Rugby World Cup Top Tryscorers

by Matthew Glazier, 7 September 2023

The 2023 World Cup takes place between 8 September – 28 October 2023, with twenty nations battling it out in France for the chance to be crowned champions. This the tenth edition of a hugely popular competition, with South Africa and New Zealand holding the record for the most victories (3), while Australia (2) and England are the other nations who have been victorious.

The upcoming Rugby World Cup is sure to be keenly-contested and the bookmakers are struggling to nominate a favourite for once. Hosts France are sure to be a tough nut to crack, while champions South Africa will hope to demonstrate that they are still the best team on the planet. There are question marks over the legendary All Blacks although we know that this New Zealand team boast serious pedigree. Find out more about who are favourites to win and any potential dark horses in our Rugby World Cup betting preview.

It’s clear that the draw has had a bearing on the overall odds, with New Zealand and France paired together in Pool A, while Pool B is even more competitive considering that Scotland have got to try and finish above one of Ireland and South Africa to qualify. Even quirkier is the fact that the top two teams from the above pools have to play each other in the knockout stage.

Conversely, an out-of-sorts England side are in a favourable Pool D where they will fancy their chances of topping a section that also includes Japan and Argentina. Meanwhile, three into two doesn’t go when it comes to Wales, Australia and Fiji all competing for a place in the knockout stage of the World Cup, although the team in top spot could end up going deep in the competition.

Since the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, we have seen a number of impressive players come to the fore to score a significant amount of tries. In this article, we look at some of the star names who were able to run the ball over the line in previous tournaments, with readers sure to remember some of the scoring feats that were achieved.

As you might expect, the majority of the top tryscorers in the list have operated for leading nations and many of them have ended up lifting the William Webb Ellis Trophy for their country. It’s often been the case that players have been able to fill their boots against more modest opposition during the pool phase.

Top Tryscorers at the Rugby World Cup

Jonah Lomu

Jonah Lomu and Bryan Habana are currently the record-holders for the most tries that have been scored at the Rugby World Cup. The legendary Lomu was prolific across two different World Cups, scoring seven tries in the 1995 renewal before going one better four years later to register a tally of eight.

The late great Jonah Lomu is probably the most iconic player to have ever featured in a Rugby World Cup. The Auckland-born winger was regarded as a powerhouse who took the 1995 tournament by storm despite the fact that his New Zealand team were beaten by hosts South Africa in the final. On 18 June 1995, Lomu lined up against England and scored an incredible four tries in this semi-final encounter, helping the All-Blacks to a 45-29 victory. Four years later, the same player scored eight tries when helping his country to the semi-final stage.

Bryan Habana

Habana appeared for South Africa across three tournaments and it was the 2007 World Cup where the winger really came to the fore with eight tries. Drew Mitchell comes next in the pecking order and the Australian was able to score a sum total of fourteen tries that came across three World Cups between 2007 – 2015.

Bryan Habana was able score his fifteen tries across three different World Cups, with the South African making his bow in the 2007 tournament which he was able to take by storm. His eight tries scored in France was record-breaking and it ultimately helped the Springboks achieve their second tournament success. Four years later, Habana helped his team reach the quarter finals before turning out in 2015 which saw the South Africans achieve a third-placed finish.

Adam Ashley-Cooper

Adam Ashley-Cooper is another Aussie who features high on the pecking order, with New Zealand also boasting Doug Howlett and Joe Rokocoko in the top ten. The highest French entry is Vincent Clerc who was able to register eleven tries across the 2007 and 2011 Rugby World Cups, while England’s Rory Underwood boasts the same total.

The top Australian tryscorer at the Rugby World Cup, with the Sydney-born player having turned out for the Wallabies in four different tournaments. He was able to register an impressive five tries at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, while he was also ever-present on the wing four years later in the 2015 renewal. Ashley-Cooper was renowned for his versatility including his ability to play right across the back line.

Drew Mitchell

Drew Mitchell appeared in the same three World Cup editions as Habana, with the Australian having the versality to play on the wing or as a full-back. Between 2005-2016, the Liverpool-born player was able to make 71 appearances for his country and his star turn came in the 2007 World Cup where Mitchell was able to register seven tries. This includes two against Japan and a hat-trick that was registered against Fiji.

Doug Howlett

The next player in the top tryscorer list is Doug Howlett, with the New Zealand winger standing out on his own with thirteen tries. The Auckland-born All Blacks legend made 63 appearances for his country between 2000-2007, scoring a sum total of 245 points. This includes 49 tries for New Zealand which is a team record, with one of the highlights being a hat-trick against Italy at the 2007 World Cup.

Vincent Clerc

The man responsible for the most France World Cup tries historically is Vincent Clerc, with the former Les Bleus winger having lit up the stage in more than one tournament. In the 2007 World Cup, the Frenchman kicked off with a hat-trick against Namibia before scoring a further two tries against Ireland at the Stade de France. In the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Clerc was able to bag a hat-trick against Canada in addition to tries against Japan, Tonga and England.

Joe Rokocoko

Joe Rokocoko has his name in the New Zealand Hall of Fame, with the Fiji-born player starring for the All Blacks on 68 occasions and registering a sum total of 230 points. His strike rate for his country was staggering and Rokocoko was able to score 25 tries in his first 20 tests, with this leading to him breaking a single-season record for New Zealand. Among the several accolades he received, he was named new player of the year in 2003 by the International Rugby Players’ Association.

Rory Underwood

England have had plenty of exciting tryscorers during the history of the Rugby World Cup although nobody has managed to surpass Rory Underwood’s tournament total of eleven for the Red Rose. The winger was often joined in the same team as brother Tony and he scored his first tournament tries against Italy in 1987. A further four tries were scored at the 1991 World Cup before five more in the 1995 renewal including two against New Zealand in that exciting semi-final.

