With 75 caps and counting, and a British & Irish Lions Tour to New Zealand, his record stacks up with the very best to have played for Wales in the position. Honours: 44 Scotland caps, five Calcutta Cup wins. Between 1986 and 1992 he was awarded 44 caps for Scotland and 3 on the victorious 1989 tour of Australia with the Lions. With ball in hand, he seems to have so much time and space, and can ghost past opponents. Ford began his career at Border Reivers and played in the World Cup in 2007, 2011 and 2015, as well as going on the 2009 Lions tour. contact the editor here. England showed improvement in a 20-10 win against Wales with some well-constructed attack leading to three tries. 6 nations winners list 9. History Books; The Super League War. He also holds the record for the most points in the Heineken Cup. Leonardo Ghiraldini (Italy) A great of the Italian game, Leonardo Ghiraldini was denied a final farewell for the Azzurri at the World Cup by typhoon Hagibis. List of Scotland national rugby union team records, Statsguru / Ordered by: points difference (descending), Statsguru / Ordered by: points difference (reverse), Statsguru / Ordered by: total matches played, Statsguru / Ordered by: total matches played as captain, Statsguru / Ordered by: total tries scored, Statsguru / Ordered by: total points scored, Statsguru / Ordered by: total points scored in a match, Statsguru / Ordered by: total tries scored in a match, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Scotland_national_rugby_union_team_records&oldid=1141753968, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 16:43. Newsquest Media Group Ltd, Loudwater Mill, Station Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Honours: 77 Scotland caps, two Calcutta Cup wins, Heineken Cup winner with Leinster, one Lions tour. Farrell's lack of 'spark'. The starter for their World Cup win in 2003, after playing every game of the Grand Slam victory, Thompson had made his debut the previous year as England had to settle for the runners-up spot. Both players in their careers can proudly show off not just one, but two Rugby World Cup winners medals each for the All Blacks. "Yeah it is my goal . Once dubbed the fastest player on the planet, Habana raced a cheetah to prove the point. One of his most memorable last-ditch tackles was against England full-back Ben Foden in the 2011 Calcutta cup match at Twickenham. Where else to start than the man who called time on his Ireland career at the end of 2019 after a remarkable decade and a half. He was a great competitor but went about his business as captain with calm authority. Peter Stringer (Ireland, 98 caps) In June the scrum-half hung up the well-travelled boots at the age of 40. What set him apart? After their run of three successive championship wins was interrupted in 1928 he took over the captaincy in his final season to lead the side to yet another title in his final season in 1929. Most Capped Scotland Rugby Players Quiz - By WilfredMacHew Popular Quizzes Today 1 Find the US States - No Outlines Minefield 2 Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield 3 Countries of the World 4 Name Just One - 10 to 1: History Sports Rugby QUIZ LAB SUBMISSION Random Sports or Rugby Quiz Most Capped Scotland Rugby Players The inaugural World Rugby Player of the Year, Keith Wood was a talisman as Ireland established themselves as a global force. This is a list of the appearance leaders in men's rugby union test matches, listing the 79 players with over one hundred test caps. With the most significant overhaul of players in the club's history . But which of these 10 has represented the national team on the most occasions? Perhaps that moment which allowed Gavin Hastings to end 26 years of Scottish waiting for a win in Paris happened too early in his career in raising expectations as it did. 1) Alun Wyn Jones - 162. Scott, now 58, was Scotland's most-capped player when he retired from international rugby. Chucked into the mix at 21 by Marc Livremont, he had to bide his time to become first choice for Les Bleus. What set him apart? It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse. Football - Fitness - Cricket - NFL - NBA - MLB - Horse Racing - All Sports, Stuart Hogg reacts to beating England in February 2021, 6 Potential Debutants at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Ronaldo at Inter Milan Where Genius Met Tragedy, The Karate Belt Ranking System and Belt Order, Bobby Thomson and the "Shot Heard Round the World - in his own words, The Future of Boxing : Top 10 Boxing Prospects. To be a step above all these other incredible players you need a certain drive, a tenacity to achieve what is truly great. The 50 greatest rugby players of the professional era - Wales Online Warren Gatland rips up Wales team with nine changes and Dan Biggar dropped Wales v England ref