List of rugby union Test caps leaders

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. [cite book |title= SANZAR Saga - Ten Years of Super 12 and Tri-Nations Rugby |last=Howitt |first=Bob |year=2005 |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=1-86950-566-2 |pages=p. 8 ]
* Of the 18 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, six 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 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, [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/7083267.stm |title=France star Pelous calls it quits |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2007-11-07 |accessdate=2008-02-05] Stephen Larkham, Alessandro Troncon, and Raphaël Ibañez. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/7181236.stm |title=France's Ibanez quits Test rugby |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2008-01-10 |accessdate=2008-02-05]
** 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.cite news|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/rugby/article2936978.ece |title=South Africa run Wales into submission |publisher="The Sunday Times" |date=2007-11-25 |accessdate=2008-02-08] Although he has yet to announce his international retirement, he was not named to the Wales squad for the 2008 Six Nations.cite news|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/15012008/58/six-nations-gatland-revolution-under-way.html |title=Six Nations - Gatland revolution under way |publisher=Eurosport |date=2008-01-15 |accessdate=2008-02-05]
** 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. [cite web|url=http://www.wru.co.uk/41_15897.php |title=Wales battle but are defeated by world champions |publisher=Welsh Rugby Union |date=2007-11-24 |accessdate=2007-11-24] However, he also was not selected for the 2008 Six Nations squad.
* Only two players on this list have appeared in a Test in 2008. Malcolm O'Kelly of Ireland played in two 2008 Six Nations matches, and Percy Montgomery was named to the Springboks for both the mid-year Tests and Tri Nations squads,cite web|url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/includes/profiles.asp?Job=Squads&id=18405 |title=Squads: Percival Colin Montgomery |publisher=South African Rugby Union |accessdate=2008-08-16] and joined the exclusive 100-cap club against the All Blacks on August 16. Montgomery announced his international retirement on August 30 immediately after the Boks' win over Australia in their final 2008 Tri Nations match.cite news|url=http://www.sarugby.co.za/default.asp?des=article&id=267884 |title=Percy Montgomery retires |publisher=South African Rugby Union |date=2008-08-30 |accessdate=2008-08-30]

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.cite web|url=http://www.ffr.fr/index.php/equipes_de_france/xv_de_france/tous_les_joueurs/magne_olivier_19730411 |title=Tous les joueurs - MAGNE Olivier |publisher=French Rugby Federation |language=French |accessdate=2008-02-05]

ee also

* List of leading Rugby union Test try scorers
* List of leading Rugby union Test point scorers
* List of top English points scorers and try scorers

References

External links

* [http://www.scrum.com/1200_1205.php#rd1965 Scrum.com]