Dan Carter has stirred the pot after stepping into a brutal \u2018Winner Stays On\u2019 showdown, where he was forced to rank some of the greatest fly-halves of the modern era.<\/p>\n
In a chat with\u00a0Midi Olympique, the All Blacks legend was put on the spot\u2014given head-to-head matchups between elite No.10s and told to pick his winner each time, with the victor rolling on to face the next contender.<\/p>\n
Join RUCK\u2019s Instagram broadcast channel <\/a>and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.<\/p>\n Farrell dominates early rounds<\/p>\n Carter kicked things off by choosing between Owen Farrell and Finn Russell \u2014 and the England skipper swept that one with ease. Farrell then dispatched the hugely gifted Matthieu Jalibert before facing what Carter felt was a far trickier task: Romain Ntamack. Still, the Saracens man edged the young French superstar.<\/p>\n \u2018Maybe in five or 10 years time\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cOh my god, the future or the legend himself? It\u2019s hard but I\u2019m going to go on experience. What Owen Farrell has done in an England jersey is incredible.<\/p>\n \u201cMaybe in five or 10 years, Ntamack will be in the same conversation.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Gara ends Farrell\u2019s run<\/p>\n Next up was an Irish legend. Farrell squared off against Ronan O\u2019Gara \u2014 and that\u2019s where his streak ended, though Carter admitted his decision wasn\u2019t exactly neutral.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got to go with my mate ROG, he would kill me,\u201d Carter laughed. \u201cHe would be straight on the phone and ring me if I don\u2019t choose him. He\u2019s a points-scoring legend.\u201d<\/p>\n O\u2019Gara also triumphed in the all-Ireland showdown with Johnny Sexton.<\/p>\n \u201cGeez, there\u2019s a bit of rivalry there, but I have to go with my mate ROG again.\u201d<\/p>\n Beauden Barrett sweeps past O\u2019Gara<\/p>\n But the La Rochelle boss met his match when Beauden Barrett appeared on the other side of the bracket.<\/p>\n \u201cPicking an All Black over an Ireland player, it\u2019s not fair. Beaudy lives just down the road from me so he might come knocking on my door if I pick Ronan over Beauden, so I will go Beaudy.\u201d<\/p>\n Barrett vs Larkham: a classic matchup<\/p>\n Barrett then faced an enormous challenge in Wallabies great Stephen Larkham, the heartbeat of Australia\u2019s 1999 World Cup triumph. Still, Carter\u2019s patriotism shone through.<\/p>\n \u201cStephen Larkham\u2019s right there and I had a lot of good rivalries against Stephen Larkham. He was awesome.<\/p>\n \u201cThey both played 15 as well, so both really versatile and could play 10 or 15. It\u2019s hard not to pick a New Zealander, I\u2019m a pretty patriotic person, so I will go Beaudy.\u201d<\/p>\n Does Carter pick himself?<\/p>\n When asked if he\u2019d choose himself over Barrett, the famously humble Carter didn\u2019t entertain it, leaving Barrett to move on to the final clash \u2014 a showdown with Jonny Wilkinson.<\/p>\n Wilkinson takes the crown<\/p>\n It didn\u2019t take long for Carter to make the call.<\/p>\n \u201cI would have to go Jonny. He was just someone I aspired to be like and someone I really respected, so Jonny Wilkinson,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou deliberately put that last otherwise he would have been there most of the time! He was an awesome player.\u201d<\/p>\n Carter<\/p>\n Whether through World Cup glory, club success, or post-retirement ventures, the richest rugby union players demonstrate that the sport can be financially rewarding \u2014 if not quite billionaire-level.<\/p>\n Here, we rank the\u00a0Top 6 richest rugby union players in the world in 2025, ordered from 6 to 1, highlighting both their net worth in pounds (\u00a3) and the achievements that helped them earn it.<\/p>\n Join RUCK\u2019s Instagram broadcast channel <\/a>and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.<\/p>\n 6\ufe0f\u20e3 Richie McCaw (New Zealand)<\/p>\n Estimated Net Worth: \u00a312\u201314 million Key Points:<\/p>\n Two-time Rugby World Cup winner (2011, 2015)<\/p>\n Long All Blacks career with record appearances<\/p>\n Sponsorships with major brands (Adidas, aviation)<\/p>\n Post-retirement speaking engagements and business ventures<\/p>\n 5\ufe0f\u20e3 Brian O\u2019Driscoll (Ireland)<\/p>\n Estimated Net Worth: \u00a313\u201315 million Key Points:<\/p>\n Ireland and British & Irish Lions captain<\/p>\n Successful broadcasting career (punditry with BT Sport)<\/p>\n Brand ambassador for multiple companies<\/p>\n Post-retirement business roles<\/p>\n CONTINUES ON PAGE TWO<\/a><\/p>\n Like this:<\/p>\n Like Loading…<\/p>\n
Bio:\u00a0Widely regarded as the greatest openside flanker of all time, McCaw captained the All Blacks to two Rugby World Cup victories (2011, 2015). Known for his leadership, work ethic, and tactical intelligence.<\/p>\n
Bio:\u00a0Ireland\u2019s most capped player and one of the finest centres in rugby history. O\u2019Driscoll led Ireland and the British & Irish Lions to numerous successes and transitioned into media work after retirement.<\/p>\n