Mathieu Raynal, the man who. Like most players in this list, it could easily have been more - the. Honours: 15 Scotland caps, one Grand Slam, three Five Nations Championship wins, three Calcutta Cup wins, one Lions tour (three Test appearances). The most capped player in the history of the game, the Wales and Lions lock has been the figurehead of Welsh rugby for well over a decade. The top five are listed in each category (except when there is a tie for the last place among the five, when all the tied record holders are noted). A farmer from the decidedly unfashionable Howe of Fifeclub, he was a model of rugged reliability. A frantic game but France had enough in the tank to see it out. Over the 20 years since Italy joined the Championship, the Guinness Six Nations has provided countless magical moments, stunning tries and special players. He joined the national side as a 17-year-old, becoming the youngest player ever to score in the UEFA Euro competition. We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse. The Lions lost the first test but went on to win the remaining two to clinch the series. The hooker, who was so highly-regarded that at one point he was preferred to Sergio Parisse as Italy captain, had recovered from a torn ACL only seven months earlier to be fit for that game, only for his hopes to be dashed. A Springbok powerhouse, who for many is the greatest lock of the modern era. Making it as an international player generally means you need to have something just that little bit special about you. Rory Best and Ken Owens won Grand Slams in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. Charitarth Ahlawat - December 1, 2021. Honours: 20/21 Scotland caps, three Home International Championship wins, one Calcutta Cup win. Hes an attacking fullback with pace and balance. Scotland legends, every one of them. Looking back, the 35-3 drubbing Exeter suffered against Saracens on New Year's Eve could have sent their season down two paths. By 2017 he had overtaken Chris Paterson as the most capped Scotland rugby player of all time, an accolade he still holds to this day. Still playing for Toulon in the French league, it was rumoured that Sergio Parisse would return to play one final game for Italy in the six nations to officially retire in front of the Azzurri fans. Ireland first tried to snatch Celtic star Mikey Johnston from Scotland six years ago - and finally look to have convinced the Scot to switch allegiances.. Gonalo Uva and Vasco Uva are the most capped players . Ross Ford: Scotland's most capped player retires 27 June 2019 Scottish Rugby Ford made his final appearance for Edinburgh at Murrayfield in April this year Scotland's record cap holder. The same applied to the Lions once Irvine arrived as a late replacement on the 1980 tour of South Africa; and both performed admirably with the late Clem Thomas perhaps best summing Hay up with his simple description of the Boroughmuir man in his official history of the Lions as a hundred-per-cent player if ever there was one.. heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment. After a Test debut against the All Blacks as a late replacement on Scotlands tour in 2000 he took time to establish himself in the squad and opted out for a while during fellow Aussie Matt Williams time in charge, but in a career that has gone on and on has never lacked commitment once he takes the field. Another former skipper in this list, and not the last, Dylan Hartley saw his World Cup hopes ended by injury in 2019. Many had England as favourites but Sole Captained a Scotland team with no intention of losing that day. Genia holds the lowest number of caps for anyone in this squad, but the former Wallabies captain managed to win both the Tri-Nations and its newer format, The Rugby Championship. However, it probably also spoke to the Lions managements inability to work out how best to accommodate his unorthodoxy. Rochelle Clark is the most-capped England player of all time, playing in 137 Tests for the Red Roses. Ultimately by way of a teaserahead of the final countdown at the end of the week our top five alone includes players who won Lions Test series; played in Lions Tests but never won; toured but never made the Lions Test side; and who never even went on a Lions tour. . The fourth most capped player in history, ODriscolls eight games for the Lions is surpassed by just 10 players. Romania and Scotland. The records listed below only include performances in Test matches. Is this talking about the current Englan 8? And as we head into the 2020 Guinness Six Nations, it feels like the perfect time to reflect on those players who have had the biggest impact on the last two decades. The top five are listed in each category (except when there is a tie for the last place among the five, when all the tied record holders are