World Test and Sevens Rankings
At the end of the year we revisit test rankings, which see New Zealand back at the top but the Czech Republic and Japan making the biggest gains. We also look at the sevens ranking, allowing us to find out which nations are top at both forms of the game.
Published by John Birch, December 31st, 2015
7 minute read
Test ranking
It has been a long time since we last looked in detail at the World Test Rankings (as compiled for us bySerge Piquet) - a sign, perhaps, of how little test-match rugby is played. The last time we published the complete table was back in March, since when we have had the Super Series, the Asian Championship, the European Trophy and sundry friendly matches, but (particularly as these tests actually involved only a small number of teams) the result sees very little change.
We have also been awaiting the appearence of an official World Rugby women's ranking, which was promised for 2015. However this was a target that always seemed ambitious, with no internationally agreed list of test matches to base it upon. However we hear that significant progress is being made - both in terms of test match recognition and table calculation - so with a bit of luck we will finally see an official ranking in 2016.
Such a ranking will inevitably be different to ours (at least in detail), not just because the calculation method will be different, but because we understand that World Rugby will only include test matches played by their members, or at least those who were members at the time that the tests were played. Our rankings have never been concerned with such administrative details!
The major change since March sees New Zealand taking over at the top, deservedly and understandably after England's difficult test match year and the Fern's success in the Super Series. The United States also sneek above Ireland mainly because of the Super Series (Ireland's Six Nations gains being includedlast time).
Japan move up three places thanks to their Asian success, overtaking Belgium who do not gan any places but have all but eliminated the previous historic large points gap with Russia - they will almost certainly overtake them in 2016. Switzerland's success in the European Trophy also moves them up a place though further progress to the Top 20 will be slow as the gaps are now large.
However the biggest rise overall comes for the Czech Republic, whose continued test match activity is at last bearing fruit as all of the other teams around them played no tests in 2015. They leap up 11 places and enter the top 30 for the first time.
Sevens and Combined ranking
Serge also produces a ranking for sevens teams. This is based on individual match results, rather than the overall outcome of tournaments, which results in some minor unexpected diffrerences compared with matters such as World Series positions - which is partly why Canada (very narrowly) top the table ahead of Australia and the currently inconsistent New Zealand. Also, for the time being, results of "Great Britain" teams are being counted with "England".
In the sevens ranking we have highlighted the 11 teams who have currently qualfiied for the Olympics, which (amongst other things) shows quite what a surprise Colombia's qualification was, and also how unlucky South Africa were to have their Olympic place rejected.
The combined ranking gives equal weight to both Serge's test and sevens scores (rather than simply adding them together), with teams who play both formats obvioulsy gaining an advantage over teams who only play one (in most cases sevens).
Test match ranking
Sevens ranking
Combined ranking
1
New Zealand
5256
(+1)
1
Canada
9078
1
New Zealand
9961
2
England
5182
(-1)
2
Australia
9017
2
England
9859
3
France
5044
3
New Zealand
9008
3
Canada
9732
4
Canada
4974
4
England
8949
4
France
9640
5
United States
4932
(+1)
5
France
8791
5
United States
9427
6
Ireland
4928
(-1)
6
Russia
8778
6
Australia
9066
7
Wales
4591
7
Spain
8660
7
Spain
8858
8
Italy
4380
8
United States
8597
8
Ireland
8804
9
Australia
4309
9
Fiji
8531
9
South Africa
8168
10
Spain
4298
10
Brazil
7610
10
Wales
7627
11
South Africa
4245
11
South Africa
7498
11
Italy
6948
12
Scotland
4196
12
Ireland
7473
12
Netherlands
6805
Nomads
3590
13
Netherlands
7326
13
Russia
6755
13
Samoa
3507
14
China
7266
14
Kazakhstan
6315
14
Kazakhstan
3361
15
Japan
7174
15
Scotland
6223
15
Netherlands
2912
16
Hong Kong
6270
16
Japan
5970
16
Sweden
2884
17
Wales
5919
17
Samoa
5728
17
Japan
2122
(+3)
18
Kazakhstan
5661
18
Fiji
5355
18
Russia
2019
(-1)
19
Portugal
5649
19
Hong Kong
5186
19
Belgium
2015
(-1)
20
Germany
5116
20
Sweden
4916
20
Germany
1948
(-1)
21
Italy
5050
21
China
4889
21
Hong Kong
1821
22
Argentina
4937
22
Germany
4671
22
Switzerland
1541
(+1)
23
Tunisia
4671
23
Brazil
4564
23
Finland
1488
(-1)
24
Ukraine
4559
24
Belgium
4149
24
Singapore
1318
25
Samoa
4342
Nomads
3415
25
Kenya
1217
26
PNG
4211
25
Kenya
3394
26
Uganda
1132
27
Thailand
4067
26
Singapore
3373
27
China
932
28
Kenya
4061
27
Portugal
3228
28
Norway
896
29
Belgium
4052
28
Finland
2938
29
Czech Rep.
