Best Female Rugby Players of All Time: Union & Sevens

The best female rugby players of all time include Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, the all-time leading Sevens try-scorer with two Olympic golds; Sarah Hunter, England’s most-capped player and a World Cup-winning captain; and Emily Scarratt, England’s record points-scorer. Across 15s and Sevens, New Zealand and England have produced the most decorated names, with rising stars like Ellie Kildunne now leading a new era.

What makes a great female rugby player

Greatness in women’s rugby spans two distinct formats. Rugby Union (15s) demands endurance, set-piece mastery, tactical reading, and leadership across 80 minutes and the Six Nations and World Cup stages. Rugby Sevens rewards explosive pace and footwork under pressure, most visibly on the Olympic stage.

The players who last across multiple World Cups or Olympic cycles tend to share a few traits: consistency at the highest level, versatility across positions or even formats, and the ability to lift the players around them. The names below are broadly recognised by coaches, commentators, and governing bodies as among the most impactful in the history of the women’s game.

The all-time greats

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (New Zealand, wing). Regarded as the greatest try-scorer in women’s rugby, Woodman-Wickliffe became the first woman to reach 250 tries on the World Rugby Sevens Series in May 2024. She won Olympic sevens gold at Rio 2016 and Paris 2024 and was a Rugby World Cup winner in the 15-a-side game, making her the rare star who dominated both formats.

Sarah Hunter (England, No. 8/flanker). England’s most-capped player ever with 141 Tests, Hunter captained the Red Roses to the 2014 World Cup title and reached four World Cup finals across a career spanning nine Grand Slams. She retired in 2023 after a farewell Test in her hometown of Newcastle and now serves as England’s defence coach.

Emily Scarratt (England, centre). England’s all-time leading points-scorer with more than 700 international points, Scarratt was player of the match in the 2014 World Cup final and, in 2025, became the first English player of either gender to feature at five World Cups. Her versatility across centre and full-back made her a fixture for over a decade.

Magali Harvey (Canada, fly-half). World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year in 2014, Harvey was long considered one of the finest playmakers in the women’s game. Her goal-kicking and creativity at fly-half across both 15s and Sevens helped establish Canada as a genuine top-tier nation.

Fiao’o Fa’amausili (New Zealand, hooker). A former Black Ferns captain and multiple World Cup winner, Fa’amausili was a pioneer of the modern professional era. Her leadership and set-piece work anchored New Zealand packs through a golden run of tournaments.

Michaela Blyde (New Zealand, wing). A two-time World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, Blyde carried New Zealand’s clinical wide play forward as Woodman-Wickliffe shifted toward 15s, adding Olympic and World Series honours of her own.

At a glance: the greats compared

Player	Country	Primary Format	Position	Known For
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe	New Zealand	Sevens / Union	Wing	First woman to 250 Sevens Series tries; Olympic gold 2016 & 2024
Sarah Hunter	England	Union (15s)	No. 8 / Flanker	England’s most-capped player (141); 2014 World Cup-winning captain
Emily Scarratt	England	Union (15s)	Centre	England’s record points-scorer; first English player at five World Cups
Magali Harvey	Canada	Union / Sevens	Fly-half	2014 World Rugby Player of the Year; elite playmaker
Fiao’o Fa’amausili	New Zealand	Union (15s)	Hooker	Black Ferns captain; multiple World Cup titles
Michaela Blyde	New Zealand	Sevens	Wing	Two-time World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year
Ellie Kildunne	England	Union (15s)	Full-back	2024 World Rugby 15s Player of the Year; 2025 World Cup winner

The modern era: 2024–2026

The women’s game has entered a new peak. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, New Zealand won back-to-back sevens gold, beating Canada 19-12 in a final that doubled as Woodman-Wickliffe’s send-off from the Sevens circuit.

The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, held in England, reset the sport’s ceiling. The Red Roses beat Canada 33-13 at a packed Twickenham to lift their first world title since 2014, in front of a record 82,000-strong crowd. The Black Ferns, six-time champions, fell to Canada in the semi-finals but claimed bronze, while Woodman-Wickliffe returned from retirement for a final farewell.

Leading this era is Ellie Kildunne, the England full-back named World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year for 2024 after scoring 14 tries in 10 Tests. She scored in the 2025 final and, alongside teammates like Meg Jones and Hannah Botterman, represents the generation now defining the sport as of 2026.

What the next generation is building on

These players helped turn women’s rugby from a sport with limited professional infrastructure into one with real broadcast deals, professional leagues like England’s PWR, and Olympic prominence. Their careers offer a clear blueprint: physical excellence, longevity, and a willingness to compete across formats.

Competition is rising fast in France, Australia, the USA, and South Africa, and Canada’s run to the 2025 final showed the gap at the top is narrowing. With the sport’s records now falling every cycle, this list of the greatest female rugby players is far from finished.