The 10 breakout rugby stars to watch in 2025: England’s scrum destroyer, a world-class 19-year-old and a human highlights reel

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The New Year brings new possibilities and 2025 has the potential to be a truly brilliant 12 months for the game of rugby union.
The British & Irish Lions tour of Australia and the Women’s World Cup in England are the standout moments to look forward to, and there is a burgeoning class of youngsters ready to make a name of themselves.
Here, Mail Sport sizes up the 10 breakout stars across the globe to keep an eye on this year…

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell will lead the British and Irish Lions against Australia this year

England will look to take their stunning Women’s Six Nations form into a home World Cup
Henry Pollock
Age: 19
Club: Northampton Saints
Country: England
Position: Back-row forward
A World Cup winner with England Under 20s last summer, Pollock is among what the RFU have said is a golden generation of young talent coming through.
At 19, he is still very young but he has made a big impression at senior level with Northampton in the last month. His try against Castres in the Champions Cup showed the fearsome power he has.
If he continues on an upward curve, a full England call for the Six Nations isn’t out of the realms of possibility. Pollock has been carefully managed by Northampton and despite his tender years, he is a very confident individual on and off the field.
That self-belief has sometimes earned him a ticking off from his more experienced Saints team-mates, but it is also a characteristic central to success at the highest level. Pollock’s already-impressive physicality will also surely improve even further as he grows.

Henry Pollock is in what the RFU feel is a golden generation of young talent coming through
Cortez Ratima
Age: 23
Club: Chiefs
Country: New Zealand
Position: Scrum-half
With Aaron Smith retired and TJ Perenara stepping away from international duty, New Zealand have lost 213 caps’ worth of experience in the No 9 shirt and are looking for a new generation – and that call is being answered by new kids on the block Ratima and Cam Roigard.
The latter is on the way back from a serious injury and in his stead Ratima’s progress in the last 12 months has been impressive.
One of the characteristics that defined Smith’s success as All Blacks scrum-half for so long was his speed of service. His passing was superb, as was his sniping running threat.
Ratima isn’t at that level quite yet, but he has the ability to be so in the years to come.

Cortez Ratima’s rise in the last 12 months for the Chiefs and New Zealand has been impressive
Afolabi Fasogbon
Age: 20
Club: Gloucester
Country: England
Position: Prop
It is hard not to get excited by this guy! He is a monstrous bloke for a 20-year-old and a destructive scrummager.
Another Under 20 World Cup winner, he has shot to prominence in the Premiership this season with his set-piece work and when he waved Ellis Genge goodbye after getting the better of him against Bristol. That incident showed not only Fasogbon’s huge talent, but also that he is not afraid to be a character and demonstrate what he’s about.
England need tighthead props for the future and he is sure to be one of them. Unfortunately, the ankle injury Fasogbon suffered in Gloucester’s win over Harlequins before Christmas will rule him out for the first few months of the year but when he returns he will be a box-office star.

Afolabi Fasogbon has shot to prominence in the Premiership this term with his set-piece work
Ellie Kildunne
Age: 25
Club: Harlequins
Country: England
Position: Full-back
The best women’s player in the world, Kildunne technically ‘broke out’ a long time ago. But she is included in this list because in 2025, she will be one of England’s leading figures as they host the Women’s World Cup.
England are favourites to win the tournament and frankly, they have to after their heartbreaking defeat by New Zealand in the final in 2022. If such success is to materialise, Kildunne will have to play a starring role.
And if that does happen, she is likely to become a truly global star and her profile will grow outside of just rugby circles. Kildunne is a wonderful runner and try machine on the field from her position of full-back. Off it, she is a marketeer’s dream with her own podcast, fashion label and interest in photography.
One potential concern to her development is the amount of rugby she has played in the last two seasons. But it certainly doesn’t look like fatigue has set in, not yet anyway.
She ended 2024 with a stellar performance for Harlequins at Twickenham in their ‘Big Game’ hammering of Leicester. Kildunne is the sort of player English rugby needs to attract a new audience of women’s players and supporters. With her mop of curly hair and electric speed, it’s also hard to miss her!

Ellie Kildunne will be one of England’s leading figures as they host the Women’s World Cup
Gus McCarthy
Age: 21
Club: Leinster
Country: Ireland
Position: Hooker
McCarthy has admittedly benefited from an injury to Dan Sheehan, but he is the latest off the Leinster and Ireland production line.
He is still technically in the second year of Leinster’s academy but in the autumn, McCarthy was named as a ‘training panellist’ by Ireland’s senior squad and impressed their coach Andy Farrell so much he made a try-scoring Test debut against Fiji and then made it two tries in two a week later against Australia after coming off the bench.
Sheehan – who is Leinster and Ireland’s first choice at hooker – will return from a long lay-off at some point this year, hopefully in time for the Lions tour. But, regardless of that, McCarthy is likely to continue his development with regular action.
Another young Leinster and Ireland player in fly-half Sam Prendergast was unlucky not to make this list, having also graduated to senior international honours and usurping Jack Crowley as Ireland’s No 10.

