Rugby's Top 10 influencers of 2017

There’s a buzz word in the marketing world for those with the ability to shape the opinions, actions and buying habits of others. They’re called ‘Influencers’.

Who have been the influencers in the world of rugby in 2017?

This year has been another dramatic one for rugby, with the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the British and Irish Lions Tour of New Zealand, the Six Nations and the World Sevens Series driving global interest in rugby union to unprecedented levels.

We’ve taken a look back over the year, and compiled a list of who we think were rugby’s top ten influencers.

10. Sonny Bill Williams, New Zealand
Williams was never far from the headlines again this year. His red card in the second Lions Test was the turning point in a highly-charged and controversial series. The shoulder charge on Lions wing Anthony Watson led to a four-week suspension.

He returned for the Rugby Championship, where his form was, at times, sublime. Off the field, his massive social media following will always ensure that he is among rugby’s top influencers.

(AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

9. Joy Neville, Ireland
Neville, a former Irish women’s rugby international, made history by becoming the first woman to referee a men’s professional match (Bath v Bristol). She officiated the final of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 in Belfast (New Zealand v England), and has also refereed a full men’s international match (Norway v Denmark) in the European Nations Cup.

She also became the first woman to officiate a men’s European club fixture – Bordeaux-Begles (France) v Enisei STM (Russia). She was named World Rugby Referee of the Year at the 2017 World Rugby awards in Monaco. Her achievements are pioneering, and will inspire many women, and men, to follow in her footsteps, and take up the whistle.

8. Perry Baker, USA
Perry Baker was named 2017 World Sevens Player at the World Rugby awards. The 31-year-old flyer from Florida scored some scintillating tries out wide for the USA 7s team.

With ball in hand, and in space, he is uncatchable. Rugby’s growth rate in America is impressive, and looks set to continue next year with the inaugural Major League Rugby competition, to be broadcast across America on CBS sports.

Baker (along with others) are at the forefront of this massive opportunity for rugby, and as a consequence, he is one of our influencers of 2017.

7. Beauden Barrett, New Zealand
The man is a points-scoring, award-winning machine. 2017 was another year in which he delivered for the rugby-loving public of New Zealand. Not much more needs to be said about him.

6. Portia Woodman, New Zealand
Winner of the Women’s Player of the Year Award, Woodman was unstoppable at the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland, where she scored a bucket-load of tries, including four in the semi-final against 1991 Champions, the USA.

Her exploits have won her a clutch of awards, both in New Zealand and internationally. She is, for the moment, the face of women’s rugby, and as such has the platform to inspire others into the sport.

5. Steve Hansen, New Zealand
Despite a less-than-perfect season, the All Blacks remain comfortably at the top of the World Rugby rankings. Hansen has truly cemented himself in the affections of All Blacks fans, a position which he has had to work hard to get.

We saw a different, charming, side to him this year, when he took part in the quirky ‘Don’t Lose Your Biscuit’ marketing campaign for food giant Arnotts. The All Blacks are one of world sport’s premier teams, and, ex officio, the coach of them is one of the rugby world’s top influencers.

4. Bill Pulver, Australia
Pulver may be leaving Rugby Australia, but he has had to make some monumental decisions this year. These decisions will have a major bearing on the fate of rugby in Australia for many years, and for this reason he makes our influencers list.

The axing of the Western Force was the toughest call any rugby CEO has had to make in a long time. He deserves credit for remaining dignified under intense pressure.

His decision to quit will have ramifications beyond the norm. His replacement, Raelene Castle, is not a paid-up member of the private schoolboys brigade. Expect the operation of Rugby Australia to be very different under her leadership.

(AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

3. Eddie Jones, England
The former Wallaby coach continues to work wonders with England, losing only one match of 23 in charge so far. He guided England to a consecutive Six Nations Championship this year, followed by an impressive 2-0 series win in Argentina with most of his front-line players out of contention on Lions duty.

Rugby is booming in England, and much of this is tied to the success of the national team, for which Jones can take a lot of the credit.

2. Bill Beaumont, England
Beaumont, Chairman of World Rugby, comes in at second on our influencer’s list. Rugby’s global growth is continuing at a remarkable rate. The sums of money being invested in the development of the sport in all corners of the globe are substantial.

There was some controversy when World Rugby awarded France hosting rights to the Rugby World Cup 2023 over South Africa, but the decision was in fact a good one for rugby – it showed the World Rugby Council will not simply rubber-stamp the recommendations of a stale, bureaucratic report. As chairman of the governing body of rugby, he is, ex officio, a major influencer.

1. Warren Gatland, Wales
Gatland has been a walking headline all year. In a Lions series which captivated the imagination of millions, at the centre of it all was this bloke from Hamilton.

His comments evoked every emotion possible: from disgust (by threatening to reveal dirt on some All Blacks), to joy (for Lions fans), to scorn (revealing how he ‘hated’ the Lions tour). His book, released earlier this month, In the Line of Fire has been widely praised for its candid, honest look behind the scenes of the series. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying Warren Gatland has made a significant contribution to what has been a remarkable year for world rugby.

Honourable mentions: Maro Itoje (England), Reiko Ioane (New Zealand), Kieran Read (Captain, New Zealand), Augustine Pichot (World Rugby Vice-Chairman, Argentina), Michael Cheika (Coach, Australia), Gregor Townsend (Coach, Scotland).