Dan Carter has stirred the pot after stepping into a brutal ‘Winner Stays On’ showdown, where he was forced to rank some of the greatest fly-halves of the modern era.
In a chat with Midi Olympique, the All Blacks legend was put on the spot—given 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.
Join RUCK’s Instagram broadcast channel and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.
Carter kicked things off by choosing between Owen Farrell and Finn Russell — 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.
“Oh my god, the future or the legend himself? It’s hard but I’m going to go on experience. What Owen Farrell has done in an England jersey is incredible.
“Maybe in five or 10 years, Ntamack will be in the same conversation.”
Next up was an Irish legend. Farrell squared off against Ronan O’Gara — and that’s where his streak ended, though Carter admitted his decision wasn’t exactly neutral.
“I’ve got to go with my mate ROG, he would kill me,” Carter laughed. “He would be straight on the phone and ring me if I don’t choose him. He’s a points-scoring legend.”
O’Gara also triumphed in the all-Ireland showdown with Johnny Sexton.
“Geez, there’s a bit of rivalry there, but I have to go with my mate ROG again.”
But the La Rochelle boss met his match when Beauden Barrett appeared on the other side of the bracket.
“Picking an All Black over an Ireland player, it’s 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.”
Barrett then faced an enormous challenge in Wallabies great Stephen Larkham, the heartbeat of Australia’s 1999 World Cup triumph. Still, Carter’s patriotism shone through.
“Stephen Larkham’s right there and I had a lot of good rivalries against Stephen Larkham. He was awesome.
“They both played 15 as well, so both really versatile and could play 10 or 15. It’s hard not to pick a New Zealander, I’m a pretty patriotic person, so I will go Beaudy.”
When asked if he’d choose himself over Barrett, the famously humble Carter didn’t entertain it, leaving Barrett to move on to the final clash — a showdown with Jonny Wilkinson.
It didn’t take long for Carter to make the call.
“I would have to go Jonny. He was just someone I aspired to be like and someone I really respected, so Jonny Wilkinson,” he said.
“You deliberately put that last otherwise he would have been there most of the time! He was an awesome player.”
Whether through World Cup glory, club success, or post-retirement ventures, the richest rugby union players demonstrate that the sport can be financially rewarding — if not quite billionaire-level.
Here, we rank the Top 6 richest rugby union players in the world in 2025, ordered from 6 to 1, highlighting both their net worth in pounds (£) and the achievements that helped them earn it.
Join RUCK’s Instagram broadcast channel and get the latest rugby news straight to your phone.
Estimated Net Worth: £12–14 million
Bio: Widely 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.
Key Points:
Estimated Net Worth: £13–15 million
Bio: Ireland’s most capped player and one of the finest centres in rugby history. O’Driscoll led Ireland and the British & Irish Lions to numerous successes and transitioned into media work after retirement.
Key Points:
Get the latest news, highlights, and connect with fellow fans