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International

Jorja Miller and Black Ferns Sevens win big at New Zealand Rugby Awards

Jorja Miller and the Black Ferns Sevens celebrate winning Olympic gold. Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images

New Zealand’s ASB Rugby Awards were held on Thursday night and rewarded the country’s best performers of 2024.

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Naturally, after an Olympic gold-winning campaign, the Black Ferns Sevens took home Team of the Year honours, their 20-year-old star Jorja Miller was awarded Player of the Year and head coach Corey Sweeney landed Coach of the Year for a record-equalling fifth time (former All Blacks head coach Sir Steve Hansen has also won five times).

Stars of the XV game were recognised as well, with Chiefs rookie Wallace Sititi winning All Blacks Player of the Year and fellow 22-year-old Kaipo Olsen-Baker winning Black Ferns Player of the Year.

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The Blues swept the respective Men’s and Women’s Team of the Year awards and Super Rugby Player of the Year Awards, with Hoskins Sotutu and Katelyn Vahaakolo crowned. The Auckland region also landed New Zealand Age Grade Player of the Year in the form of midfielder Xavi Taele.

NZR CEO Mark Robinson said: “Congratulations to all the winners and nominees this year.

“There is no doubt the gold medal for the Black Ferns Sevens at the Olympics was a real highlight, so the recognition for Jorja, Cory and the team is thoroughly deserved this evening.

“We had a great year in the community game, with growth across the board in registrations. Seeing the stories of some of our game’s unsung heroes tonight really highlights the heart of rugby.”

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ASB Executive General Manager Business Banking, Rebecca James said:

“ASB congratulates this year’s award winners and nominees for your outstanding achievements. We also celebrate and acknowledge the commitment and hard work of all of the players, volunteers, coaches, referees, and management teams who have each made an important contribution to rugby in Aotearoa New Zealand this year.”

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Black Ferns Sevens captain Sarah Hirini has described Jorja Miller as “a bit of a freak” after the 20-year-old’s Player of the Final performance in Cape Town.

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ASB Rugby Award finalists and winners (in bold)

Sky Television Fans Try of the Year

Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong (King Country)
Katelyn Vahaakolo (Black Ferns)
Jed Melvin (North Harbour )

 

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New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year

Ben O’Keeffe
Maggie Cogger-Orr
James Doleman

Charles Monro Rugby Volunteer of the Year

Steve and Lisa Wild (Thames Valley)
Dave Webb (Auckland)
Conor Croke (Waikato)

Bunnings Warehouse Rugby Club of the Year

Foxton Rugby Club (Horowhenua Kapiti)
Green Island Rugby Football Club (Otago)
Ponsonby Rugby Club (Auckland)

Te Hapai New Zealand Rugby Community Impact Award

James Legatt (Tamai Rugby Project)
Lisa Kingi-Bon (New Zealand Rugby Foundation)
Erin Rayner (Sense Rugby NZ)

New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year

Xavi Taele (Auckland)
Vernon Bason (Manawat?)
Oli Mathis (Waikato)
Elinor-Plum King (Manawat?)

NZRPA Kirk Award 

Dan Carter

Steinlager Salver – outstanding contribution to New Zealand Rugby

Ian Kirkpatrick

Ian Kirkpatrick Medal (Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship Player of the Year)

Siu Kakala (South Canterbury)
Declan McCormack (Mid Canterbury)
Alekesio Vakarorogo (Whanganui)

Duane Monkley Medal (Bunnings Warehouse NPC Player of the Year)

Timoci Tavatavanawai (Tasman)
Folau Fakatava (Hawke’s Bay)
Josh Jacomb (Taranaki)

Fiao’o Fa’amausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup presented by Bunnings Warehouse Player of the Year)

Chelsea Semple (Waikato)
Hollyrae Merekara Mete (Manawat?)
Mia Anderson (Waikato)

ASB National Men’s Coach of the Year

Vern Cotter (Blues)
Clark Laidlaw (Hurricanes)
Alando Soakai (Wellington)
Richard Watt (Bay of Plenty)

ASB National Women’s Coach of the Year

Willie Walker (Blues)
James Semple (Waikato)
Campbell McNeill (Manawat?)

ASB New Zealand Coach of the Year

Cory Sweeney (Black Ferns Sevens)

DHL Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year

Hoskins Sotutu (Blues)
Damian McKenzie (Chiefs)
Harry Plummer (Blues)
Billy Proctor (Hurricanes)

Sky Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year

Katelyn Vahaakolo (Blues)
Layla Sae (Hurricanes Poua)
Kaipo Olsen-Baker (Matat?)
Kennedy Tukuafu (Chiefs Manawa)

Tom French Memorial Maori Player of the Year

Risi Pouri-Lane (Ngati Kuia, Ngati Koata, Ngai Tahu)
Tamaiti Williams (Ngapuhi)
Tyrel Lomax (Ngai Tuhoe, Muaupoko)
Katelyn Vahaakolo (Ngati Whatua, Ngapuhi, Ngati Maniapoto)

Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year

Fehi Fineanganofo
Tepaea Cook-Savage
Dylan Collier

Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year

Jorja Miller
Risi Pouri-Lane
Michaela Blyde

Black Ferns Player of the Year

Georgia Ponsonby
Alana Bremner
Kaipo Olsen-Baker

All Blacks Player of the Year

Tyrel Lomax
Tupou Vaa’i
Wallace Sititi

adidas National Men’s Team of the Year

Blues
Wellington Lions
Thames Valley Swamp Foxes

adidas National Women’s Team of the Year

Blues
Waikato
Manawatu Cyclones

adidas New Zealand Team of the Year

Black Ferns Sevens

Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year

Jorja Miller

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Top 100

Rugby’s best of the best, ranked by experts. Check out our list of the Top 100 Men's Rugby Players and let us know what you think! 



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Comments on RugbyPass

J
JW 29 minutes ago
'It doesn’t make sense for New Zealand to deny itself access to world-class players'

He needs to bring talent through or he simply isn't good enough for the job.

Don't think I mean that he needs to succeed doing this, to stay in the job/be good enough though. I just mean that he needs to try. He needs show some attempt to meld players together, loosies, centers, pivots etc, experiment. Even if he doesn't succeed with the outcomes, I need to know he's learning and atleast has some chance of succeeding in the future.


He needs to work on his teams selection structure, because it certainly aint workring, whether thats that the individual coaches didn't put enough pressure on each other to exclude prejudice and overcome bias's ETC, or that you're asking for too much selection skill from so many coaches, they need to think about it.

115 Go to comments
H
Head high tackle 29 minutes ago
It's time for the All Blacks to break up Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane

Razor is scared. Its not a trait anyone saw from him prior to his appointment as coach but he has been the most conservative coach Ive seen as ABs HC that I can remember.

I dont feel its the players he selects tho , I believe its a real fault in his backline game plan and his Backline coaching.

Yes 10 new players this year. But 7 of them hardly had any game time. Only Tosi, Sititi and Ratima had genuine game time as rookies.

33 Go to comments
H
Head high tackle 35 minutes ago
It's time for the All Blacks to break up Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane

Why cant you see Jordans shortcomings at 15? he never kicks because he cant. he never passes to anyone else and he always runs the ball straight back into the opposition chasers. He is a fantastic winger and should 100% be at 14. It free's him to do what he is fantastic at, and it gets a proper 15 at the back.

33 Go to comments
H
Head high tackle 37 minutes ago
It's time for the All Blacks to break up Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane

Sorry but ALB was very good in all the opportunities he was given. The best game our centres had was V aus where ALB started.

33 Go to comments
H
Head high tackle 46 minutes ago
Top 100: Why Antoine Dupont is the best player in the world

DuPont is just a PART TIME player. Sorry but he is NOT the worlds best player. Not even close. What an absolute joke to have a 7 test a year player win any accolaides. It just shows the complete bias thriving in the NH.

4 Go to comments
H
Head high tackle 49 minutes ago
Steve Borthwick confirms uncapped England fixture against France

So Frances players are all too tired to tour NZ but could play a game v England? Arnt these French players all playing in their domestic comp? Proof of lies

1 Go to comments
H
Head high tackle 58 minutes ago
South Africans rugby teams aren't helping themselves in Europe

I read where England is wanting Ireland and Wales to form a comp and get SA teams out. It will be interesting to see where this goes in the next couple of years. Lose and the SA teams will be rubbished, Win and they will be hated. Lose lose for them..... They could only manage 3 wins in SR in 20+ years.

3 Go to comments
J
JW 59 minutes ago
'It doesn’t make sense for New Zealand to deny itself access to world-class players'

Not just Razor lol, even authors of articles fail to point it out.


Everyones got their own ventured interests.


He won 8 straight in the toughest comp in the world RugCs, don't make me keep repeating it to you mate, I get a bad rep for being like a typical AB fan..

115 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
'It doesn’t make sense for New Zealand to deny itself access to world-class players'

That is the message Razor is sending, yes, and those players already appear to be starting to leave as a result of being indirectly snubbed.

115 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
'Razor's conservatism is in danger of halting New Zealand's progress'

BB didn't improve over the years, why should Jordan?


You've lost the plot of you think Love should be the fullback. That is waaay more out of leftfield than anything else I've heard.


I'm not sure Jordan can remain in the team either way. What it actually sounds like you're saying, is you want a balanced approach Jordan playing fullback next year, that he gets say 6 or 8 games through to the RC and should be looked at being in immediate contention with someone like Love, or whoever else, has played well, for the November tour.


I'm absolutely down with that. Jordan is going to have a full SR season for the first time next year, to work on facets of his game that he's never had analyzed before because of only being selected on the wing by the All Blacks. That change is huge. You can not underestimate the learning experience that this year would have been and how valuable (touch wood) and full season will be actually targeting what he felt were work ons, rather than just making stuff up or trying to improve on his strengths.


