Since rugby went professional in 1995, Wales have produced a number of household names.
However, the real success in that time only really started from the famous 2005 Grand Slam onwards.
Warren Gatland's arrival in 2008 brought in a new era for the national side as they went on to enjoy unprecedented levels of success.
Three Grand Slams, a further Six Nations title, a record-breaking winning run and a rise to the No.1 ranked side in the world.
But regardless of the success or otherwise of the team in general, certain individuals have done more than most both on and off the field in the name of growing the game in Wales.
Most are familiar with their on-field exploits but, certainly in the last few years, Wales' top stars have become some of the greatest ambassadors this country has to offer when they go on summer tours.
Visiting local schools, putting on coaching clinics, inviting locals to watch training, countless pictures and autographs, charity work, donations - the list goes on.
So who have been the most influential players the Welsh game has seen? How do you even judge it?
We've taken a look at individuals who, through their on and off-field work, have raised the profile of the game in Wales and enhanced its reputation.
These are men who have inspired the next generation and will be remembered for years to come.
In no particular order, here are WalesOnline's most influential Welsh rugby players of the professional era...
MARTYN WILLIAMS
A player who was before his time in many respects.
Achieved cult hero status early on in his Wales career and that only grew with each performance in the red jersey.
His workmanlike attitude, juxtaposed by a silky skillset that could see him comfortable operating in the open spaces as well as the dark ones.
Affectionately known as 'Nugget', his work as a total nuisance at the breakdown saw him earn widespread plaudits and he made it fashionable to be an openside flanker in Wales, a country that has always had an obsession with the No.10 shirt.
One might speculate that he is a possible reason why Welsh rugby has enjoyed such a boom in quality, young opensides in recent years.
Earning 100 caps for his country, Williams featured heavily in the 2005 and 2008 Grand Slam campaigns. He played at two World Cups.
Has been a patron for Welsh cancer centre Velindre for years.
SHANE WILLIAMS
For so many reasons, Shane Williams did the sport of rugby in Wales an immeasurable service.
He obliterated the idea that rugby was a sport no longer for those with a rather diminutive frame, becoming a beacon of hope for youngsters who had been told they were too small to play.
Williams was also one for the rugby romantics, a magician whose lightning feet could see him wriggle his way out of any situation and pull off the unimaginable.
He holds the record as Wales' top try-scorer with 58 in 87 Test matches, leading George North and Gareth Thomas by 18 tries.
Generally accepted as one of the greatest wingers to play the game.
Such is his standing in the game, you could walk into any rugby club in Wales and start talking about 'Shane' and instantly everyone in the room would know who you meant.
Engages in copious amounts of charity work and is a patron for Velindre.
GARETH THOMAS
A talented, uncompromising player who always did things his own way.
Won 100 caps for his country, the last of which came the day Wales were dumped out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup by Fiji in Nantes.
Before that, he was a central figure in the 2005 Grand Slam and captained the Lions twice during the Test series against the All Blacks later that year.
Was also one of the Welshmen to make a success of his stint in French rugby, winning the Heineken Cup with Toulouse, also in 2005.
In 2009, he came out as gay, smashing a taboo in a macho sport and making him the first openly gay professional rugby player. In doing so, he explained his hopes that it might encourage other professional athletes wrestling with their sexuality to feel more comfortable coming out.
In 2019, Thomas revealed that he is HIV positive and has since worked to raise awareness and lift the stigma around the disease.
He has always been comfortable speaking his mind, evidenced in the heated 2006 debate with Eddie Butler on Scrum V regarded the departure of Ruddock.
Has been involved with a number of charities and a figure who has been hugely influential on and off the pitch.
MIKE PHILLIPS
For years, the abrasive No.9 became the person a nation rallied around. He was the talisman, the kind of player an entire country adored and opponents hated.
Phillips took pleasure in getting under the skin of his opposite numbers and was not shy about getting in their faces either.
He had the ability to back it up, too.
The 99-cap scrum-half was a key figure in Lions tours in 2009 and 2013. He was unplayable on the march to the 2011 Rugby World Cup semi-finals, and helped Wales claim three Six Nations titles.
Phillips has also regularly championed the work of various charities, he's an ambassador for Breast Cancer Care Cymru and has also set up his own academy to grow the game across Wales and in Dubai, where he now resides.
SAM WARBURTON
A captain of few words but endless achievements.
Warburton is one of rugby's unequivocal good guys, whose fame never altered his personality.
Had the Welsh captaincy thrust on him at the age of just 22, months before the 2011 World Cup, where he really announced himself to the world.
He led Wales to the 2012 Grand Slam and was involved in 2013, though Gethin Jenkins captained the side in the 30-3 title decider against England.
Warburton holds the record for most Wales games as captain with 49.
He also led the Lions on the 2013 successful tour of Australia and in the 2017 drawn series against the All Blacks before he was forced to retire through injuries.
Eloquent and likeable, Warburton had been forging a promising career as a broadcaster before deciding to return to the Wales environment as a breakdown specialist and having to cut back on his TV work as a result.
Another patron of Velindre and has a number of projects on the go, including his own line of protein baked goods and a fitness academy.