noted). This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's A winner of both the World Rugby U20 Championship and Rugby World Cup. South Africas most capped player completes the tight five. (2000-2011) Edinburgh Reivers, Edinburgh, Perpignan, Leinster, Clermont Auvergne, Sale Sharks. Player has the record number of caps for their national team. In the professional era, performance at this global event is increasingly how players status in the game is being judged; but it was not always so. This site is part of Newsquest's audited local newspaper network. In the past, the journalists job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Keven Mealamu retired in 2015 after 13 years, whilst Sam Whitelock continues to put on the black of New Zealand as he reaches his 12th year in international rugby. Usually deployed at full-back, he was equally effective at fly-half and out on the wing. What set him apart? Everyone looks up to him, respects him and I wish him well in his retirement.". Final Test: Scotland 10-6 Ireland, 2011 Rugby World Cup warm-up (Murrayfield, Edinburgh) Accolades: Grand Slam (2009), Six Nations Championship (2009), Triple Crown (2004, 2006, 2007, . The Blues will take on Australian heavyweights the Brumbies at 4:00pm NZT, in the final match of the Super Round weekend. Players like Gavin Hastings, Greg Laidlaw, Doddie Weir, and the current head coach Gregor Townsend. 1. The other task, of course, is the near impossible one of comparing players from different eras, particularly those whose careers took place beyond living memory. He was a tough player and never backed away from a challenge. In 2016 after some fine performances, he was named player of the Six Nations Championship. WalesOnline reports that Scotland captain Stuart Hogg was the highest-paid player in Scotland during his time with the Glasgow Warriors, but added an extra 200,000 to his salary when he joined English club Exeter Chiefs last year. WhatsApp. It is important that we continue to promote these adverts as our local businesses need as much support as possible during these challenging times. Richard Hibbards Championship career might be shorter than a few other players on this list but he packed plenty into it. These adverts enable local businesses to get in front of their target audience the local community. "Fordy is a legend," he said "I sit next to him in the Edinburgh changing room and he epitomises a professional. Rugby union requires only one nation to recognise a match as a test in order for it to be included in test statistics for that nation. This is a list of the appearance leaders in men's rugby union test matches, listing the 79 players with over one hundred test caps. Scotlands selectors had no such problems with an exceptional athlete whose capacity to read the game repeatedly saw him turn up where least expected in either defence or attack. Nevertheless Molony has his eyes on the biggest prize of all - a place in Farrell's France 2023 squad - and his ambition is to do it without injuries clearing the path for him. Shalva Mamukashvili (Georgia Rugby Union): Experienced hooker has 83 Georgia caps to his name having also played for Montpellier, Glasgow Warriors, Sale Sharks and Toulon. By 2017 he had overtaken Chris Paterson as the most capped Scotland rugby player of all time, an accolade he still holds to this day. It is still a huge occasion for fans from both countries as the teams battle it out to win the Calcutta Cup. As well as that success, he was also part of the England sides that won the Championship in 2011 and 2017, winning the latter as captain. One of the few England players to be part of both their 2003 Grand Slam and the 2011 Championship title, Steve Thompson was Englands standout hooker for much of the 2000s. "There's a lot of talent here so if I can help them develop, hopefully they'll go on to big things," he said. SCOTLAND 15 Stuart Hogg 7/10 Still only 23 but, with 39 caps, already one of Scotland's most reliable performers. What set him apart? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Since then Bernard Laporte convinced him to come out of retirement, and Ibanez was part of the France team that won the 2006 Championship and reclaimed the captaincy for another success the following year. Tomas Francis (England), Jake Ball (England), Ross Moriarty (England), Aaron Shingler (England), Jonathan Davies (England), Hadleigh Parkes (New Zealand), Hallam Amos (England), George North. Vlaicu may still be an active player, but at 34 years old and no tests planned for the rest of the year, time is running out for the Romanian to add to his impressive tally. Something that sets you apart from all those other great club players. A renowned short fuse which contributed to him being the first man to be red carded when representing Scotland in a Test has been considered a weakness but is indicative of a fiercely competitive nature while he also boasts astonishing subtlety for one so combative his off-loading a product of having learned his trade in rugby league. Most Capped Scottish Rugby Players: Here are the 11 rugby union players with most Scotland appearances - from Gregor Townsend to Stuart Hogg scotsman.com - David Hepburn 6h The Scottish rugby union team dates back to 1871 when they played their first game - a 1-0 victory over England at Raeburn Place. 