Chris Latham

Chris Latham made headlines on 25 October 2003 when the Australian scored an incredible five tries against Namibia at the World Cup. This total has only been beaten by New Zealand’s Marc Ellis, with Latham standing as the second highest Wallaby tryscorer with an incredible total of forty. Only the legendary David Campese has managed better, with the winger turning out in three different World Cup tournaments between 1999-2007.

Brian Lima

The final player in the top ten tryscorers of World Cup history is Brian Lima and the Samoan also holds the joint-highest record for the number of tournaments in which a player has appeared. Having made his bow in 1991 for Western Samoa, the winger went on to turn out in the ensuing four renewals right up to 2007 where he announced his retirement. Lima was able to score a combined total of ten tries and remains the top World Cup tryscorer for his nation.

Shane Williams

Shane Williams is a Welsh legend and his ten World Cup tries remains a standout achievement for his proud nation. Between 2000-2011, the 46-year-old made 87 appearances for his country and scored 290 points. During the 2007 World Cup in Japan, Williams earned a 50th cap against Japan and was also able to score two tries in that clash. The winger was able to add a further three tries to make it five for that particular tournament.

David Campese

Australia have had many legendary rugby union players throughout their history, although David Campese is the man who has scored the most Wallabies tries. This bullish player is also joint-tenth when it comes to the most tries scored in a Rugby World Cup, with the former winger appearing in the first ever tournament in 1987. He helped the Aussies win the tournament in England four years later before the controversial figure appeared for the final time in 1995.

2023 Rugby World Cup Top Tryscorer Betting

With the Rugby World Cup around the corner, take a look at the latest odds for the top tryscorer below:

The bookmakers have priced up a Top Tryscorer betting market for the 2023 World Cup, with Damian Penaud and Will Jordan heading the market. The former will operate for hosts France and it’s easy to see why he’s being respected by the layers. The Bordeaux Bègles winger has already scored twenty-five tries for his country, recently bagging braces against England and Wales in the Six Nations.

Will Jordan

Jordan is one of several New Zealand players capable of running in the most tournament tries. Much depends on whether the full-back gets the game time against more modest opposition, with the Tasman Mako player possessing a devastating turn of pace. The player comes into the tournament off the back of an amazing 2022 Super Rugby Pacific Season and looks sure to go well.

Mark Telea

The same applies to team-mate Mark Telea, with the Blues winger ready to make his mark at the 2023 World Cup. The 26-year-old is something of a late bloomer who has only made five appearances for the All Blacks at the time of writing, although he was able to score two tries against Scotland in his debut clash on 12 November 2022 and there could be a big splash in France.

Cheslin Kolbe

Cheslin Kolbe is regarded as the biggest tryscoring threat from champions South Africa, with the 29-year-old having helped the Springboks win the 2019 World Cup four years ago. The winger was only able to register three tries in Japan, scoring twice against the hosts before getting his name on the scoresheet in the final against England. However, he recently bagged a try against the All Blacks on 15 July 2023.

James Lowe

James Lowe will hope to drive Ireland to a first ever Rugby World Cup success, with the 31-year-old having been born and raised in New Zealand. However, he has since qualified as an Irish player on residency grounds and will carry a significant threat based on recent scoring exploits. During the 2023 Six Nations tournament, he scored tries against Wales, France and Scotland, while he also got over the line recently against England.

Top Points Scorers at the Rugby World Cup

Although the top tryscorers often steal the headlines when it comes to the Rugby World Cup, they are generally not the players who top the charts when it comes to points scorers. You generally find that those operators who are regularly kicking for points are the ones that rack up the biggest overall totals and that includes the legendary Jonny Wilkinson.

Wilkinson will be renowned for being the player that scored the winning drop goal for England in the 2003 World Cup final and the fly-half is well clear at the top of the points charts. Next in the order is Gavin Hastings who achieved legendary status for Scotland and was able to rack up buckets of points across three different World Cups despite his country never always going deep in the tournament.

The top southern hemisphere points scorer in a Rugby World Cup remains Michael Lynagh and the Australian had excellent kicking prowess for the Wallabies, while Dan Carter and Grant Fox have both been able to score heavily for New Zealand during the various tournaments. The latter featured in the first two competitions, while Carter was able to make four appearances at various finals.

Jonny Wilkinson

Jonny Wilkinson is regarded as a rugby union hero in England, with the Frimley-born kicker appearing across four different World Cups. He made a sum total of nineteen appearances, scoring one try, twenty-eight conversions, fifty-eight penalties and fourteen drop goals. The most famous of the latter was the one converted in extra-time of the 2003 final against Australia which clinched a victory for the Red Rose.

Gavin Hastings

Gavin Hastings appeared in the first three Rugby World Cups and the Scot didn’t actually score a single drop goal which was hardly a surprise considering he was a full-back. However, he did manage to register nine tries during his thirteen appearances, while the Edinburgh-born player was also able to score thirty-nine conversions and score thirty-six penalties as part of his overall total.

Michael Lynagh

Michael Lynagh appeared in the 1987, 1991 and 1995 tournaments and the Australian was regarded as a reliable kicker, with his fifteen appearances at a Rugby World Cup yielding an impressive total of 195 points. There were four tries scored overall, with thirty-six conversions, thirty-three penalties and two drop goals, with this total making him third in the charts and marginally ahead of Dan Carter.

Dan Carter

Carter racked up 191 points across four different World Cups and that featured making three tries along with a record-breaking fifty-eight conversions. Grant Fox completes the top five points scorers and the Kiwi was able to notch 170 points over ten appearances at the 1987 and 1991 World Cup.