Gus McCarthy impressed Farrell so much he made a try-scoring Ireland Test debut against Fiji
Macs Page
Age: 20
Club: Scarlets
Country: Wales
Position: Centre
There wasn’t much for Welsh rugby supporters to cheer about in 2024. In 2025, the national team will have to win one if not two or three matches in their Six Nations campaign to keep Warren Gatland in his job as head coach after he presided over a national-record run of 12-straight losses.
Scarlets back Page is one of the brightest talents coming through in Wales, as he is already a regional regular and his try against Zebre this season showed exactly what he can do.
He trained with Wales’ senior side in the autumn and will be pushing for a Six Nations spot, with serious speed and playing in a position that has become a problem for Wales.
Gatland has struggled to find a consistent centre pairing and while throwing Page in for the Six Nations would undoubtedly be a gamble, but it may well prove to be one worth taking.

Macs Page is one of the brightest talents coming through in Wales – and a regular for Scarlets
Freddy Douglas
Age: 19
Club: Edinburgh
Country: Scotland
Position: Flanker
Scotland assistant coach John Dalziel called Douglas world class before he had ever played for club or country, and the flanker made his international debut before he had played a competitive club game for Edinburgh, when he was the youngest Scotland debutant in more than 60 years, off the bench against Portugal in November.
Douglas subsequently followed that with an Edinburgh bow later that same month and has signed a two-year deal with them – rejecting Bristol’s advances.
For too long, Scotland’s development pathway systems have struggled to produce enough top-quality players, forcing the country’s senior head coach Gregor Townsend to bring in Scottish-qualified players from abroad such as Duhan van der Merwe or Sione Tuipulotu. To that end, it is great to see someone like Douglas coming through. Expect to see him involved in the Six Nations.

Freddy Douglas was dubbed as world class before he had ever played for club or country
Joseph Sua’ali’i
Age: 21
Club: Waratahs
Country: Australia
Position: Centre
Sua’ali’i is one of the hottest prospects in the game after his big-money, cross-code switch in the southern hemisphere and he took the roof off Twickenham in his first game of rugby union since his school days when Australia stormed England’s fortress in November.
His ability in the air is something that stands out while his handling, forged in league, will also be a frequent focus of highlights packages for years to come.
Sua’ali’i will be a huge part of next summer’s Lions series and a player Farrell’s tourists will have to watch out for.
Away from rugby, Sua’ali’i is one cool dude. He has a big social media following and his own YouTube channel on which he posts vodcasts of life on tour.

Joseph Sua’ali’i is one of the hottest prospects in the game after his big-money, cross-code switch in the southern hemisphere
Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu
Age: 22
Club: Stormers
Country: South Africa
Position: Utility back
What a name and what a talent – the rugby world needs him to put his injury troubles behind him in 2025.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu is already a senior Springbok with eight caps, but can go to another level this year.
His appearances in the 2024 Rugby Championship indicated how much he has to offer the back-to-back world champions and he is one of a number of promising young talents coming through for Rassie Erasmus’ fearsome squad.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu is also likely to benefit from the fact he can play a number of back-line positions, including fly-half and full-back. With concerns still over incumbent No 10 Manie Libbok’s place kicking, that could be his way in – especially with the likes of Willie le Roux, Damian Willemse and Aphelele Fassi competing for the 15 shirt.
He was born in Cape Town but played some of his junior rugby in Wales when on an exchange placement at Llandovery College – the famous Welsh institution which has produced the likes of Alun Wyn Jones and George North.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu is a coming force. He just needs a run away from the treatment table.

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu’s appearances in the 2024 Rugby Championship indicated how much he has to offer the back-to-back world champions
Leo Barre
Age: 22
Club: Stade Francais
Country: France
Position: Full-back

Leo Barre is a different sort of operator with a much bigger counter-attacking threat for France
Barre broke into the French Test team in 2024 to win his first five caps, including scoring a crucial try in the narrow 33-31 win over England to close out the Six Nations.
His point of difference is his running game, which is electric. France have tended to play Thomas Ramos at No 15 and while Ramos is a dependable figure and a top kicker, Barre is a different sort of operator with a much bigger counter-attacking threat.
Expect to see him go well in the Six Nations for a French squad which is packed full of talent. Les Bleus head coach Fabien Galthie may be tempted to move Ramos to No 10 and pick Barre at full-back.
Who France go for in their playmaker positions depends a lot on the fitness of first-choice fly-half Romain Ntamack, who has had his injury troubles.