810
(+11)
30
Scotland
4051
29
Thailand
2865
30
Romania
793
(-1)
31
Sweden
3945
30
Switzerland
2854
31
Trinidad & Tob.
788
(-1)
32
Sri Lanka
3867
31
Argentina
2719
32
Fiji
690
(-1)
33
Singapore
3847
32
Tunisia
2573
33
Cayman Islands
669
(-1)
34
Mexico
3744
33
Ukraine
2511
34
Thailand
657
(-1)
35
Colombia
3654
34
Romania
2436
35
Uzbekistan
634
(-1)
36
Guam
3212
35
PNG
2382
36
Denmark
619
(-1)
37
Romania
3054
36
Uganda
2240
Caribbean Sel.
606
38
Uzbekistan
2954
37
Uzbekistan
2230
37
Jamaica
582
(-1)
39
Finland
2765
38
Colombia
2198
38
Tonga
519
(-1)
40
Denmark
2639
39
Norway
2149
39
Philippines
504
(-1)
41
Switzerland
2521
40
Sri Lanka
2130
40
Luxembourg
481
(-1)
42
Philippines
2496
41
Czech Rep.
2085
41
Malaysia
468
43
Cook Islands
2462
42
Mexico
2062
42
Laos
448
44
Tonga
2407
43
Denmark
2042
43
Guyana
431
45
Czech Rep.
2387
44
Trinidad & Tob.
1972
44
Brazil
392
46
Zimbabwe
2376
45
Philippines
1854
45
Serbia
348
47
Chile
2376
46
Tonga
1819
46
Rwanda
341
48
Georgia
2364
47
Guam
1769
47
Barbados
292
49
Norway
2355
48
Jamaica
1739
48
Bosnia & Herz.
255
50
Poland
2336
49
Cayman Islands
1601
49
Austria
241
51
Hungary
2313
50
Malaysia
1512
50
Guernsey
201
52
Uruguay
2232
51
Zimbabwe
1362
51
Colombia
195
(-1)
53
Paraguay
2229
52
Cook Islands
1356
52
Namibia
185
(-1)
54
Trinidad & Tob.
2220
53
Hungary
1350
53
Zambia
179
(-1)
55
Moldova
2205
54
Chile
1309
54
Mayotte
177
(-1)
56
Jamaica
2153
55
Georgia
1302
55
Bahamas
174
(-1)
57
Venezuela
2141
56
Laos
1301
56
Croatia
164
(-1)
58
Uganda
2112
57
Poland
1287
57
St Vincent
130
(-1)
59
Croatia
2042
58
Croatia
1281
58
Portugal
123
(-1)
60
Chinese Taipei
2027
59
Venezuela
1278
59
Kyrgyzstan
122
(-1)
61
UAE
1990
60
Uruguay
1229
60
Burundi
121
(-1)
62
South Korea
1968
61
Paraguay
1228
61
Venezuela
104
(-1)
63
Malaysia
1937
62
Moldova
1214
62
Réunion
89
(-1)
64
Israel
1936
63
Austria
1209
63
Cambodia
85
(-1)
65
Austria
1778
64
Luxembourg
1118
64
Botswana
85
(-1)
66
India
1775
65
Chinese Taipei
1116
65
Hungary
80
(-1)
67
Peru
1763
66
UAE
1096
66
Jersey
74
68
Cayman Islands
1752
67
South Korea
1084
67
PNG
66
(-2)
69
Malta
1670
68
Israel
1066
68
Zimbabwe
56
(-2)
70
Latvia
1664
69
Guyana
1023
71
Iran
1661
70
Serbia
984
72
Bulgaria
1620
71
India
978
73
Senegal
1612
72
Peru
971
74
Lithuania
1606
73
Malta
920
75
Laos
1589
74
Latvia
917
76
New Caledon.
