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Rugby Awards honour 4 British and Irish Lions

21 days ago

Tomos Williams receives the Gallagher Premiership Player of the Season award, the third Gloucester player to do so after James Simpson-Daniel (2007/08) and Danny Cipriani (2018/19). Photo: Leo Wilkinson Photography

Gloucester’s Tomos Williams has made history by becoming the first scrum-half and first Wales international to be named Premiership Player of the Season at the Rugby Awards on Tuesday evening.

Williams has been one of the main driving forces behind Gloucester’s much-improved season, with his form earning him a British and Irish Lions call-up for this summer’s trip to Australia.

One of only two Welshmen in Andy Farrell’s squad, Williams beat off strong competition from George Ford, who the Lions have overlooked despite a great season with Sale Sharks, Bath’s Springbok prop Thomas du Toit and club team-mate Finn Russell, and Saracens star Tom Willis.

None of the 20 previous winners, listed at the bottom of the article, played scrum-half.

Williams’ soon-to-be Lions teammate, Henry Pollock, was recognised as the Breakthrough Player of the Year for the impact he has made for club and country. Pollock was brilliant in Saints’ run to the final of the Investec Champions Cup, during which time he won his first senior cap for England, marking the occasion with two tries against Wales.

Meanwhile, Tommy Freeman, who will join Pollock and Williams in Australia, was named as England’s best men’s player. Freeman became the first England player to score in each round of the Six Nations in 2025.

A fourth Lion, Bristol’s Ellis Genge, received an award for his outstanding work in the community.

There’s only one Henry Pollock!
UNREAL season for the young star 👏
✅ Saints new star
✅ First England cap
✅ Lions call up#TheRugbyAwards #GallagherPrem | @Defender
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— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) June 3, 2025

The Rugby Awards took place in the City of London as a joint venture between Premiership Rugby, the Rugby Players Association (RPA), Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) and Rugby Football Union (RFU).

Leicester Tigers’ Meg Jones was honoured as the PWR’s Player of the Season, while Bristol’s Millie David – the PWR’s joint top try-scorer – won the PWR Breakthrough award.

Bath’s treble-chasing Johann van Graan and Hartpury’s league-winning head coach Sean Lynn, who has since taken on the Wales Women’s job, won their respective Director of Rugby of the Season awards.

Zoe Aldcroft, who led England to yet another Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam, was voted as the best Red Roses player in 2025.

Full list of award winners:

Gallagher Player of the Season: Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby)

Breakthrough Player of the Season, presented by Defender: Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)

Director of Rugby of the Season, presented by London Pride: Johann van Graan (Bath Rugby)

Community Player of the Season, presented by Funding Circle: Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)

Gallagher Premiership Rugby Top Try Scorer, presented by Christopher Ward: Ollie Hassell-Collins (Leicester Tigers), Gabriel Ibitoye (Bristol Bears) – 13

PWR Player of the Season, presented by Clinique: Meg Jones (Leicester Tigers)

PWR Breakthrough Player of the Season, presented by Defender: Millie David (Bristol Bears)

PWR Director of Rugby of the Season, presented by Asahi: Sean Lynn (Gloucester Hartpury)

PWR Top Try Scorer, presented by Christopher Ward: May Campbell (Saracens), Millie David (Bristol Bears) – 16

England Men’s Player of the Season, presented by Advanta Wealth: Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)

England Women’s Player of the Season, presented by LexisNexis Risk Solutions: Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester Hartpury)

Vodafone Business RPA Gain Line Award: Josh Bassett (Leicester Tigers), Josh Caulfield (Bristol Bears), Harry Glover (Great Britain 7s), Harry Thacker & Jake Woolmore (Bristol Bears)

The RPA Blyth Spirit Award: Taylor Gough

The shortlists for the Gallagher Premiership Rugby awards were chosen by a panel consisting of Rachael Burford (RPA), Christian Day (RPA), Jill Douglas (ITV, BBC), Ali Eykyn (TNT Sports), Hugh Godwin (The i Paper), Chris Jones (BBC), Alex Lowe (The Times), Gavin Mairs (Telegraph), Ugo Monye (BBC, TNT Sports), Nick Mullins (TNT Sports) and Claire Thomas (BBC, TNT Sports).

