The wait is almost over for the first ever Nations Championship, with the inaugural 12-team competition set to commence in just over a week’s time across the Southern Hemisphere.
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This all-new tournament replaces the traditional international windows in July and November, with a Southern and Northern series set to take place, before the Finals Weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. The competing sides for the Nations Championship come in from the 10 Tier One Nations from the Six Nations and SANZAAR along with the invited duo of Japan and Fiji.
In this article, we are taking a look back at the all time greatest players for each of the participating countries, in the 2026 Nations Championship. With boundless honourable mentions to consider, it has been quite the tall order to pick the one true GOAT from each of the 12 nations, yet we’ve given it a crack as the build to the tournament continues. Here’s RUCK’s picks for the Greatest Player from every Nations Championship Team.
JAPAN – SHOTA HORIE
Honourable Mentions: Michael Leitch, Kenki Fukoaka, Daisuke Ohata
Shota Horie’s place in Japanese rugby folklore is secure, but there is a compelling case that he stands alone at the summit. Few players have embodied the Brave Blossoms’ rise quite like the dread-locked hooker, whose career stretched across four Rugby World Cups and the most transformative era the nation has ever known.
Nicknamed as Japan’s ‘Iron Man’ Horie was at the heart of the fabled Miracle of Brighton win over the Springboks in 2015, and helped drive Japan to a historic quarter-final on home soil in 2019, and remained a cornerstone of the national side until 2023. A brilliant technician at the set-piece, Horie combined old-school grit with soft hands, sharp footwork and a rugby brain that consistently put him a step ahead.
He also broke barriers away from the Brave Blossoms, as he became the first Japanese player to represent an Australian Super Rugby franchise, where he ran out for Melbourne Rebels in 2013, before captaining the Sunwolves. Longevity, leadership and landmark achievements — no Japanese player has left a bigger imprint on the game than Shota Horie.
FIJI: WAISELE SEREVI
Honourable Mentions: Rupeni Caucaunibuca, Semi Radradra, Joe Levula
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen rugby is woven into Fiji’s national identity, standing at the mountain-top is no small feat. Yet Waisale Serevi remains the undisputed greatest player his Pacific islands have ever produced. Nicknamed “The Wizard”, Serevi dominated rugby sevens with the Flying Fijians, with his dazzling footwork, outrageous vision and effortless creativity turned. Every touch was must-watch theatre as he elevated the shortened format from a niche spectacle into a global phenomenon.
Serevi captained Fiji to Rugby World Cup Sevens titles in 1997 and 2005, later guiding them as player-coach to their first-ever World Sevens Series crown. Beyond sevens, he also represented Fiji in three Rugby World Cups, proving his genius translated to the 15-man game, in a rare dual-code accomplishment.
Inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame and widely regarded as the greatest sevens player of all time, Serevi is the definitive sporting icon from the South Pacific. He embodied the joy, flair and fearless spirit of Fijian rugby, leaving a legacy that may never be surpassed.
ARGENTINA: HUGO PORTA
Honourable Mentions: Felipe Contepomi, Agustin Pichot, Juan Martin Hernandez
Before Agustín Pichot inspired a generation and Juan Martín Hernández dazzled crowds, there was Hugo Porta – the man who put Argentine rugby on the world map. Widely regarded as Los Pumas’ first global superstar, the fly-half was the heartbeat of the national side throughout the 1970s and 1980s, earning 58 caps at a time when Test opportunities were far more limited than today.
An elegant playmaker blessed with supreme vision, flawless tactical kicking and nerveless goal-kicking, Porta had the rare ability to dictate matches against the sport’s biggest powers. His crowning moment came in 1985, when his 21-point masterclass secured a famous 21-21 draw against the mighty All Blacks in Buenos Aires – still one of the defining performances in rugby history.
More than his statistics, Porta gave Argentina belief that it belonged on rugby’s biggest stage. Every Puma icon since has walked the trail he blazed, making him the greatest player his nation has ever produced.
