Props are the unsung heroes of any rugby side, doing the hardest work in the most demanding areas of the game. Their impact often goes unnoticed, yet it can decide matches.
While modern props are expected to carry, tackle and handle like extra back-rowers, the scrum remains the ultimate test of a front-rower’s quality. The best in the world combine set-piece dominance with mobility, work rate and the ability to influence games around the park.
This ranking focuses primarily on current form while also recognising the achievements and consistency that separate the elite from the rest. Here are the 10 best props in world rugby right now.
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10. Rhys Carre (Wales)
Rhys Carre has enjoyed a remarkable resurgence over the past year, re-establishing himself as one of the most destructive looseheads in the northern hemisphere.
Blessed with rare power and footwork for a front-row forward, he is capable of making significant metres after contact and regularly bends defensive lines. Questions around fitness and consistency once followed him, but recent performances have answered many of those doubts.
When fully fit and motivated, few props possess his combination of size, mobility and ball-carrying threat.
9. Angus Bell (Australia)
Energy and intent define Angus Bell’s game. Still only 25, he has become central to Australia’s physical identity, with explosive carrying and aggressive defence making him a constant threat.
A former back-rower, Bell’s mobility and handling skills set him apart from many of his peers. As his scrummaging continues to develop, he looks destined to establish himself among the very best props in world rugby.
8. Joe Heyes (England)
Joe Heyes has emerged as one of the most improved tightheads in international rugby. Since breaking through with England, he has transformed his reputation at scrum time and become a cornerstone of their forward pack.
His impact has helped turn England’s scrum into a genuine weapon, while his work rate and contributions around the field continue to improve.
7. Simone Ferrari (Italy)
Simone Ferrari has quietly developed into one of the most dependable tightheads in the international game. The Italian front-rower combines technical excellence at the scrum with impressive durability and consistency.
Before injury disrupted his recent Six Nations campaign, Ferrari was among Italy’s standout performers and regularly held his own against some of the strongest scrummagers in world rugby.
6. Zander Fagerson (Scotland)
Zander Fagerson remains one of the most reliable and complete tightheads in the game. A cornerstone of Scotland’s pack for several years, he combines excellent scrummaging technique with a relentless work rate.
Whether carrying, tackling or anchoring the set piece, Fagerson delivers week after week and remains one of the first names on the Scotland team sheet.
