Dupont the GOAT, Roigard and Pollock rise: Bold Top 100 2026 predictions

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was crowned the world’s best by RugbyPass journalists in the 2025 Top 100. 2024 winner Antoine Dupont dropped down one place after spending most of the calendar year on the sidelines.

With the Springboks taking out their second consecutive Rugby Championship crown, it should come as little surprise that the two-time defending Rugby World Cup winners dominate this year’s Top 100 with 17 selections.

The All Blacks were well-represented as well, while both England and Ireland had 13 players selected. Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Dupont were the top two ranked of France’s 10 representatives, and eight Wallabies were chosen.

There’s a lot of rugby to be played between now and the RugbyPass Top 100 in 2026, but here are some bold predictions to look back on in 12 months’ time.

Antoine Dupont reignites the GOAT debate

Antoine Dupont might be the greatest rugby player the world has ever seen. In 2024, Dupont won the Top 14 and Champions Cup with European juggernauts Toulouse, and in sevens helped France win the overall HSBC SVNS Series title and Olympic gold at the Paris Games.

World Rugby crowned Dupont the Sevens Player of the Year at the sport’s night of nights, and RugbyPass recognised the Frenchman as the world’s best as well. Dupont claimed top spot in the Top 100 before dropping down one place in the 2025 list.

It’s quite incredible that Dupont retained a spot amongst the sport’s very best, considering the dynamic scrum-half spent most of the year on the sidelines. The 29-year-old was injured against Ireland in the Six Nations and has only just returned to competitive rugby.

Dupont was named in Toulouse’s starting side to face Glasgow Warriors last weekend, the first time wearing the No. 9 jersey since suffering a knee injury in Dublin. It only took Dupont six and a half minutes to score a try in this milestone match – a sign of things to come in 2025/26.

Toulouse are currently equal-first on competition points with Pau in the Top 14 standings. Les Bleus also have a formidably stacked squad and can be expected to challenge for the Six Nations and Nations Championship titles, with Dupont leading that charge.

When Dupont is named the number one player in the 2026 Top 100, the ‘GOAT’ debate will once again be a fierce topic of discussion. Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, Jonah Lomu and Jonny Wilkinson are other contenders, but Dupont’s case will be strengthened yet again.

Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry will decide who tops Top 100 2026

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu dethroned Dupont in the 2025 Top 100, but expect the two to at least swap places next year. At just 23, Feinberg-Mngomezulu has already been tipped by some to eventually become the greatest Springbok of all time.

But 2026 will be a massive challenge.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu has only started two matches against the All Blacks, with the most recent of those appearances coming in Wellington earlier this year. The Springboks fly-half left the match in the 18^th minute, before the visitors ran away with a record-setting win.

If the Boks sweep the All Blacks in Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry with Feinberg-Mngomezulu at 10, then of course the 23-year-old should retain top spot. But it seems unlikely the All Blacks won’t win any of those four Tests, let alone challenge for the Freedom Cup.

The closely contested nature of the series will see Feinberg-Mngomezulu move down one or two places. That said, there’s absolutely no doubt that Feinberg-Mngomezulu is the best fly-half in the world right now.

Cam Roigard moves into the top five

For the All Blacks to be successful during their tour of South Africa, some players will need to step up against the Springboks. All Blacks like Cam Roigard and Ardie Savea need to be ranked in the top 10 at the very least in the Top 100 2026.

Roigard is a generational talent. The scrum-half debuted at international level ahead of Men’s Rugby World Cup 2023 in France, and was quickly identified as the heir to the throne occupied by Aaron Smith as the All Blacks’ first-choice No. 9.

With Smith retiring from Test duty after the World Cup, Roigard was widely tipped to start under incoming coach Scott Robertson. Injuries have stalled Roigard’s Test campaigns, but that hasn’t stopped fans and journalists from rating the New Zealander among the sport’s very elite.

The halfback was ranked 21^st in 2025, moving up a staggering 51 places after a career-best season in the black jersey. Wallabies centre Len Ikitau was the only other player who surged up more places than Roigard, rising 66 spots in the rankings.

Roigard did that in only seven international appearances in 2025.

The 25-year-old’s best performance came against the Wallabies at Eden Park, scoring two crucial tries in the hard-fought triumph. However, the New Zealander did miss both matches against the touring Springboks.

Looking ahead to next year, if the All Blacks win back the Freedom Cup, Roigard will be a large reason why.

If the All Blacks challenge for both the Freedom Cup and Nations Championship, and Roigard remains injury-free for an entire season, the No. 9 will be a top-five player in the Top 100. Ardie Savea will also be in that top-10 mix, currently ranked fifth.

Henry Pollock continues to walk the walk

Henry Pollock hasn’t started a match for England, but that appears destined to change in 2026. At just 20 years of age, Pollock has already scored a double on debut against Wales and toured Australia with the British & Irish Lions.

Pollock is one of the most recognisable and talked about rugby players in the world. We can focus on viral try celebrations, ambitious kick and chases, or how he faced the haka before a win over the All Blacks, but the point remains: the loose forward isn’t lacking in confidence.

In the Quilter Nations Series, Pollock scored a try against the Wallabies at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium and helped close out a memorable win over the All Blacks. Pollock is delivering on the field, earning the right to back it up however he sees fit.

That self-belief can only be a good thing for Pollock, who will be ready when and if Steve Borthwich opts to start the backrower. Pollock was new to the Top 100 in 2025, ranked 47^th in the world, and it seems inevitable that the Englishman will improve on that position.

At the very least, Pollock will be a top 20 player in 2026.

Don’t forget about Richie Mo’unga

One of the All Blacks who dropped out of the Top 100 was Richie Mo’unga, who is still playing rugby in Japan with Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo. Mo’unga received Player of the Final honours in last season’s big dance, winning another club title.

It’s been two years since Mo’unga last played in the Rugby World Cup final, but the first-five eighth will be back in black in 2026. Mo’unga has signed on with New Zealand Rugby and the Crusaders from 2027, but will be eligible for the All Blacks late next year.

Mo’unga should be back steering the All Blacks’ attack as their first-choice playmaker during the latter rounds of the Nations Championship. Even if New Zealand wins that competition, it probably won’t be enough to see the 31-year-old make the top 20 in the RugbyPass list.

But if Mo’unga does indeed return to New Zealand’s starting lineup regularly – which seems likely under former Crusaders coach Scott Robertson – then a spot in the top 40 seems like a sensible prediction, and almost obvious.

Wallabies flyer one of the big winners

Wallabies centre Len Ikitau was the biggest mover up in the 2025 Top 100, rising 66 spots after a career-best season at Test level. Ikitau was named the John Eales Medallist, having combined well with Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in the midfield.

Ikitau has been ranked 29^th in the world, and the midfielder certainly has the potential to improve on that position in 2026.

If we look ahead to next December, the big winner from the Top 100 will be Max Jorgensen, who has what it takes to become a top 40 player.

Jorgensen is a new addition to the Top 100, ranked 91^st. The outside back made a team-high seven line breaks during the Lions Series and crossed for two tries in those three highly anticipated fixtures.

With Tom Wright suffering an injury during The Rugby Championship, Jorgensen moved to fullback against the All Blacks. The 22-year-old didn’t look out of place out the back, and that versatility will be invaluable to the Wallabies leading into their home World Cup in 2027.

Jorgensen scored another try against France during the Quilter Nations Series and is unlucky not to have been ranked higher in the Top 100 2025. If the Wallabies build on the good signs they showed this year, then Jorgensen will be the world’s most improved player in the Top 100 2026.