Rugby World Cup-winning sides are often defined by their captain, as teams become a reflection of their skipper. Only eight men have worn the metaphorical armband and lifted the Webb Ellis Cup, with each of them going down in history as an all-time great.
From Francois Pienaar receiving the trophy from Nelson Mandela in 1995 to John Eales defining an Australian dynasty in 1999, through Martin Johnson dragging England to 2003 glory as the only northern hemisphere side to triumph and Richie McCaw’s place as probably the greatest of all, the only two-time winning captain in 2011 and 2015 – these men have led from the front to cement their status as legends.
