Movember is upon us and many a rugby player’s face is adorned with magnificent whiskers, however no beard is created equal. Some players just don’t have the hair follicles needed to pull off this feat of manliness, while others could easily be mistaken for a wild bear.

To celebrate men with beards everywhere, here are the best beards to be found in rugby union:

1. Gordon D’Arcy

Legend has it that every player in Ireland had to stroke Gordon’s beard before every Six Nation’s game and it was this gesture of luck that landed their team the Grand Slam. Sadly the beard was deemed too powerful and a decision was made to shave it off shortly after the win.

2. Jake Ball

He may not have been in the Welsh squad for very long, but he has made a dramatic impression on the nation. A part of this is for his solid performance, hard tacking and general dependability, but if we are being honest it is largely down to the fact that he has a big bushy beard! He shaved it off for charity back in May and it has already bounced back, which everyone is delighted to see.

3. Piri Weepu

This New Zealand legend is well known for being a world class scrum-half as well as having a truly magnificent beard. It is said that around half of his outstanding rugby ability is contained within that beautiful beard.

4. Adam Kleeberger

He recently started playing for London Scottish but it was his beard that made him a huge sensation when playing across the pond. Many have likened him to the true caveman Sebastian Chabal and it isn’t hard to see why!

5. Sebastian Chabal

The original caveman. Some say that Chabal was defrosted in the year 2000 and scientists have yet to prove otherwise!

6. Erik Lund

He played in a few English clubs for a while with no real notoriety, but then he moved to France grew a beard and became awesome. Now the ‘Viking’ plays for Norway and needs the beard just to stay warm!

7. Martin Castrogiovanni

Without his beard, people have argued that Castrogiovanni would only way around 60kg rather than his usual 119kg. The truth is every team he has every played for have banned him from shaving in case this carries some truth.

8. Adam Jones

Many have suggested that the real reason Adam Jones didn’t make it into the 2014/15 Welsh Squad is because Warren Gatland is suffering from serious beard envy. In fairness this would make the most sense, with Jake Ball already in the team the beard quota may well be full.

9. Josh Strauss

When the Glasgow Warriors issued Josh Strauss with his three year contract one of the terms was that his beard needed to stay. He’s kept it and it has definitely paid off!

10. Joe Marler

Rumour has it that Marler was not asked to start for England until his beard had fully matured, despite his outstanding performance at U20s level. As his rugby has improved, so too has his beard – coincidence?

Who has your favourite beard? Have we missed out on any particularly brilliant facial hair? Let us know in the comments below!