The 25 Best Rugby Clubs In The World On April 30 | FloRugby Rankings
The 25 Best Rugby Clubs In The World On April 30 | FloRugby Rankings
Club rugby’s biggest leagues are heating up fast — our updated Top 25 Power Rankings reveal surging contenders, title threats and late-season chaos.
‘Oh, just hold on, we're going home, Just hold on, we're going home’ – summing up our feelings here at FloRugby with a Drake hit, the biggest days of club rugby across the globe are edging ever closer.
Just how clear are the playoff pictures across the four most significant leagues in professional rugby?
The picture is as clear as mud outside their respective contenders!
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Shifting from week to week, our season-long power rankings have been more active than the NYSE during Christian Bale’s stunning performance in ‘The Big Short.’
Four stocks have remained bulletproof near the top of our table: Stade Toulousain, Union Bordeaux-Begles, Leinster Rugby and the Chiefs, while every other side on our big board has routinely fluctuated.
Alas, we digress from our key point.
Ahead of the Investec Champions Cup semifinals and Week 11 of Super Rugby Pacific this weekend, there have been more movers and shakers.
So, without further ado, here is what our FloRugby Power Rankings look like this week.
*Our rankings are conducted utilizing an in-depth season-long document that accounts for a wide variety of factors, including league strength, win streaks, win% % and strength of schedule.*
1. Toulouse
The King is dead, long live the King.
Putting 50-plus points on another poor victim (it was Castres' turn this week), Stade Toulousain looks as ruthless as ever.
This result should have sent a warning shot to Bordeaux ahead of this weekend’s semifinals (not that it was needed).
2. Leinster Rugby
Knocked off its perch by a magnificent Scarlets performance, Round 16 of the URC was the first time this season that Leinster looked vulnerable.
Resting all of its frontline players for the upcoming Champions Cup semifinal likely is the reason for the collapse, but late-season losses has been a trend for this squad over the past four years.
Will Northampton receive a backlash, or is Leinster dipping at the wrong time? We will find out Saturday.
3. Chiefs
Powering past a plucky Western Force side that has given other contenders all sorts of issues was a real show of force by the Chiefs.
At the time of writing, the Chiefs are the clear favorites for the title, albeit the Crusaders, Brumbies and Reds all would argue otherwise.
4. Crusaders
Powering past the Highlanders like Tadej Pogačar in Liège–Bastogne–Liège (apologies to the non-cycling fans for the reference), Super Rugby’s big bad bullies are back, and they want their crown back. Good luck to anyone hoping to stop them.
5. Union Bordeaux Begles
Uncharacteristically flat at home against Stade Rochelais last time out, the UBB rocket, like Leinster, has made a habit of dipping late in the season.
Perhaps it was just a blip on the radar, but Toulouse will have taken note of the lingering fragility.
6. Bath Rugby
Still rolling through the Premiership, Bath locked in top spot on the log for the first time since the 2003-2004 season.
Obliterating the hapless Newcastle Falcons last time out, Bath locked in a home semifinal and is the heavy favorite to win its first title since 1996.
7. Vodacom Bulls
Back-to-back former champions slain in back-to-back weeks on the road is quite the statement.
Sure, there was a ton of controversy in their win over Munster, but the Bulls still had to take the result.
Alongside another former champion in the DHL Stormers, the Bulls feel like the hottest team in the URC right now.
8. Northampton Saints
So you’re saying there’s a chance…
Putting themselves back in semifinal contention (just), the reigning champions aren’t done just yet.
Sure, there is the small matter of traveling to Dublin to face Leinster in this weekend’s Champions Cup, but the Saints could complete the most unlikely of doubles if they go unbeaten from here on out. Weirder things have happened…
9. Bayonne
The Top 14’s surprise package (we promise that is the last time we will call them that), Bayonne, is a serious outfit this season and is laying the groundwork for long-term success.
Comfortably nestled behind Toulouse, Bordeaux and Toulon, Bayonne opened a much-needed gap on the chasing pack with a big-time win last time out.
On current form, a semifinal spot feels more than realistic.
10. Glasgow Warriors
Displaying their championship grit, a Warriors side held together with duct tape and perhaps some chicken wire, almost pulled off a late comeback against the Vodacom Bulls.
Proving to be a bridge too far, the Warriors have been bitten by the same dreaded injury bug as Munster and are in serious danger of losing their top-2 seeding with two rounds to play.
When fit and healthy, they are an elite squad, but with this injury toll, a successful title defense would be a miracle.
11. Toulon
Suffering a brutally disappointing loss to last-place Vannes stopped RCT from skipping by Bordeaux for the all-important second place on the Top 14 table.