So, first of all, we should expect him to return better than how he finished, and then we'd need to see some further improvement (if it he doesn't just immediatly smash it) over July and the RC. That doesn't mean we need to see him doing what you say. He can get on great at the top level with a very limited kicking and passing game (which would be a huge improvement over BB who had a limited and innacurate kick/pass game), we need to see him comfortable with he can do in making the right decisions first and foremost. So I'd be very happy to see him working on his strength in contact under high balls and covering the backline, not see him kicking the ball down defenders throats, and trying more interplay on his returns. What I can't see, is him improving as a right winger. All his wing player success is in the style of a fullback. Probably only pure speed (working really hard to get his body/speed back to 100) would help him imo, and that's obviously a hindrance to his chances as a fullback.


TLDR; I think the poor counter attacking ability of the All Blacks has been one of the key reasons their standards have dipped over the years, and what you're suggesting is promoting that continuing. No thanks. This is not a discussion of specific players like you're making out, but of your mentality of the ABs essentially continuing with the dual playmaker setup.

219 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
'Razor's conservatism is in danger of halting New Zealand's progress'

You're the one who needs to grow up with your childish remarks all the time Nick.


If you don't want to take my advise that you don't have a correct train of thought when looking at this subject, then that's at you problem.


TO BE CLEAR nothing of what you just said has anything to do with those performances not being valuable to a coach. You also fail to recognize the same team went within 1 point a few weeks later after they'd had time to evaluate. That is exactly how you can see who players you want can respond. With a bunch of injured players back the follow year they were still that +/- 1 against the ABs.


And everyone knows they were a complete mess. Their game was DESTROYED by the effects of transformation but it was a critical part of their progress, to which Rassie has done a marvelous job at balancing. I really don't think you have any idea what you're talking about.

219 Go to comments
S
SC 1 hour ago
It's time for the All Blacks to break up Jordie Barrett and Rieko Ioane

Dan Carter has said many times in interviews that Ma’a Nonu was a better passer than he was and had a longer wiper kick. Ioane cannot pass at all to his right and has no kicking ability.


Ioane is a wing.

33 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
'Razor's conservatism is in danger of halting New Zealand's progress'

Cane is one who's been as low as you can go. He knows what it's like and is exactly the player you need there in the moment (not cheering with the tracksuit on).

219 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
'It doesn’t make sense for New Zealand to deny itself access to world-class players'

The person in charge of contracts has said they made mistakes HHT, let it go.


Both players chose to go because NZR weren't prepared to value them at their worth. They believed they were worse than how they ended up playing in 23 (both had signed overseas in 22).


No. It obviously doesnt start going down hill when the results start to get affected. Triggers happen years before they are played out in poor performances. I'm afraid you're not going to progress until you can look yourself in the mirror and say 'BB is symptomatic of NZs decline" HHT.

115 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
'It doesn’t make sense for New Zealand to deny itself access to world-class players'

Certainly thankful for South Africa's weather, the Sharks game was the only one of the weekend that had even a hint of sunshine!

115 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
'It doesn’t make sense for New Zealand to deny itself access to world-class players'

A rugby monkey!

115 Go to comments
J
JW 1 hour ago
'It doesn’t make sense for New Zealand to deny itself access to world-class players'

HAHA pull the other one. No one rates BB so that's not saying much, and again, you don't see the flaws of your favoured structure model. BB inclusion is a consequence of that policy, and you can just look at the results to see how it negatively affected the All Blacks performances.

115 Go to comments
J
JW 2 hours ago
'It doesn’t make sense for New Zealand to deny itself access to world-class players'

And a good SR player equals a good test player. That's the standard of the competition.


As has been discussed over numerous articles in the last year, BB is a terrible flyhalf. He also didn't suit the All Blacks at fullback after he lost his confidence due to severe concussion symptoms. He only returned to form this year. I just watched the WC Final again until Frizell went off and he was terrible and a big part of the reason we lost.

115 Go to comments
O
OJohn 2 hours ago
'Razor's conservatism is in danger of halting New Zealand's progress'

It's both

219 Go to comments
N
NH 2 hours ago
'Razor's conservatism is in danger of halting New Zealand's progress'

Maybe it was harry jones Nick - but when Razor's selection for ABs coach was made he raised the point of what is his style? And not many seemed to put a finger on it but I feel many think its fast, free flowing footy maybe because he looks it, he surfs, and he breakdances. But when you look at his successful saders side it played like a boa constrictor - it did the fundamentals extremely well (maul an eg), and ground teams down to the bone before the likes of a jordan or sevu reece would make the killer blow. And I feel like we saw this shift in the Abs through 2024 to a more physical, forward pack first team. Your comments re selection vs the boks are correct, but its a luxury that rassie has because he knows his base 23-30 odd players. Razor (and schmidt for eg) does not know his and so as you show he has some starters and is rotating elsewhere. Rassie knows all his starters and so can rotate more methodically. The qeustion is, is the forward stuff enough? Can the abs dominate in those areas enough to win games? Can they still play that counter punch game well enough to beat ireland and the boks? I'm yet to be convinced...

219 Go to comments
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