Past Premiership Player of the Season winners:

2024/25: Tomos Williams (Gloucester)
2023-24: Henry Slade (Exeter)
2022-23: Ollie Lawrence (Bath)
2021-22: Ben Earl (Saracens)
2020-21: Sam Simmonds (Exeter)
2019-20: Jack Willis (Wasps)
2018-19: Danny Cipriani (Gloucester)
2017-18: Vereniki Goneva (Newcastle)
2016-17: Jimmy Gopperth (Wasps)
2015-16: Alex Goode (Saracens)
2014-15: George Ford (Bath)
2013-14: Mike Brown (Harlequins)
2012-13: Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
2011-12: Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
2010-11: Tom Wood (Northampton Saints)
2009-10: Chris Ashton (Northampton Saints)
2008-09: Chris Robshaw (Harlequins)
2007-08: James Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester)
2006-07: Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester Tigers)
2005-06: Mike Catt (London Irish)
2004-05: Martin Corry (Leicester Tigers)

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Comments on RugbyPass

BA 34 minutes ago

Fabien Galthie announces France squad to take on the All Blacks

You are right about much there but you are also wrong …do French rugby clubs benefit and have benefited from players and coaches who have developed overseas? yes , is France responsible for “saving “ us no, could they or should they possibly yes , do kiwi fans want to see best players on NZ soil playing in the flesh ( hopefully beating them but not sure we will ) of course yes, if French fans dont care what players ABs send north that’s a little sad at least your rugby media doesn’t write about a second ABs team playing in France because that’s not what’s happening is it if we did would they write it?is the rugby international community a real thing that differentiates our sport?and it’s not always about the amount of people in our kind of small stadiums here in NZ to judge its success but how many are tuning in and watching wherever in the world on whatever platforms and the deals that can generate, show some ❤️Mate we been showing❤️with players heading up there since forever ( very well paid players 😂)

38 Go to comments

JH 51 minutes ago

Scott Robertson explains Ethan Blackadder's All Blacks omission

Unfortunately for Blackadder, he doesn’t have the amount of test caps the undroppable ‘leadership group’ players have.

They can show no form at all for years, and yet look at the squad every season, and there they are. As per their NZR contract it seems.

40 Go to comments

JH 54 minutes ago

Jason Ryan pinpoints the 'real point of difference' in new All Blacks pack

Yeah, the French trawl SH rugby to poach younger and younger talent (they seem to particularly love Australia), routinely grab every off-contract SH player in the lead up to world cups and yet they always send to a B-C team for all their SH tours.

Frankly, all the Rugby Championship nations should thumb their nose at the French and take on other nations tours instead, and if they want to play them in France, then the SH nations should field C-teams as well. Show them an equal amount of disrespect.

5 Go to comments

Soliloquin 1 hour ago

Fabien Galthie announces France squad to take on the All Blacks

It’s understandable that NZ and other countries relying on their national team for revenue push for highlighting test matches as the biggest thing.

The problem is that it seems like France is being held responsible for other nations’ business model.

The business model hasn’t really changed since 2018, when France last toured NZ. They came as always with a B team, with a rather weak team by international standards back then, as it was the case with France during the 2010s.

Yet still almost all tickets got sold (50000 at Eden Park, 34000 in Wellington and 27000 in Dunedin). The interest was there.

So what has changed between that 2018 tour and the upcoming one?

In my opinion, it seems like the French business model has flourished, with the JIFF policy strenghtening the positions of French talents and less foreign players, the financial health of French clubs dominating the NH, the revigorated national team with what could have been 4 6Nations titles (the 2020 and 2021 were super close) and the emergence of top players in every positions, with arguably the best current rugby player in the world.

On the other hand, Covid has dismantled the financial basis of many federations, the departure of SA franchises from Super Rugby has weakened the competition, NZ are not the reference anymore, SA is dominating the test match competition, with Ireland and France pushing hard, although the Irish seem at a crossroads.

But again, why would it be France’s fault that NZ problems exist?

Is the French team responsible for structural problems in NZ’s rugby?

Nope. But it’s probably easier to blame the French to not give it all in terms of marketing with superstars coming, live on past glory, to cling on the view that until Dupont doesn’t tour SH, he cannot be seen as the best in the world.

Sorry, but most of French fans don’t really know NZ players.

They come in to see the French team against the All Blacks in the Autumn Tests.

And I don’t think anyone in NZ came to see Doumayrou, Parra, Belleau, Teddy Thomas or even Serin or Fickou in 2018. They came for the mighty All Blacks, the Barrett brothers, Savea, Whitelock, Aaron Smith…

38 Go to comments

BA 1 hour ago

Pierre Schoeman claps back at critics of overseas Lions selections

That list is to long to list they also have parents born in islands or were born there themselves but one things for sure the vast majority have learned their trade thru the junior clubs schools pathways professional sides down under as there is not much resources in the islands or much work …so point of your question is ?

8 Go to comments

Ben 1 hour ago

Three burning Springbok questions Rassie Erasmus must answer in 2025

I kept expecting this thread to improve. But then I kept expecting the Sharks to play to their potential and the Stormers coach to start coaching the Stormers.