ROB HOWLEY
The scrum-half captained Wales in 22 of his 59 appearances for his country and was a talented operator in a side that enjoyed little success.
As such, he was selected to tour South Africa with the Lions in 1997, with injury ending his hopes of playing in the Tests. He did however, feature in the first two Test against Australia in 2001 before injury struck again.
Enjoyed significant success at club level when he left Cardiff to join Wasps in 2002, helping them win the Premiership in 2003 and 2004, while his try against Toulouse in 2004 also helped the English giants to European success before Howley retired that year.
Masterminded Wales' attack for 12 years, working under Warren Gatland as an assistant. In that time, Wales won three Grand Slams, and one a further Six Nations title, for which Howley was interim head coach.
Howley was the Lions' attack coach for tours in 2009, 2013 and 2017.
Despite courting a substantial amount of criticism at times, his achievements as a player and coach are noteworthy.
His recent ban for contravening World Rugby's betting policy will be deemed a stain on his career, but his contribution to Welsh rugby is not to be ignored.
GAVIN HENSON
Like Phillips, Henson will go down as one of Welsh rugby's mavericks.
Was propelled to stardom with one swing of his right boot against England in 2005, launching his status into the stratosphere in Welsh circles.
The rest of the world soon caught on to his talents and ability to seemingly glide through defences despite never appearing to move at any great pace.
A skillful distributor with an absolute cannon for a right peg. At his peak, a classy operator.
When he burst onto the scene, his relationship with singer Charlotte Church raised his profile further as the pair became somewhat of a Welsh power couple.
His off-field antics saw him hit the headlines for the wrong reasons and he will be considered by some to have never reached his potential in the game.
But was a shining light in Wales' first Grand Slam in 27 years and will remain one of this nation's most famous athletes for some time.
LEIGH HALFPENNY
Through his on-field achievements more than anything else, Halfpenny finds himself on this list.
The 2013 Lions tour of Australia is when he really announced himself to the world, even though he had already pieced together a solid career before that.
He mercilessly booted the Wallabies into submission, scored an impressive 49 points in the three Test matches and was named man of the series.
Halfpenny then came runner up to Andy Murray in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year after that tour. It was only the second time in history a Welsh rugby players has been in the top three after Barry John came third in 1971.
The example he sets is faultless. He is professionalism personified with a relentless commitment to being the best kicker. He is the embodiment of the notion that you get out what you put in.
He is a patron for Welsh charities Ty Hafan and Breast Cancer Care Cymru.
GETHIN JENKINS
Another whose on-field exploits alone made him famous around the world.
He is held in the highest regard for modernising his position and really moving the needle in terms of what we have come to expect from props. In that sense, he was ahead of his time.
Jenkins could lock out a scrum but moved around the field and did work in the loose, the like of which had never really been seen from a player in his position.
He could link up with the backs but his work at the breakdown was most impressive, where he acted as a third flanker, at times.
In a career spanning a remarkable 18 years, Jenkins amassed 129 Wales caps, played a part in four Six Nations successes, toured with the Lions three times and played at three World Cups.
Held the Welsh cap record for years before he was surpassed last year by current captain Alun Wyn Jones.
SCOTT QUINNELL
The bulldozing No.8 will always have a special place in the heart of Welsh rugby fans.
Shortly after breaking onto the scene, he was involved in Wales' 1994 Six Nations triumph before securing a lucrative move to rugby league the same year.
He continued to make a name for himself when returning to the 15-a-side code two years after with Richmond, before a switch back to Llanelli to play for the Scarlets, where he held an impressive try-scoring record.
There was also a Lions tour to Australia in 2001, where Quinnell was a huge influence, playing in all three Tests and scoring in the first.
Since retiring, he has worked closely with the School of Hard Knocks charity, which uses rugby as a vehicle to rehabilitate offenders by instilling values.
Also brings his unique style to the fore when acting as a TV pundit.
ALUN WYN JONES
Few can have done more to raise the profile of Welsh rugby around the world.
Since taking over the captaincy from Sam Warburton, Jones has cemented his place in the pantheon of Welsh greats.
Jones will regularly feature among the most highly-regarded players anywhere in the world for his achievements and palpable leadership qualities.
“I think he’s the best captain in the world," Springbok great Francois Pienaar told WalesOnline after the 2019 World Cup.
"I’ve said that if you look at how he’s rallied his team, when they were down and out and they came back when they shouldn’t have. I put that down to him."
Behind closed doors, he is the standard bearer in training. He expects nothing but the best from himself and those around him. Leads by his actions and has the unwavering respect of his team-mates and rivals.
A born leader whose on-field exploits continue to defy his years and he became Wales' most-capped player last year.
Away from rugby, he regularly engages in charity work.
COLIN CHARVIS
The back-rower represented his country 94 times and captained them at the 2003 Rugby World Cup when Wales went on an unexpected run to the quarter-finals.
It was one of three World Cups in which he featured try and Charvis once held the record for most tries scored by a forward with 22.
He was selected for the 2001 Lions tour of Australia and played in two Tests.
Charvis almost became embroiled in the 'Grannygate' scandal that rocked Welsh rugby amid questions around his eligibility, but he is Welsh through and through.
A regular contributor to charitable causes, he commands respect to this day.