Still two points adrift of its rivals, Toulon still is in the hunt, but performances like the team's most recent one is a far cry from what will be needed to win the title this season.
12. Leicester Tigers
Away from the hullabaloo surrounding Bath’s exceptional regular season, the Tigers solidified their second spot on the table.
Given their pedigree in the competition, and with so many big personalities set to depart the club at season’s end, this feels like a last dance sort of ending to the season.
13. Sale Sharks
Similar to the Tigers in their unrelenting physicality, the Sharks are nipping at the Tigers’ tail for second spot.
Irrespective of who claims that place behind Bath, they are almost certainly going to meet in the semifinal.
Taking into account their style of play and quality of big-time experienced players, Sale is a side built to last in knockout rugby.
14. Brumbies
Super Rugby’s answer to the annoying much younger third child, the Brumbies, are quite a way off the top two Kiwi sides in terms of log points this season.
Despite this, they have the DNA to land some crucial punches.
To get to a point where these shots will matter, losses like the one they suffered at the hands of the Hurricanes are a big no-no.
15. DHL Stormers
Cape Town’s kamikaze warriors are the side nobody wants to see in the playoffs.
Spearheaded by Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, the URC Season 1 champs can shred any side in the league.
Seemingly destined for a showdown with the Sharks in the quarterfinals, we have a sneaky feeling they’ll be in the final this year.
16. Lyon
Edged on the road by a physical Clermont side is no great travesty. The result did, however, drop Lyon out of the top 6 with rounds running out.
Fortunately, Lyon remains on equal points with sixth-place Clermont and seventh-place La Rochelle.
17. Hollywoodbets Sharks
Scraping by sides they should’ve comfortably beaten in back-to-back weeks is great for log points, but doesn’t allay concerns that the Sharks are pretenders this season.
Backed with a huge wage bill due to their deep Springbok-laden squad, the Sharks are ripe to be picked off.
Conversely, an optimist could suggest they know how to win when it matters…
18. Queensland Reds
Annihilating the reigning champions is something a few teams have done this season, but still, it was a major confidence boost for the Queenslanders.
In a further boost, it was confirmed that Les Kiss would remain for next season before taking over the Wallabies job. Ensuring this continuity is crucial for a side that is firmly on the up.
19. Cardiff Rugby
Proving to be the catalyst for the most positive weekend in Welsh Rugby for two years, Cardiff’s victory over Munster felt like a seminal moment.
Sure, Cardiff has to hit the road for a South African safari to close the season, but the team will do so with a renewed confidence.
The job Matt Sherratt has done in the Welsh capital cannot be underestimated, and two bonus points should see them through to the top 8, back into the Champions Cup next season!
20. Gloucester Rugby
Reportedly called soft by some players in the Exeter ranks, Gloucester caused its Devon-based rival to essentially blow up the club this past week.
Scoring nearly a point a minute for a humiliating beatdown of the former Premiership and Champions Cup winner, Gloucester’s 79-17 victory brought the squad within a point of a Bristol side that has lost its form of late.
Getting back into the top 4 will be Gloucester's sole focus to close the season.
21. Scarlets
Picking up where Cardiff left off, Scarlets pulled off the shock of the season comfortably seeing off Leinster in Round 16.
Led by their electric young backline and a superhuman performance from backrow Taine Plumtree, the Scarlets moved into the top 8 with two rounds to play.
Can they do the unthinkable and win in South Africa? On recent evidence, they sure can.
22. Waratahs
On a bye last time out, the Tahs, when fully fit, have proven to be a challenge for even the best sides this season.
Consistency has been their issue, but a week off certainly will be a nice bonus before the long run into the end of the season.
23. Munster Rugby
Three losses on the spin since defeating La Rochelle is a brutal return for a side that prides itself on winning the tough fixtures.
Running arguably the worst line-out in pro rugby, lacking discipline when it was needed most and generally looking frustrated with themselves, Munster has two rounds to avoid the unthinkable of missing out on the top 8.
24. Hurricanes
Land a few quick blows late in the fixture, the Canes flipped the script on the Brumbies for arguably their biggest win of the season.
Similar to the Tahs, the Canes are capable of beating anyone, but they need to find a level of consistency to be challengers.
25. La Rochelle
Working their way back into the top-25 since January, Ronan O’Gara’s experienced squad has circled its wagons for a late-season push.
Going on the road and smothering Bordeaux, Stade Rochelais sent a warning shot that it could be the boogeymen of the Top 14 playoffs - if the team can get there.
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