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New Zealand miss out in Player of the Year awards
By Jon Newcombe
New Zealand have been snubbed in the World Rugby Player of the Year awards with not a single men’s or women’s player making it onto the 15s shortlist for what must be the first time in history.
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The men’s list includes three world champions in Springbok trio Eben Etzebeth, Cheslin Kolbe and Pieter-Steph du Toit, who would become the first South African to win the award twice having won it in 2019. Ireland’s consistently superb Grand Slam winner, Caelan Doris, is also in the running.
Prolific Black Ferns try-scorer Katelyn Vaha’akolo must have been in contention for the women’s award but England duo, Ellie Kildunne and Alex Matthews, France’s Pauline Bourdon Sansus and Canada’s Alex Tessier make up the quartet of nominees.
Meanwhile, Olympics gold medallist Antoine Dupont has been nominated for the World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year award after making a sensational transition to the shortened format of the game in 2024.
If he beats off competition from teammate Aaron Grandidier Nkanang and prolific Ireland try-scorer and 2022 winner Terry Kennedy, Dupont will become the first male player to win both the sevens and 15s awards. He won the 15s award in 2021.
Les Bleus captain Dupont was voted the best player in 15s in 2021 and has excelled in sevens, too, with his performances in Paris instrumental in helping France to top the podium.
New Zealand’s Portia Woodman is the only other player to have previously achieved the 15s/sevens Player of the Year double.
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In total, there are eight categories with the eventual winners to be announced during the World Rugby Awards ceremony on 24 November in Monaco.
Fans will also be given their say on the outcome, with online voting open until 20 November 17:00 at www.world.rugby/awards/toty to determine the winner of the International Rugby Players Men’s and Women’s 15s Try of the Year categories.
All the categories and nominees are listed below:
Men’s 15s
Player of the Year: Caelan Doris (IRE), Eben Etzebeth (RSA), Pieter-Steph du Toit (RSA), Cheslin Kolbe (RSA)
Breakthrough Player of the Year: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (RSA), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (ENG), Jamie Osborne (IRE), Wallace Sititi (NZL).
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Try of the Year: James Lowe (Ireland v England, Men’s Six Nations, 10 March), Lorenzo Pani (Italy v Wales, Men’s Six Nations, 17 March), Nolann Le Garrec (France v England, Men’s Six Nations, 17 March), Akaki Tabutsadze (Georgia v Australia, July Internationals, 20 July).
Women’s 15s
Player of the Year: Pauline Bourdon Sansus (FRA), Ellie Kildunne (ENG), Alex Matthews (ENG), Alex Tessier (CAN)
Breakthrough Player of the Year: Caitlyn Halse (AUS), Maddie Feaunati (ENG), Erin King (IRE), Hannah King (NZL).
Try of the Year: Alyssa D’Incà (Italy v Scotland, Women’s Six Nations, 20 April), Georgia Ponsonby (New Zealand v Australia, Pacific Four Series, 25 May), Maya Stewart (Australia v Wales, WXV, 28 September), Marine Ménager (France v Canada, WXV, 29 September).
Men’s Sevens Player of the Year: Antoine Dupont (FRA), Aaron Grandidier Nkanang (FRA), Terry Kennedy (IRE)
Women’s Sevens Player of the Year: Michaela Blyde (NZL), Maddison Levi (AUS), Jorja Miller (NZ
Other categories include:
International Rugby Players Special Merit Award
World Rugby Coach of the Year
World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year
World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team of the Year
World Rugby Women’s Sevens Dream Team of the Year in partnership with HSBC
World Rugby Men’s Sevens Dream Team of the Year in partnership with HSBC
PSDT for me. I keep seeing Ox getting a lot of support in the various threads, I’m not going to pretend to know enough about font row sorcery to dispute it.
We didn't really have any standout players, we worked well as a unit, but it's not like previous years where guys like Savea, McCaw, Barrett, were dominating individually. Sititi is the only one I would put forward from the ABs, but he's already up for breakthrough player, so no biggie.
Eben and Wallace.
Kolbe and Sacha!!!
What!?
Seriously, how can the GOAT not be nominated for player of the year? You’d think he’d at least be nominated until he retires if he’s the GOAT?
Oh wait. I see. Sevens.
As you were.
Player of the year for me is Ox Nche, really a disappointment that good props or hookers is constantly overlooked when it comes to these rewards.
Could be and should be a Springbok. Ox, Past, Eben, Kolbe
Couldn’t agree more.
From an ABs fan - NZ wasn't snubbed. They haven't been good enough.
Fully agree with you. NZ simply not good enough just yet even though the signs are promising. It will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of seasons
Doris is clearly the best of this lot by a country mile. Thought Jordan was a decent nominee albeit a shortened season for him but he's still vastly superior to Kolbe and the other two journeymen in every aspect. Hard choice between
Feyi-Waboso and Sititi for emerging player. Us genuine rugby fans can only hope that Robinson eliminates the protection and bias that SA have enjoyed for the past 3 decades but all indications are that it will be even further entrenched. Not good for the sport.
Best at making the quarter-finals maybe...
Shame, must be hard living in your mum's basement.
Please don't call yourself a genuine rugby fan. You're a bitter, ill-informed troll.
Kolbe for me. Sititi for Breakthrough Player.
PTSD has to be nailed on. The other Saffas also excellent and would be worthy winners if PTSD wasn't in the running.
You do know it's not supposed to be an LGBTI+ award ....... obviously not.
Pieter -Steph du Toit ✅
Funny man.