List of rugby union Test caps leaders

This is a list of the all-time leaders for caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...

in men's rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

Test matches, with a minimum of 90 confirmed Test caps. Unlike in cricket

Test cricket

Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...

, where both countries must grant Test status for a match to be considered a Test, rugby union requires only one nation to recognise a match as a Test in order for it to be included in Test statistics for that nation. The British and Irish Lions

British and Irish Lions

The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...

and Pacific Islanders

Pacific Islanders rugby union team

The Pacific Islanders rugby union team is an international rugby union team, started in 2004, that represents Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. While Niue and the Cook Islands are not members of the Pacific Tri-Nations competition, they did supply players to the squad for the Pacific Islanders' tour in 2004...

do not represent one specific nation, but are also considered Test teams because they are selected by a group of recognised national unions. Some nations have sometimes granted Test caps for matches against teams such as the invitational Barbarians

Barbarian F.C.

The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...

side; these are included only if the player's nation actually granted a Test cap for a particular match.

Players who are still active at international level, or who have not yet announced international retirement, are in bold. Players who are still active at club level but have either retired from international rugby or have not been selected for their national team for a year or more are in italics.

List

Last updated: 23 October 2011.

Rank	Caps	Player	International team	Years	Primary position
1	139	George Gregan George Gregan George Musarurwa Gregan AM is an Australian rugby union halfback who has made more appearances for his national team than any other player in the sport's history....		1994–2007	Scrum-half
2	123	Brian O'Driscoll Brian O'Driscoll Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...	(117) British and Irish Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (6)	1999–	Centre
3	119	Jason Leonard Jason Leonard Jason Leonard OBE , also known as "The Fun Bus", is an English former rugby union prop forward who held the world record for winning the most international caps until 2005, when it was surpassed by Australia's scrum-half George Gregan...	(114) British and Irish Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (5)	1990–2004	Prop
4	118	Fabien Pelous Fabien Pelous Fabien Pelous is a retired French rugby union footballer. A lock who also occasionally played as a number eight and flanker, he played almost all of his professional career for Stade Toulousain, and is the all-time leader in appearances for the French national team...		1995–2007	Lock
=	118	Ronan O'Gara Ronan O'Gara Ronan John Ross O'Gara is an Irish rugby union player, playing at fly-half for both Munster and Ireland. He is the all time highest point scorer for both Munster and Ireland. In addition to his prolific point-scoring, he has captained Munster, Ireland and the British and Irish Lions...	(116) British and Irish Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (2)	2000–	Fly-half
6	111	Philippe Sella Philippe Sella Philippe Sella is a French former rugby union player, who held the record for most international appearances until beaten by Jason Leonard. He became a member of the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 1999, and the IRB Hall of Fame in 2008.Sella joined Saracens in 1996 from French side Agen...		1982–1995	Centre
=	111	John Smit John Smit John William Smit is the 50th and current captain of the South African national rugby union team, the Springboks. He has played most of his career as a hooker, but played twice for the Springboks off the bench as a prop prior to the South Africa coaching staff's decision to use him as a tighthead...		2000–2011	Hooker
8	110	George Smith		2000–2009	Flanker Flanker (rugby union) A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
=	110	Victor Matfield Victor Matfield Victor Matfield is a South African rugby union player. He has played for, and captained the Springbok rugby team as well as the Blue Bulls in the Currie Cup and the Bulls franchise in the Super 14...		2001–2011	Lock
=	110	Stephen Jones Stephen Jones (rugby player) Stephen Michael Jones is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays primarily at fly-half for Wales, the British and Irish Lions and Scarlets....	(104) British and Irish Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (6)	1998–	Fly-half
11	109	Chris Paterson Chris Paterson Chris Paterson is a Scotland internationalist who plays for RaboDirect Pro12 side Edinburgh Rugby. He is Scotland’s record cap and points holder with 109 caps and 809 points. Paterson is capable in a range of positions, including fullback, wing and fly-half. In recent years Paterson has played...		1999–	Utility back
12	107	John Hayes	(105) British and Irish Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (2)	2000–2011	Prop
13	103	Gareth Thomas Gareth Thomas (rugby player) Gareth Thomas , known as Alfie, is a retired Welsh professional rugby footballer who played rugby league for the Crusaders RL in the Super League. He also previously played rugby union for the Cardiff Blues and as a fullback, wing or centre.On 26 May 2007, Thomas surpassed Gareth Llewellyn as the...	(100) British and Irish Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (3)	1995–2007	Utility back
=	103	Richie McCaw Richie McCaw Richard Hugh "Richie" McCaw is a New Zealand rugby union player, and is the current test captain. He plays in the openside flanker position for the New Zealand, Crusaders and Canterbury rugby teams...		2001-	Flanker Flanker (rugby union) A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
=	103	Martyn Williams Martyn Williams Martyn Elwyn Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player. A flanker, he plays for Cardiff Blues and the Wales national rugby union team as an open-side flanker...	(99) British and Irish Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (4)	1996–	Flanker Flanker (rugby union) A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
