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view of this list reveals several interesting patterns.
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This is a list of the all-time leaders for caps in men's rugby union Test matches, with a minimum of 90 confirmed Test caps. A Test is a game played between played two national representative teams that both have "Test status".
Players who are still active at international level, or who have not yet announced international retirement, are in bold. Players who have retired from international rugby but are still active at club level are in italics.
The list
Patterns
A review of this list reveals several interesting patterns. Many of them focus on the date of August 26 1995, when the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board, declared the game "open" to professionalism.
- Of the 23 players known to have earned 90 or more caps, only five—Philippe Sella and Serge Blanco of France, David Campese of Australia, Sean Fitzpatrick of New Zealand, and Rory Underwood of England and the Lions—were primarily active in the sport's amateur era. Only Blanco and Sella played Tests exclusively in the amateur era; Sella's final Test was in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, two months before the sport went professional. Sella's career neatly bookends that of the man who broke his record for France caps, Fabien Pelous; the latter's first cap was in October 1995.
- Including Pelous, 10 players on this list have played Tests exclusively in the professional era. Gareth Thomas also debuted in 1995; however, unlike Pelous, he made his first appearance in the amateur era, making his Test debut in the 1995 World Cup. Two more debuted in 1994 and one in 1993.
- Seven of these players made their last Test appearance in 2007, with six of them making their last Test appearance at the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
- Five players announced their international retirement either before or shortly after the World Cup, and made their last appearance in that tournament. In descending order of caps, they are George Gregan, Fabien Pelous, Stephen Larkham, Alessandro Troncon, and Raphaël Ibañez. (As of February 2009, all except Ibañez remain active at club level.)
- Gareth Thomas made his last appearance to date in the pool stage of the Rugby World Cup; he did not play in Wales' post-World Cup Test against South Africa. Although he has yet to announce his international retirement, he was not named to the Wales squad for the 2008 Six Nations.
- Colin Charvis also played for Wales in the World Cup, but played in the following South Africa Test, and set the all-time record for career Test tries by a forward in that match. However, he also was not selected for the 2008 Six Nations squad.
- Five players have so far appeared in a 2009 Test, and a sixth is currently playing Super 14 while awaiting his country's first 2009 Test.
- Brian O'Driscoll is Ireland's captain in the 2009 Six Nations.
- John Hayes has started alongside O'Driscoll in all three of Ireland's Six Nations matches.
- Their countryman Malcolm O'Kelly made his first 2009 appearance in Round 2 of the 2009 Six Nations against Italy. However, he was not named to the squad for their Round 3 match against England.
- Scotland's Chris Paterson has played in all of his country's 2009 Six Nations matches.
- Ronan O'Gara, also of Ireland, reached the 90-cap milestone against Italy in the 2009 Six Nations.
- George Smith of Australia was named the John Eales Medallist for the 2007-08 Australian season. This award is given to the top Australian Test player of the season, as voted on by the Wallabies themselves. He remained a regular through the Wallabies' end-of-year Tests. Australia will not play a 2009 Test until the mid-year series.
Note
- Although the official site of the French Rugby Federation lists Olivier Magne with 90 caps, this is apparently in error. One of his Test appearances, a 1999 match against Wales, is counted twice in the list.
See also
External links
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