48 Go to comments

TokoRFC 1 hour ago

Stat chat: One Super Rugby-leading stat from every new All Black

Love me a bit of Asafo but his throwing can be dodgy. As BA mentioned he seemed to improve towards the end of last year but then regressed again in Super I feel

4 Go to comments

Longshanks 1 hour ago

Can ‘hybrid’ Damian McKenzie lead the All Blacks to a World Cup?

Shame I thought he could be our new scatback! Still time, although you wonder when another bomb came sailing his way last Friday with Jordan and Blackadder in hot pursuit, he maybe wished he was still playing sevens in the tropics not forever defending on a cold wet wintery Christchurch night

157 Go to comments

SC 1 hour ago

Stat chat: One Super Rugby-leading stat from every new All Black

I’m not sure the All Blacks are sold on Asafo Aumua as the third hooker.

Great ball carrier but he is the least accurate line-out thrower and the last hooker you want throwing into your own line-out 5m from your tryline.

4 Go to comments

Longshanks 1 hour ago

Can ‘hybrid’ Damian McKenzie lead the All Blacks to a World Cup?

Please don’t get me started on the ‘22 series v Ireland. Defense is definitely not his strength but he’s been solid for the Crusaders this year, but no he’s never going to have the stopping power of a Nonu. I thought they were thinking about turning him into a first five with mo’unga gone but they gave up on that pretty quickly. Defense wise though for all the boosting of Proctor for me that’s still his weak area. He got shown up against Japan last year, I haven’t seen too many hurricanes games this year but he still seemed a little shaky

157 Go to comments

BA 1 hour ago

Stat chat: One Super Rugby-leading stat from every new All Black

George Bell just didn’t play enough this season to get enough data for Razor & co over the whole season as they been saying a lot lately and unfortunately for him no cash money in the black jersey bank, more games for others and giving Cody a rest here and there more often wouldn’t be a bad thing …can’t wait for Asafa to get fit and on field again those 3 games against top teams up north LY was very assuring and that’s cash money in the black jersey bank should start him again in a game or 3

4 Go to comments

SC 1 hour ago

Scott Robertson talks potential return of Rieko Ioane to wing

Roughly 10% of the population are left-handed or left-footed (1 out of every 10 rugby players). As a result, there are very few left-footed rugby players with the speed to play wing. James Lowe is so valuable for Ireland because he is the rare left-footed left wing which opens all kinds of kicking options that you do not have if your left wing is right footed.

So as a result, lots of right-footed players are forced to play left wing (usually power wings) who have little to no kicking game.

So if you find that rare breed of left footed wing, you do not shift him to the right wing.

11 Go to comments

VB 1 hour ago

Barbarians vs South Africa | Live & Latest Rugby Union Scores & Results | RugbyPass

See Mv's reply below on behalf of rugbypass. Seems it will only be shown on Sky Sports Action UK, Sky Sports Action NZ, and DStv South Africa. 😫

5 Go to comments

DM 1 hour ago

Pierre Schoeman claps back at critics of overseas Lions selections

I wonder how many ABs and Wallabies have grandparents who lived in another country. The Pacific Islanders come to mind.

8 Go to comments

B.J. Spratt 1 hour ago

Jason Ryan pinpoints the 'real point of difference' in new All Blacks pack

I think its a sad indictment on French Rugby when the French coach Fabien Galthie named his squad of 37 for the tour, 17 who have yet to play a Test and 28 who have less than 10 Tests.

Mind you, French Rugby is nearly as corrpt as World Rugby. The clubs pay the ferryman. E.g Bernard La Porte and Billy Beaumont have taken more bribes than W. . . .

……eters.

The All Blacks are really on a hiding to nothing. Lets hope the All Blacks “wipe the floor” with France Reserve Grade, wantabes…..

If we don’t, we will certainly know where New Zealand Rugby is, compared to the rest of the world. Arrogant French Bastards!

Three absolute spankings of Les Bleu would send a great message to French Rugby with a big;

“Va te faire foutre de (from) Nouvelle-Zélande”

5 Go to comments

BA 1 hour ago

Fabien Galthie announces France squad to take on the All Blacks

Top 14 is a fantastically supported competition by fans and private big cash money and there is nothing wrong with that, but international rugby makes the rugby world go round believe ( and so do a lot if others) and that rugby world supplies rugby talent that ensure Top 14 is deep and competitive know French rugby goes deep with talent but not enough for 14 clubs let alone pro D2 as well and keep the level so high over so many games

38 Go to comments

NHinSH 2 hours ago

Will the 2025 Lions be more, or less, than the sum of their parts?