15	102	Stephen Larkham Stephen Larkham Stephen Larkham is an Australian rugby union footballer currently playing for the Ricoh Black Rams in Japan. He is best known for his career with the Brumbies in Super Rugby, for whom he played from the inception of the professional Super 12 in 1996 through 2007, and his long tenure with the...		1996–2007	Fly-half
=	102	Percy Montgomery Percy Montgomery Percival Colin "Percy" Montgomery is a retired South African rugby union player...		1997–2008	Fullback
18	101	David Campese David Campese David Ian Campese , also known as Campo, is a former Australian rugby union player. Campese was capped by the Wallabies 101 times, and held the world record for the most tries in test matches until Daisuke Ohata scored his 65th try playing for Japan on 14 May 2006...		1982–1996	Wing
=	101	Alessandro Troncon Alessandro Troncon Alessandro Troncon is a former Italian rugby union player.Troncon has made more test appearances than any other player in Italian rugby union history. The veteran scrum-half made his Italy debut against Spain in 1994 and has played alongside fly-half Diego Dominguez on more than 50 occasions...		1994–2007	Scrum-half
20	100	Mils Muliaina Mils Muliaina Junior Malili Muliaina , better known as Mils Muliaina, is a rugby union player. He plays for the Chiefs in Super Rugby and New Zealand at international level. He was born in Salesi, Samoa, then moved with his family to Invercargill, New Zealand, at the age of two...		2003-	Fullback
=	100	Nathan Sharpe Nathan Sharpe Nathan Sharpe is an Australian rugby union player. He plays lock and is the captain of the Western Force.-Early career:...		2002-	Lock
22	98	Raphaël Ibañez Raphaël Ibanez Raphaël Ibañez is a retired French rugby union footballer. A hooker, he was also a former captain of the France national team.-Club career:...		1996–2007	Hooker
=	98	Peter Stringer Peter Stringer Peter Alexander Stringer is an Irish rugby union player who plays at scrum half for Munster and Ireland. He is one of the most recognisable players in world rugby as Stringer stands only 1.7m tall and weighs in at just over 70 kg .-Career:In February 2000, he made his debut for Ireland...		2000–	Scrum-half
24	97	Jonny Wilkinson Jonny Wilkinson Jonathan Peter "Jonny" Wilkinson OBE is an English rugby union player and member of the England national team. Wilkinson rose to acclaim from 2001 to 2003, before and during the 2003 Rugby World Cup and was acknowledged as one of the world’s best rugby players...	(91) British and Irish Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (6)	1998-	Fly-half
25	96	Colin Charvis Colin Charvis Colin Charvis is a former captain of the Welsh national rugby union team and also played for the British and Irish lions. A back row forward, Charvis was equally adept as a flanker or as the no...	(94) British and Irish Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (2)	1996–2007	Flanker Flanker (rugby union) A flanker is a position in the sport of rugby union. Flankers play in the forwards, and are generally classified as either blindside, or openside flankers; numbers six and seven respectively. The name comes from their position in a scrum in which they flank each set of forwards...
26	93	Serge Blanco Serge Blanco Serge Blanco is a former rugby union footballer who played fullback for Biarritz Olympique and the French national side, gaining 93 caps, 81 of them at fullback. His alternative position was wing....		1980–1991	Fullback
27	92	Martin Johnson	(84) British and Irish Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (8)	1993–2003	Lock
=	92	Gareth Llewellyn Gareth Llewellyn Gareth Llewellyn was born 27 February 1969 in St. David's Hospital Cardiff whilst his father was serving in Cardiff with the Army, is a Welsh rugby union player who gained a record 92 caps for Wales as a lock. His record for Wales caps has since been surpassed by Gareth Thomas, Colin Charvis,...		1989–2005	Lock
=	92	Malcolm O'Kelly Malcolm O'Kelly Malcolm O'Kelly is a retired Irish rugby union player who played as a lock for Ireland and Leinster....		1997–2009	Lock
=	92	Sean Fitzpatrick Sean Fitzpatrick Sean Fitzpatrick MNZM is a former rugby union footballer who represented New Zealand, and is widely regarded as one of the finest players ever to come from that country. He is also the son of former player Brian Fitzpatrick....		1986–1997	Hooker
=	92	Keven Mealamu Keven Mealamu Keven Mealamu is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He plays at hooker for the Blues in the Super 14, Auckland in the National Provincial Championship, and the New Zealand national team, All Blacks....		2002-	Hooker
=	92	Matt Giteau Matt Giteau Matthew Giteau is an Australian rugby union footballer, a former international who now plays for the French Top 14 side Toulon. He attended St Edmund's College, Canberra, which has produced other Wallabies including George Gregan, Matt Henjak and the former rugby league star and now coach Ricky...		2002-2011	Fly-half
32	91	Neil Jenkins Neil Jenkins Neil Jenkins MBE is a former rugby union football player and current coach. He played fly-half, centre, or full back for Pontypridd, Cardiff, Celtic Warriors, Wales and the British and Irish Lions. Jenkins is Wales' highest ever points-scorer and is the third highest on the List of leading Rugby...	(87) British and Irish Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (4)	1990–2003	Fly-half
=	91	Rory Underwood Rory Underwood Rory Underwood MBE is a former English rugby union footballer who played wing for, most notably, Leicester Tigers and Bedford. He represented England and the British Lions and is a former Royal Air Force pilot....	(85) British Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (6)	1984–1996	Wing
=	91	Andrea Lo Cicero Vaina Andrea Lo Cicero Andrea Lo Cicero is an Italian rugby union footballer.Born in Catania, Sicily, Lo Cicero began his professional career in the town of his birth with Amatori Catania. Later he moved to Bologna and then to Rugby Rovigo, winning his first Italian Championship in 2000 with Rugby Roma...		2000-	Prop
36	90	Shane Williams Shane Williams Shane Mark Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Ospreys and who can also play scrum-half. Williams is the record try scorer for the Wales national team and he is third on the international list of leading Rugby union Test try scorers behind Daisuke Ohata...	(86) British and Irish Lions British and Irish Lions The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales... (4)	2000–	Wing

List

See also