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Six World Cup winners among new No 8s inducted into RugbyPass Hall of Fame
By Sam Smith
The eighth wave of inductees into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame have been revealed as the finest No 8s ever to grace the game were recognised on Wednesday.
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 12 of rugby’s best No 8s have been unveiled as inductees.
Among the headline names inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame include World Cup-winning All Blacks trio Kieran Read, Zinzan Brooke and Sir Wayne 'Buck' Shelford.
Read was part of both All Blacks squads that lifted the Webb Ellis Cup on back-to-back occasions in 2011 and 2015, while Brooke and Shelford were both part of New Zealand's successful 1987 World Cup squad.
There is also a fourth New Zealander included in the new wave of inductees, with Read's All Blacks predecessor Rodney So'oialo also gaining entry into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame.
The Springboks are also represented by a pair of World Cup winners in the form of South Africa's current No 8 Duane Vermeulen and former star Bobby Skinstad, both of whom became world champions in 2019 and 2007, respectively.
A third Springboks No 8, Pierre Spies, is also among the fresh cohort of inductees, while England icon Lawrence Dallaglio is another world title-winner to be admitted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame after playing a key role in his side's success in 2003.
Other inductees include French cult hero Sebastien Chabal, recently-retired Italy legend Sergio Parisse, Welsh great Scott Quinnell and Mamuka Gorgodze, who becomes Georgia's first inductee into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame.
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. Zinzan Brooke (New Zealand, 1987-1997)
9. Induction 09.12.2021
10. Induction 10.12.2021
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
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Latest Comments
The grandparent rule is a joke, it’s one generation too far.
And the residency rule should be extended to 7 years. I have no issue with a youth who moved to a new country and was developed as a player by his adopted country playing for that country after 7 year’s residency. He would still be 25 or younger when eligible and just entering his prime.
Additionally If you play U20 for a national team then that country developed you, paid for your development ,and should capture your international eligibility.
But this will never happen as Ireland, Scotland, and Wales would not be competitive if they could not bolster their national teams with Kiwis, South Africans, and Aussies.
Go to commentsWe had this conversation a year ago Nick, where I remember showing that throughout 2023 there was a pretty direct correlation between how much England kicked and how well they played. England had two decent performances in the WC kicking everything and defending, and they didn't play that way for the rest of 2023. In fact, England's worst games in 2023 came with Marcus Smith at 10.
A year ago I favoured England building on the gameplan that worked against Argentina and SA, with just minor adjustments. They didn't. They threw it away completely and went to an Irish style attack in the 2024 six nations. That went badly for the first few games, but came good in the end. At the end of the 6N I thought England should build on that gameplan with just minor adjustments. They didn't. They threw it away completely and went over to a Labit/Quins style attack for the rest of 2024 and it has been an unmitigated disaster. I think the personnel England have available are best suited for a return to the Irish style system, with the kick-heavy tactics retained as a backup.
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