Cheslin Kolbe

Standing just 1.71m, Cheslin Kolbe has spent his career proving that size is no barrier at the very top of the game. Born in Cape Town on 28 October 1993, the South African wing is among the most elusive runners in the modern sport, a player whose footwork, balance and acceleration can unlock the tightest of defences in a phone box of space. Kolbe was a key figure in the Springboks' run to the 2019 Rugby World Cup title, capping the final with a try that underlined his big-game temperament. A product of South African sevens before his transition to the fifteen-a-side game, he has carried that broken-field instinct into Test and club rugby, where he is equally dangerous from broken play, off set-piece strike moves or with ball in hand from deep. Beyond his attacking threat, Kolbe is a reliable presence under the high ball and a willing defender who reads space intelligently for a player of his stature. Quick, brave and unpredictable, he remains one of the most watchable and feared back-three operators in the world.