50 John Bannerman He plays in the fullback (and occasionally wing) position for England club Bristol Bears in the Premiership, and formerly for New Zealand's national team the All Blacks. Winning 124 caps in total for his country, Best was part of four Championship-winning sides in all, and became the bedrock of the team under Joe Schmidt having spent his early years battling with Jerry Flannery for the starting role. It was a hard tour against a supremely talented Wallabies team with players like Nick Farr-Jones and David Campese. By. 49 Charles Reid Who has scored the most international tries? Scotland's last Grand Slam success was decided by a Calcutta Cup clash for the ages in 1990, when politics and off-field tensions with England meant there was a lot more than a rugby result at stake Last updated on 27 June 201927 June 2019.From the section Scottish Rugby. Former British & Irish Lion Ford, 35, will put his experience to use in the Scottish Rugby academy. Players are sorted by date of debut with those in the starting lineup before replacements, then alphabetically by surname and initials. He comes in every day, works hard, puts everything out on the field, recovers well and he comes in and does it again. A slightly shorter international career than others on this list, Stephen Moore still wore the green and gold of Australia for 12 years. Gordon Bulloch comes in at No.43 in our list. Rugby union requires only one nation to recognise a match as a test in order for it to be included in test statistics for that nation. He played in all matches for Scotland during that championship. Kudos to Rugby Canada and . Between 1986 and 1991 Finlay Calder, represented Scotland 34 times. That 1903 tour perhaps marks the measure of the manas a leader since, for all that they were the first Lions to lose a series in South Africa, they had lost seven of 16 matches on that tour before the first Test yet remarkably took it to the final match after two drawn matches before losing a hard fought decider 8-0. The only current player on this list, Ken Owens earned his second Grand Slam title in 2019, and has now established himself as a Wales great in the position. Alun Wyn Jones says he will be treating Wales' Six Nations match against Scotland just as normal, even though he will become world rugby's most capped player when he wins his 149th cap Honours: 75 Scotland caps, one Five Nations Championship win, two Lions tours (two Test appearances). Indeed, local legend around Cupar maintains that he could have gone on longer but the Scottish selectors of the time did not want someone from their little club to surpass the national cap record held by a man from much more prestigious Hawick, his long time front-row colleague Hugh McLeod. Having played 10,890 test match minutes, Parisse has featured on a rugby field for a longer period than any other player. Yet, while those lists offered useful pointers, many great international players missed out on those jaunts fora variety of reasons, particularly during the amateur era when the capacity to find the time to take part in gargantuan tours was a factor. What set him apart? I could go on, the list is almost endless. We are an Amazon Affiliate partner and as such receive commission payments if you buy items through the site. (1968-79) West of Scotland, London Scottish Appearing at three British and Irish Lions tours, the versatile prop was well known as a new breed of prop with an incredible turnover ability, fitness, and speed. Player is still active at club level but has either retired from international rugby or has not been selected for their national team over a year. Now the head coach of La Rochelle, Ronan OGara was one of the most intelligent rugby players on the planet. If we break down the top. England's most-capped player is not Ben Youngs and women's records are just as important, says Sarah Hunter Hunter earned her 133rd cap during the Red Roses' TikTok Six Nations win against. His international career spanned 11 years, but his time in the club game went well. Winning most of his caps out of London Scottish he could also take particular satisfaction from being a member of one of only four Scottish teams ever to win at Twickenham, just along the road from his clubs home ground in Richmond. His international farewell was delayed first by Typhoon Hagibis and second by the COVID-19 