RugbyPass' Top 50 Players for Super Rugby Pacific 2026: 50-41

To celebrate the launch of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season, RugbyPass has put together the inaugural top 50 list to predict the best players in Super Rugby Pacific for the 2026 season.

The list, compiled by the Australasian RugbyPass writers, considers recent form and achievements only at Super Rugby Pacific level to predict who will shine in the upcoming 2026 season. With over 450 players contracted to squads across Super Rugby Pacific, the Top 50 is the best of the best.

New Zealand teams produced 33 selections on the list, Australia have 12 and the two Pacific teams have five players. The most selections come from the Chiefs, with 10, with the Hurricanes a close second with eight, and the Crusaders in third with seven selections.

The Super Rugby Pacific Top 50 for 2026 starts with the players ranked 50-41 below.

50. Charlie Gamble (Waratahs, Openside)
Coming in at number 50 is Waratahs openside flanker Charlie Gamble. Considered Behind Fraser McReight and Carlo Tizzano in the Wallabies pecking order doesn’t diminish Gamble’s ability and impact at Super Rugby level. He destroyed the British & Irish Lions at the breakdown for the First Nations & Pasifika side, winning four turnovers and being named player of the match. The 29-year-old had eight turnovers won for the Tahs in 2025, below his mark of 14 the year before, but rated above nearly all other players in ruck arrival effectiveness and tackle completion.

49. Ponipate Loganimasi (Fijian Drua, Winger)
The Drua’s new weapon arrived on the Super Rugby scene last season having already been capped for Fiji, with one appearance during the 2024 Pacific Nations Cup. His rookie Super season featured six tries on the edge for the Drua. He finished top five in line breaks with 19, and top 10 in running metres as a result of those breaks with 1,024. Although a late bloomer by Super Rugby standards, the 27-year-old will no doubt be sleeper fantasy pick for his top end production.

48. Harry Potter (Western Force, Winger)
Harry had the magic out West last season, leading to a starting role for the Wallabies under Joe Schmidt for the British & Irish Lions Test series. Unfortunately injury in the second Test cut Potter’s series short, but he will be back again to push for more international honours. He finished second in the entire competition in line breaks with 20, and fifth overall in defenders beaten with 47. That’s no mean feat, besting the likes of All Blacks Leroy Carter and Will Jordan.

47. Elia Canakaivata (Fijian Drua, No.8)
The Drua veteran made the switch to 15s in 2023 and has been a mainstay of the Drua team since. The 29-year-old has 40 caps in his three seasons in blue. Canakaivata is carrying machine, finishing 10th overall with 158 last season, up from 109 the year before. He added four tries and six turnovers won to his season total. He’s a lineout option and can cover openside, making Canakaivata a versatile piece in the Drua back row.

46. Carter Gordon (Queensland Reds, Flyhalf)
The 25-year-old returns to Super Rugby in 2026 after nearly two years out of the game pursuing an NRL career. Gordon’s best form in union came in 2023, when piloting the attack for the Rebels he had seven tries, seven try assists and 12 line breaks as a triple threat 10. That form led to a call-up with the Wallabies, where a whirlwind 2023 international season ended with heartbreak at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Still so young in age, Gordon’s return sets the Reds up for success with injury clouds over Tom Lynagh. He could propel himself back into the Wallabies mix once again.

45. Dalton Papali’i (Blues, Openside)
Papali’i has been a tackling machine for the Blues for years, forming a formidable back row with Hoskins Sotutu and Akira Ioane through the 2020s. The Blues title win in 2024 was the pinnacle of this era of Blues rugby and when Papali’i was at his best making over 200 tackles in the season. In 2025 he played a lot less, 490 minutes as injuries struck. Papali’i’s All Black career hit turbulence under Scott Robertson also over the last two seasons, falling down the pecking order behind a crowded loose forward group. 2026 shapes as a big year for the Blues No.7.

44. Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens (Highlanders, Fullback)
2024 was Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens breakout season in Super Rugby after making a switch from the Blues to the Highlanders. He produced a stellar showing against Moana Pasifika which had tounges wagging, before finishing with eight tries and six try assists on the year. His 2025 was disrupted by injury and he didn’t reach the heights of the season before, but the Highlanders continue to stack talent around Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens. Caleb Tangitau was a star in 2025, while Xavier Tito-Harris and Stanley Solomon have been added to the group this year. The 24-year-old is ready to light up Super Rugby on the end of the Landers backline and return to his 2024 form.

43. Fletcher Newell (Crusaders, Tighthead Prop)
Newell is one of two tighthead props to make the Top 50 in 2026. The All Black is already a three-time Super Rugby Pacific champion (2022, 2023 and 2025) anchoring an All Black front row at the Crusaders. Newell has always excited since his debut in 2021, with his unique size and power showing highlight plays in the carry game. At 25-years-old, he’s still very green for a prop which is scary for opponents who will have to scrum against Newell for years to come.

42. Luke Jacobson (Chiefs, No.8)
Jacobson has been a mainstay of the Chiefs backrow since his debut in 2018, quickly rising to All Black honours by 2019. While he has been in-and-out of the All Black side during his career, Jacobson has powered the Chiefs across multiple back row positions on their run to three straight finals. Over half of his starts have been at No.8, but with the emergence of Wallace Sititi, the versatile loosie often moves to openside. He produced triple digit carries (122) and double digit turnovers (10) in 2025 as a result of splitting time at both positions. If the Chiefs are to get the monkey off the back in 2026, Jacobson will be a big reason why.

41. Tom Wright (Brumbies, Fullback)
Should Tom Wright have been healthy, he would be a top 10 player on this list for 2026. The Brumbies fullback was third in line breaks and third in defenders beaten last season, while topping running metres by some distance with 1,314 (next best was 878). It is safe to say that Wright is in the prime of his career right now which makes his injury sustained in the Rugby Championship devastating. He is due back halfway through the competition, which means his 2026 Super Rugby season will be limited by default. Hopefully he will hit the ground running and carry top form onto the Wallabies.