1568
75
Iran
915
77
Slovenia
1502
76
Bulgaria
892
78
Madagascar
1382
77
Zambia
890
79
Zambia
1307
78
Senegal
888
80
Luxembourg
1199
79
Lithuania
885
81
Serbia
1185
80
Barbados
877
82
Andorra
1180
81
New Caledon.
864
83
Costa Rica
1144
82
Slovenia
827
84
Botswana
1141
83
Madagascar
761
85
Guyana
1113
84
Bahamas
730
86
Barbados
1088
85
Bosnia & Herz.
722
87
Slovakia
1056
86
Botswana
709
88
Turkey
1046
87
Namibia
692
89
Bahamas
1024
88
Andorra
650
90
Saint Lucia
964
89
Costa Rica
630
91
Namibia
937
90
Slovakia
582
92
Bosnia & Herz.
871
Caribbean Sel.
576
93
Bermuda
830
91
Turkey
576
94
Fr. Polenisiea
768
92
Saint Lucia
531
95
Morocco
689
93
Rwanda
521
96
El Salvador
688
94
Bermuda
457
97
Egypt
631
95
Fr. Polenisiea
423
98
Guatemala
588
96
Morocco
379
99
Hawaii
587
97
El Salvador
379
100
Panama
568
98
Mayotte
365
101
Turks & C.
558
99
Egypt
348
102
Guadeloupe
544
100
St Vincent
345
103
Curaçao
479
101
Guatemala
324
104
Solomon Islands
474
102
Hawaii
323
105
Nicaragua
453
103
Panama
313
106
Reunion
444
104
Turks & C.
307
107
Burkina Faso
437
105
Guadeloupe
300
108
St Vincent
402
106
Cambodia
275
109
Montenegro
364
107
Curaçao
264
110
Mayotte
357
108
Solomon Islands
261
111
Rwanda
357
109
Nicaragua
250
112
Cambodia
353
110
Reunion
245
113
French Guyana
330
111
Burkina Faso
241
114
Indonesia
310
112
Kyrgyzstan
232
115
Greece
288
113
Montenegro
200
116
Ivory Coast
257
114
Guernsey
191
117
Niue
233
115
Burundi
190
118
Nigeria
233
116
French Guyana
182
119
Ghana
227
117
Indonesia
171
120
Cameroon
216
118
Greece
159
121
Kyrgyzstan
210
119
Ivory Coast
142
122
Cuba
195
120
Niue
128
123
Togo
158
121
Nigeria
128
124
Martinique
149
122
Ghana
125
125
Ecuador
145
123
Cameroon
119
126
Brit. Virgin Isl.
143
124
Cuba
107
127
Burundi
136
125
Togo
87
128
Mauritius
112
126
Réunion
85
129
St Martin
106
127
Martinique
82
130
St Kitts & Nevis
42
128
Ecuador
80
131
Mali
36
129
Brit. Virgin Isl.
79
132
Niger
35
130
Jersey
70
133
Qatar
24
131
Mauritius
62
134
San Marino
23
132
St Martin
58
135
Guinea
22
133
St Kitts & Nevis
23
136
Mauritania
22
134
Mali
20
137
Kuwait
22
135
Niger
19
138
RD Congo
20
136
Qatar
13
139
Vanuatu
18
137
San Marino
13
140
Wallis & Futuna
18
138
Guinea
12
139
Mauritania
12
140
Kuwait
12
141
RD Congo
11
142
Vanuatu
10
143
Wallis & Futuna
10
© Serge PIQUET - Décembre 2015 / December 2015