pandemic, postponing what will hopefully be a golden swansong for the Italian legend. Universally known as Wagga in honour of his home town in Australia, the adopted Scot, who arrived in Gala on a life-changing walkabout year in 1998 and has hardly stopped touring Europe since, is as pleasant a characteroff the field as he is unpleasant to face on it. You can make a complaint by using the report this post link . He played in the front row and was instantly recognisable by the cut off sleeves on his shirt that prevented the player opposite him getting a good bind on him in the scrum. Most Capped Male Scottish Rugby Players: Here are the 11 male rugby union players with most Scotland appearances - from Gregor Townsend to Stuart Hogg scotsman.com - David Hepburn 1d The Scottish men's rugby union team dates back to 1871 when they played their first game - a 1-0 victory over England at Raeburn Place. In the early part of the century, Gordon Bulloch was the go-to man in the No.2 jersey for Scotland, racking up 75 caps for his country over an eight-year spell. His record cap figure is a historic statistic in the sport, contributing to three of Wales' Grand Slams. He was born in New Zealand but qualifies to represent Scotland via his. Following the recent successes with the Chiefs, he will be determined to repeat it with Scotland as their Captain. We are doing this to improve the experience forour loyalreaders and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. He played for Edinburgh District and Edinburgh Rugby, and at amateur level, he played for Watsonians. To be capped just once is some feat, let alone 100. In Australia, he was the youngest player on tour. Alongside fly-half Stephen Larkham, he holds the world record for half back partnership appearances with 79. Scotland's record cap holder Ross Ford has confirmed his retirement from playing and will now help coach the country's best young talent. Please do buy them through the site, it doesnt cost you anything and you buy everything at Amazon anyway. Scotland squad for 2022/2023. Sean Fitzpatrick (NZ) - Widely regarded as one of the finest players New Zealand has ever produced (And that's saying something!) Wood had an all-round skillset and his 15 tries currently stand as the most by any hooker in the history of the game. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories. This so far has never come to fruition, however. Data returned from the Piano 'meterActive/meterExpired' callback event. {{ getCountdownLabel('days', language) }}, {{ getCountdownLabel('hours', language) }}, {{ getCountdownLabel('mins', language) }}, {{ getCountdownLabel('secs', language) }}, {{ fixture.score.teamA }} - {{ fixture.score.teamB }}, {{ yourTime(fixture.datetime, 'HH:mm') }}, {{ moment(fixture.datetime).format('DD MMM YYYY') }}, We use cookies on our site to provide the best online experience, personalise content, and analyse our site - for further information see our. A rare player to have featured in four Rugby World Cups, Ashley-Coopers 39 tries for Australia sees him third in their all-time try-scoring list, behind David Campese and Chris Latham. Let Statsguru, our unrivalled record of international rugby, answer these questions and many more. In 1933 he was made Captain and led Scotland to victory over England, Wales and Ireland to win the Triple Crown. 45 Bruce Hay Sadly, 27-year-old Polledri's injury hell continues with the Gloucester Rugby forward set to have surgery on his shoulder after feeling discomfort while playing for the Azzurri in their 14-31 . Wallaby Sevens star Maurice Longbottom describes the Olympic village environment and how the athletes were able to interact away from the competitions. That record still stands today. Honours: 37 Scotland caps, one Grand Slam, four Five Nations Championship wins, four Calcutta Cup wins. The Rugby World Cup 2007 winner also bagged himself 67 tries in his international career, just two behind record try scorer, Daisuke Ohata. Twitter. He could become Hawick's most capped player," he said. Kushnarevs career has spanned 15 years to date. So good as a last line of defence that Andy Irvine was shifted to the wing to accommodate him, Hay was famously teased by Jim Renwick for scoring the first try he had watched live and in slow motion at the same time. During that time he scored 8 points. Position. All 12 Super Rugby Pacific teams will play out of the same venue at . 