cheryl Soon

Cheryl Soon used to play rugby professionally and was one of the best in the world.

She was born in Auckland, New Zealand, on September 23, 1975. Cheryl started playing rugby when she was 16 and has continued to do so ever since.

Cheryl played for the Wallaroos in the 2002 and 2006 Rugby World Cups. She was also on the 2010 Rugby World Cup team that came in third.

At the first Rugby World Cup Sevens in 2009, McAfee led the Australian women’s sevens team to victory. She joined the IRB Rugby Committee in 2012.

Cheryl Soon is one of the top rugby players in the world due to her strength, speed, and adaptability. She is also the best at tackling.

She is a great leader on the field, and her passion and excitement can also excite her teammates.

Cheryl Soon’s Short Profile

Achievements

9. Carol Isherwood

Carol Isherwood used to play rugby union for England and the British Lionesses. Now, she is no longer playing.

She is known for being fast, skilled, and a good leader on the field. She has played rugby since she was fourteen years old. Born in Leigh, Carol participated in hockey and judo before beginning rugby at 20.

She was in charge of the women’s rugby squad and was the first woman in England to get an L3 coaching certificate.

Carol Isherwood is one of the most accomplished women ever playing rugby. She is well-known as a rugby union player and coach.

Carol was not only the captain of the Great Britain team but also in charge of organizing the coaches, the stadium, and the media.

 Carol Isherwood’s Short Profile

Achievements

10. Anna Richards

Many women have been called the best rugby player, but Anna Richards is the best.

Richards was among the first female players to enter the International Rugby Hall of Fame. She leads the Hong Kong women’s sevens team.

While at Canterbury University in New Zealand, she became interested in rugby. Richards was inducted into the Rugby Hall of Fame in 2014 and is still coaching today.

She is the first world-class coach to lead an optimistic Asian team, and her players have improved greatly over the last year.

She played for New Zealand in the World Cup in 1998, 2002, 2006, and 2010. As of January 2023, she is the player development manager for women at Auckland Rugby.

Anna Richards Short Profile

Achievements

Women who play rugby are some of the toughest and best athletes in the world. They always do their best to give us something to strive for.

These 10 women were chosen because of their accomplishments, talent, and popularity in the sport.

Each of them has something special that makes them not only great athletes but also great people.

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about these amazing women, and we can’t wait to see what new talent emerges!