Who Is the Best Women's Rugby Player in the World? (2026 Edition)
Women's rugby has never been bigger. Rugby World Cup 2025 shattered attendance records at Allianz Stadium, the Red Roses lifted the trophy in front of 81,885 fans, and a new generation of world-class talent announced itself on the biggest stage the women's game has ever seen.
So in April 2026 — post-World Cup, post-awards, and with a fresh international cycle underway — who is actually the best women's rugby player in the world right now?
This isn't a legacy list. It's a ranking based on current form, World Rugby's 2025 awards, RWC 2025 performances, and who's shaping the game today.
3. Jorja Miller, New Zealand
Jorja Miller is the most exciting talent in women's rugby, full stop.
Crowned Women's SVNS Player of the Year in May 2025, Miller then made a seamless switch from Sevens to 15s flanker at Rugby World Cup 2025 — scoring five tries in six tests, including two doubles during the tournament. She was nominated for World Rugby Women's 15s Player of the Year 2025 alongside the eventual winner.
Regarded by some inside the game as a "once in a generation talent", Miller combines highland-dancing footwork with brutal collision ability. She's 21. She's already the best back-row option in the Black Ferns squad. And she's only getting started on a run that will take her to Australia 2029 in peak years.
Miller is the player every coach in the world wishes they had.
2. Ellie Kildunne, England
Ellie Kildunne was World Rugby Women's 15s Player of the Year in 2024 — and the case for her holding the crown into 2026 is strong.
In 2025, she captained England through a seventh consecutive Women's Six Nations title, scored a hat-trick on her 50th cap against Wales, and was instrumental in the Red Roses lifting the Rugby World Cup on home soil. Her try against Canada in the RWC 2025 final was one of the moments of the tournament.
Off the pitch, Kildunne has become the most recognisable face in women's rugby globally. She finished runner-up in the 2025 BBC Sports Personality of the Year — the first female rugby player ever nominated, and the first English rugby player to make the top three since Jonny Wilkinson and Jason Robinson in 2007.
Blazing pace, fearless attacking instincts, and a knack for big moments on big occasions. Kildunne is the face of new rugby.
1. Sophie de Goede, Canada — The Best Women's Rugby Player in the World Right Now
Sophie de Goede is the 2025 World Rugby Women's 15s Player of the Year — and she's earned the title the hard way.
Returning from a 13-month ACL injury in July 2025, de Goede didn't just return to form — she redefined what a forward can do in women's rugby. Despite playing as a second-row, she finished Rugby World Cup 2025 as the third-highest points scorer in the tournament (61 points), slotting 20 conversions and two penalties with the boot alongside three tries.
She topped the RWC 2025 charts for carries, offloads, and lineout takes. She was named Player of the Match twice, including the quarter-final win over Australia and the historic semi-final victory over New Zealand. She captained Canada to their first World Cup final since 2014.
A goal-kicking lock is a rarity. A goal-kicking lock who carries, offloads, and leads from the front for 80 minutes is a phenomenon.
Sophie de Goede is the best women's rugby player in the world right now.
The women's game has never been stronger
What makes this list harder than ever is that there are a dozen players we could easily have named. Braxton Sorensen-McGee scored 11 tries in six RWC 2025 appearances at just 18. Renee Holmes finished as the tournament's second-highest points scorer. Megan Jones, Maddison Levi, Abbie Ward, Alex Matthews, Jorja Miller — the depth in 2026 is astonishing.
This is the most exciting era women's rugby has ever seen. And at W RUGBY, we're here to grow it.
Grow women's rugby with us
Every W RUGBY ball you buy sends one free to a grassroots club — and we're particularly proud of the women's and girls' teams joining the Won for Won™ family every month. One game. One standard. One ball.