3. Les joueurs passs par le PSG et le FC Nantes, Most Caps without a British & Irish Lions Cap, British & Irish Lions Test Squads 2001-2021. Most Capped Scotland Rugby Players Quiz - By sarahlefley100 Popular Quizzes Today 1 Find the US States - No Outlines Minefield 2 NBA Top 75 with a Championship Minefield 3 Countries of the World 4 Unbox the Countries of Europe Sports Sports Teams QUIZ LAB SUBMISSION Random Sports or Sports Teams Quiz Most Capped Scotland Rugby Players It was a proud moment for the openside as he was the first Scotsman to Captain the Lions since 1966. What set him apart? Thomas Ramos - 7.5. Can't find the record you are looking for? 44 Mark Morrison He also represented the British and Irish Lions in Australia in 2013 and New Zealand in 2017. Featuring on two Lions tours and part of three Welsh Grand Slams, Jenkins is the most capped prop in rugby history. Scotland rugby international dead aged 26: . His magnificence is paired with mistakes, and one usually outweighs the other. Scotland put in their "best performance of the season" against France, according to head coach Gregor Townsend, but small margins mean their Grand Slam hopes are over. However, captain Owen Farrell did not do much to ignite . Don't click on the links if they infuriate you. Sports Mole previews Sunday's Major League Soccer clash between San Jose Earthquakes and Vancouver Whitecaps, including predictions, team news MX23RW : Friday, March 3 04:42:23| >> :120:70533: . The flying Scotsman died in 1972 and in 2013 he was inducted into the Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame. Rachel Corsie and Leanne Crichton hear from Real Madrid's Caroline Weir, who discusses her dream move to Spain. 43 Gordon Bulloch Let Statsguru, our. Between 1986 and 1992 he was awarded 44 caps for Scotland and 3 on the victorious 1989 tour of Australia with the Lions. When it's the former . Victor Matfield, 127 (South Africa) As a subscriber, you are shown 80% less display advertising when reading our articles. The 30-year-old has established himself as one of his club's key men since joining from Glasgow in 2017 and has won 30 caps for the national team, the most recent of which came in the autumn. Both teams were just one win away from securing a Grand slam Five Nations championship. While he played much of his career before Italys arrival in the Championship, making his debut back in 1994, Wood enjoyed some of his finest moments in the 2000. Sarah Hunter has 130 caps - with her tally set to grow in the upcoming Women's Six Nations - while Katy Daley-Mclean (116) and Tamara Taylor (115) have also passed the three-figure milestone. One of the best hookers to grace the game, Moores 129 caps came in just 12 years. As well as being part of the Scotland team that won the Championship in 1999, he played a key role under Ian McGeechan after Italy made five into six. That was perhaps partly down to timing as he was part of a generation that also included Willie John McBride, Broon frae Troon and Bill Beaumont. More than 45,000 people selected their own team, and we can now reveal Scotland's Greatest XV as decided by you. 41 Al McHarg Position. Ms Karen who just created this drama is laughing himself to death at how the Lambs can be so manipulated to theatre. Alun Wyn Jones of Ospreys applauds the fans during the United Rugby Championship match between Ospreys and Scarlets at the Swansea.com Stadium (Photo by Athena Pictures/Getty Images) First capped for the Welsh national team back in 2005, Alun Wyn Jones has become a true talisman for the men in red. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself. Find the US States - No Outlines Minefield, Find the Countries of Europe - No Outlines Minefield. Hogg won his first-ever cap for Scotland against Wales in 2012 when he was introduced as a substitute for Max Evans. Scotland's players celebrate after their teammate Huw Jones scored a try during the Six Nations rugby union international match between France and Scotland, at Stade De France in Paris, Sunday . 0. Facebook. Italys most recognisable player due to his shaggy beard and hair combination. Everything you need to know about following football with BBC Sport Scotland, Dolokoto will bring 'Fijian flair' to Glasgow. Those ads you do see are predominantly from local businesses promoting local services. While even he could not cover half the period on the basis of personal memory I was consequently grateful to the venerable Bill McMurtrie for his assistance, after extensive wider consultation, in making the final decisions. Racking up 1,083 points, OGara holds the record as Irelands top point scorer and is one of only five men to surpass the 1,000-point barrier. The Scotland wing played 32 tests between 1924 and 1933. Only 24 when he retired from international rugby he had set a then Scottish record of 19 or 20 international appearances (depending on whether the first meeting with Ireland in 1885 which was abandoned after half an hour is included), captaining his country in four of his last five matches and running in four tries, a formidable strike rate for a forward in any era. 15. . Discover RugbyPass+ premium articles, the best rugby content from award-winning journalists, pundits, top coaches and the biggest stars of the game.