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Jonah Lomu and Bryan Habana among newly-inducted RugbyPass Hall of Fame wings

By Sam Smith
Bryan Habana of the Springboks and Jonah Lomu of the All Blacks are two of the greatest wingers to play the game. (Photos by Getty Images)

The 11th wave of inductees into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame have been revealed as the finest left wings ever to grace the game were recognised on Monday.

Home to the greatest rugby players of all-time, the RugbyPass Hall of Fame acknowledges and recognises the outstanding efforts of the trailblazers from the amateur era through to the global stars who light up the sport to this day.

The amalgamation of rugby’s top players from the amateur and professional eras has been reflected in the RugbyPass Hall of Fame’s first-ever induction announcement, from which 14 of rugby’s best left wings have been unveiled as inductees.

Among the headline names inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame include World Cup-winning speedsters Chester Williams, Bryan Habana and Julian Savea, each of whom lifted the Webb Ellis Cup with the Springboks and All Blacks in 1995, 2007 and 2015, respectively.

In addition to his world-beating exploits, Habana finished his career as one of the most-prolific try-scorers in the history of international rugby, scoring 67 tries in 124 test matches for South Africa.

Furthermore, the 38-year-old was crowned World Rugby Player of the Year in 2007 and shares the record for most tries scored in World Cup history with 15 to his name.

That feat was also achieved by the late All Blacks great Jonah Lomu, who is widely-regarded as the first and only genuine global superstar the sport of rugby has ever produced.

Lomu joins Savea, who still holds the best strike rate of any veteran All Black with 46 tries in 54 tests, as two of three New Zealanders among the new inductees, with the other being another try-scoring machine in the form of Joe Rokocoko.

A great of the New Zealand game, Rokocoko still holds the record for most test tries in a single season when he scored 17 times in his debut campaign in 2003.

Habana and Williams, meanwhile, are the only two South African players included in the new wave of RugbyPass Hall of Fame inductees, with Habana joined by Welsh great Shane Williams as the only new admissions to have won World Rugby Player of the Year.

Williams claimed the award the year after Habana and sits two places below the ex-Springbok as the fourth-highest try-scorer in test rugby history with 60 tries in 91 tests.

The 44-year-old is one of three Welshmen inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame alongside current Wales international George North and former flyer Gerald Davies.

Elsewhere, Fiji icons Rupeni Caucaunibuca and Nemani Nadolo have joined countryman Leone Nakarawa in the RugbyPass Hall of Fame, while Manu Samoa legend Alesana Tuilagi becomes the second Samoan inductee after hooker Trevor Leota.

Former Wallabies wings Lote Tuqiri and Joe Roff have also been included, as has the late French great Christophe Dominici.

Of all those included in the RugbyPass Hall of Fame, only the players with the most votes in each position will make the Fan 1st XV, a team made up of only the best players ever to have played rugby.

The door remains open for other players to become RugbyPass Hall of Famers, so register now to have your say and vote for your favourite inductee in the Fan 1st XV.

Current RugbyPass Hall of Fame Fan 1st XV

1. Os du Randt (South Africa, 1994-2007)

2. Sean Fitzpatrick (New Zealand, 1986-1997)

3. Owen Franks (New Zealand, 2009-2019)

4. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa, 2012-present)

5. Victor Matfield (South Africa, 2001-2015)

6. Jerome Kaino (New Zealand, 2004-2017)

7. Richie McCaw (New Zealand, 2001-2015)

8. Mamuka Gorgodze (Georgia, 2003-2019)

9. Aaron Smith (New Zealand, 2012-present)

10. Dan Carter (New Zealand, 2003-2015)

11. Induction 13.12.20221

12. Induction 14.12.2021

13. Induction 15.12.2021

14. Induction 16.12.2021

15. Induction 17.12.2021

Coach: 20.12.2021

Referee: 21.12.2021

Stadium: 22.12.2021