Jonah Lomu
Bryan Habana
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Bryan Habana leads 2 of 3 categories. Our all-time ranking places Jonah Lomu at #4 and Bryan Habana at #8.
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The case for Jonah Lomu
The player who made rugby a global commercial phenomenon and redefined what a wing could be. At the 1995 World Cup, an unstoppable 19-stone 20-year-old ran through the world's best defences, scoring four tries in the semi-final demolition of England and terrorising every opponent with a blend of sprinter's pace and prop's power never seen before. Lomu scored 37 tries in 63 Tests and holds the record, shared with Bryan Habana, for most World Cup tries with 15 across the 1995 and 1999 tournaments. He never won the World Cup — New Zealand lost the 1995 final to South Africa — and a rare kidney disorder eventually cut short his career and, tragically, his life at 40. But his impact transcended silverware: he was rugby's first true superstar, the man who proved the professional game could sell out stadiums and captivate audiences far beyond its traditional heartlands.
The case for Bryan Habana
The fastest and most prolific wing of his era, and a World Cup winner who chased down the sport's records. Habana was central to South Africa's 2007 title, finishing as the tournament's top scorer with eight tries and being named World Rugby Player of the Year that year. He scored 67 tries in 124 Tests — a South African record and second only to Daisuke Ohata on the all-time international list — and equalled Jonah Lomu's record of 15 World Cup tries across three tournaments. Blessed with genuine track sprinter's pace, he once raced a cheetah for charity, but he paired that speed with a superb positional and aerial game and relentless work rate in defence and kick-chase. Durable across more than a decade at the top and decisive on the biggest stage, he is the benchmark modern finisher and one of the greatest wings the game has seen.