©Steve Haag
South Africa have retained the number one ranking in the World Rugby Rankings at the end of the year despite not playing a single Test.
This is second successive year the Springboks have finished at the top after having won the World Cup in Japan last year.
With their regular fixtures of the year cancelled, South Africa could not participate in the rescheduled Rugby Championship tournament in Australia later in the year due to the restrictions created because of the pandemic coronavirus.
Nevertheless, they still have 94.20 rating points which is 4.71 over than second placed England, who had an outstanding year having won the Six Nations and Autumn Nations Cup.
The winners of the tri-nations Rugby Championship New Zealand finish the year third with 88.95, while France and Ireland occupy the fourth and fifth place.
Argentina, who had a win over New Zealand and a couple of draws against Australia in the Rugby Championship move to eighth with Wayne Pivac’s Wales at ninth place.
World Rugby Top 10 Rankings:
| Rank | Team | Rating Points |
| 1 | South Africa | 94.20 |
| 2 | England | 89.49 |
| 3 | New Zealand | 88.95 |
| 4 | France | 85.30 |
| 5 | Ireland | 84.65 |
| 6 | Australia | 83.08 |
| 7 | Scotland | 80.82 |
| 8 | Argentina | 80.31 |
| 9 | Wales | 79.36 |
| 10 | Japan | 79.29 |
