List of rugby union playing countries

This list shows each country which has a union affiliated to World Rugby, the international governing body for rugby union. It also shows the number of registered clubs playing in each country, official referees and the number of registered players broken down by gender and age group.

In 2023, the total number of registered players increased from 5.82 million to 8.4 million. South Africa has the most with 804,279. These numbers are all estimates and the correct number of registered players is likely higher.