Every Six Nations Player of the Tournament

Being named as the Six Nations Player of the Tournament is one of the greatest rugby accolades. This honour was first introduced in 2004 (it’s officially known as the Six Nations Player of the Championship) and today the list features some of the sport’s finest and most accomplished names.

After each annual tournament, a panel of rugby experts select a shortlist of players who are deserving of the award. This list is then published online where fans can vote for their favourite player. One week after Super Saturday, the player with the most votes is announced as the Player of the Tournament.

Here’s a list of all the rugby players who have received this award since 2004.

2004: Gordon D’Arcy (Ireland)

Gordon D’Arcy was the first ever recipient of the Six Nations Player of the Tournament award. He was on top form throughout the tournament, out-smarting flat-footed defences and creating space for his teammates. During the tournament, he also scored a last-gasp try during Ireland’s 37-16 victory over Scotland.

2005: Martyn Williams (Wales)

Next, Martyn Williams became the first Welsh player to win the accolade. The Welshman scored a sensational brace (and Wales’ only tries) against France in a game they looked destined to lose. Without Williams, Wales would have failed to capture the Grand Slam.

2006: Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)

Brian O’Driscoll was voted as the Six Nations Player of the Championship in 2006. This was the year that he captained Ireland to the Triple Crown. Despite a terrific campaign, the Irish squad finished in second place – they were beaten by France on points difference alone. 

2007: Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)

In 2007, Brian O’Driscoll was the first player to receive successive Player of the Tournament awards. He piloted Ireland through a stunning campaign but, once again, France got in the way. This time, Ireland finished with a +65 points difference while France finished with a total points difference of +69.

2008: Shane Williams (Wales)

Wales reigned supreme during the 2008 Six Nations. In fact, the Welsh squad set a new record by conceding just two tries in the whole tournament. Williams was instrumental to the team’s Grand Slam success – he scored six tries and was subsequently named Player of the Championship.

2009: Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)

After receiving the award in 2006 and 2007, Brian O’Driscoll became the first rugby player to secure a third Player of the Tournament award in 2009. During the campaign, he steered Ireland to their first Grand Slam since 1948. Additionally, O’Driscoll was also the tournament’s joint top try scorer.

2010: Tommy Bowe (Ireland)

In 2010, Tommy Bowe received almost 50% of the votes and won by a landslide. This was thanks, in part, to his heroic brace against England. With five minutes left on the clock, he crossed the line for the second time, clinching Ireland’s 20-16 win at Twickenham.

2011: Andrea Masi (Italy)

Andrea Masi was the star of the 2011 Six Nations. He scored the only try of Italy’s shock 22-21 triumph over France, sealing the Azzurri’s first ever Championship victory against Les Bleus. With 30% of the vote, Masi beat the other nominees and became the first Italian player to receive the award.

2012: Dan Lydiate (Wales)

Dan Lydiate was the third Welsh player to be named as the Six Nations Player of the Tournament. During the 2012 campaign, he received two Man of the Match awards.

2013: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales)

In 2013, Leigh Halfpenny was the top point scorer and the Player of the Championship. Fifteen players were shortlisted for the award, with Halfpenny receiving 40% of the 80,000 votes – approximately 32,000. He was also named as the Man of the Match twice.

2014: Mike Brown (England)

Mike Brown was talismanic for England in the 2014 Six Nations and was an integral part of the squad that won the country’s 24th Triple Crown. On top of this, Brown won three Man of the Match awards and he was the joint top try scorer for the tournament with four. 

2015: Paul O’Connell (Ireland)

In 2015, Paul O’Connell produced a spectacular Six Nations campaign. He captained the team to their 13th outright title and their first back-to-back win since 1949. To make things even sweeter, O’Connell also earned his 100th cap during the tournament.

2016: Stuart Hogg (Scotland)

Stuart Hogg earned his Player of the Tournament title in 2016. He set up tries, crossed the line twice and was named as the Man of the Match against France. Thanks to his impressive performances, Hogg became the first Scottish player to receive this prestigious award.

2017: Stuart Hogg (Scotland)

Stuart Hogg enjoyed another stunning campaign in 2017, where he performed from the first whistle to the very last. 

Hogg started the tournament by scoring a brace against Ireland. Then, in the final round of fixtures, he booted three points during Scotland’s 29-0 win over Italy. As a result, he received his second consecutive Player of the Championship award.

2018: Jacob Stockdale (Ireland)

In 2018, Jacob Stockdale was named as the Six Nations Player of the Championship. He set the tournament record by scoring seven tries, including braces against Italy, Wales and Scotland. 

2019: Alun Wyn Jones (Wales)

In 2019, Welsh captain Alun Wyn Jones made his 50th appearance at the Six Nations. He led Wales to their 27th Championship Trophy, 12th Grand Slam and 21st Triple Crown.

2020: Antoine Dupont (France)

Although France failed to secure the Championship Trophy in 2020, there was one player who had reason to celebrate: Antoine Dupont was voted as the Player of the Tournament. 

Somewhat surprisingly considering the level of success France had enjoyed in the Six Nations era, Dupont was the first Frenchman to receive the award.

2021: Hamish Watson (Scotland)

In 2021, it was the turn of Hamish Watson. He was on top form during the tournament; Watson played in all five matches and didn’t miss a single tackle! He also won the Man of the Match award during Scotland’s round five game against Italy.

2022: Antoine Dupont (France)

Antoine Dupont secured his second Six Nations Player of the Tournament in 2022. This time, he expertly captained France to their first Grand Slam since 2010. With the Grand Slam and two Man of the Match awards under his belt, Dupont topped the vote once again.

2023: Antoine Dupont (France)

In 2023, Dupont was voted as the Six Nations Player of the Championship for the third time. To date, Dupont and O’Driscoll are the only two players to claim this accolade three times. 

Player of the Tournament wins at the Six Nations

Since the first Player of the Championship was awarded in 2004, one country has outperformed their Six Nations competitors: Ireland. In total, five Irish players have shared seven awards.

Meanwhile, five wins have come from Welsh players, while Scottish and French players have secured three wins each. Players from England and Italy have only won one Player of the Championship award each (Mike Brown and Andrea Masi). 

Additionally, there are only three players who have secured multiple Six Nations Player of the Tournament awards. These are Brian O’Driscoll (2006, 2007 and 2009), Antoine Dupont (2020, 2022 and 2023) and Stuart Hogg (2016 and 2017).