The nominees are out, and Northern Hemisphere fans are elated to see Europe’s dominance in the World Rugby Awards for the year 2024.
The nominations reflect the sport’s growth, especially with the Six Nations bringing in the new standard. The fans who are regulars regarding rugby Six Nations tickets welcome this narrative, as it shows that they sport is passing the baton to the North.
Six Nations Nominations
Players across the Guinness Six Nations have been nominated in various categories for the World Rugby Awards.
Breakthrough Player of the Year
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (ENG) and Jamie Osborne (IRE) are among the nominees in the men’s category, with Maddie Feaunati (ENG) and Erin King (IRE) up for the women’s category.
Feyi-Waboso – the youngest of the men’s players on the list at 21 – has been a bright spot in a mixed year for England, scoring five tries in only eight appearances. Osborne, meanwhile, made an instant impact on Ireland’s tour of South Africa despite lining up in an unfamiliar position.
Feaunati helped England to a Guinness Women’s Six Nations and WXV 1 double in 2024 and has looked at home in a ridiculously talented Red Roses back row. Feaunati might be why English fans turn up with rugby Six Nations tickets, promising an elegant future in the white jersey.
Another flanker, Olympian King, was Ireland’s match-winner against New Zealand in September.
15s Player of the Year
Caelan Doris (IRE) is the only Championship player up for nomination in this category. The back-rower was a vital cog as Ireland won the Guinness Men’s Six Nations and then captained the team to only a second test victory in South Africa during the summer.
Pauline Bourdon Sansus (FRA), Ellie Kildunne (ENG), and Alex Matthews (ENG) are in the line for Women’s 15s Player of the Year.
Bourdon Sansus continues to be the driving force for France, starting eight of Les Bleues’ nine matches in 2024. Kildunne has become the face of John Mitchell’s England as they prepare for their home Women’s Rugby World Cup, scoring 14 tries in only ten tests this year.
Number eight Alex Matthews has been close behind her, though, and led England to victory in her first match as captain against the USA in September.
International Rugby Players 15s Try of the Year
There is strong Six Nations representation for Try of the Year, with three Championship tries from this year’s edition. The men include James Lowe v England, Lorenzo Pani v Wales, and Nolann Le Garrec v Wales.
James Lowe finished a fine team move in acrobatic fashion against England at Twickenham in March, profiting from excellent work from Jack Crowley and Caelan Doris before Ciaran Frawley gave the scoring pass.
Another flowing attack gave Italy full-back Lorenzo Pani space on the right wing against Wales a week later. He cut inside three would-be tacklers before hitting Ronaldo’s ‘siu’ celebration. In the same round, a stolen lineout allowed France to attack England inside their half. Gaël Fickou added impetus to the move before a sumptuous dummy and offload from Léo Barré released Nolann Le Garrec to score.
For the women, Alyssa D’Incà v Scotland in this year’s Championship and Marine Ménager v Canada in WXV are in the reckoning for Try of the Year.
Playing in the center against Scotland in April, D’Incà displayed all her try-scoring nous to hit a brilliant line and slice through a defense pulled out of shape. She then showed composure to step inside two players and score.
In the WXV match, Lina Queyroi and Marine Ménager caught the Canada defense napping. After a stunning 50:22, Queyroi found the winger with a quick lineout, and Ménager did the rest.
World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year
It wouldn’t be an awards ceremony if France’s Antoine Dupont weren’t in the mix, but the world superstar is also joined by his sevens teammate Aaron Grandidier Nkanang and Ireland’s Terry Kennedy (IRE).
Dupont’s arrival in sevens created headlines, and he more than lived up to his top billing, helping Les Bleus Sevens to the HSBC SVNS Championship and Olympic titles, scoring two tries in the gold medal match on a memorable night in Paris.
Everyone who watched France face Fiji would agree that Dupont brought that gold medal home. His impact substitution changed it for the Les Blues, and the entire rugby community will veto this award.
Grandidier Nkanang was no less important to those triumphs and contributed four tries during his home Games. Kennedy – who won this award in 2022 – scored 32 tries during the 2024 series as Ireland finished the regular season as runners-up behind Argentina.
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Tough Injuries for the All Blacks
The All Blacks will be down yet another flanker when they face Italy in Turin to finish Scott Robertson’s first year as head coach. Samipeni Finau is ineligible for selection after suffering a concussion in the team’s loss to France over the weekend.
The New Zealand squad was already without players like Dalton Papali’i, Ethan Blackadder, Luke Jacobson, and Sam Cane, although the good news is that Cane is on track to be available for selection against Italy in what would be his final game for the All Blacks.
Robertson said the deep gash Cane suffered against Ireland was healing well. The All Blacks will be hoping Cane is cleared for the Test, not just to farewell the former captain with a strong performance but to bolster an inexperienced, available loose forward unit.
With Finau’s early exit just one minute into the France test, one-cap 21-year-old Peter Lakai came into the game for a 79-minute shift alongside fellow Test rookie Wallace Sititi and vice-captain Ardie Savea.
Finau’s concussion comes with protocols that will cause him to miss the upcoming Italy Test.
“That’s a 12-day stand-down for a start, so he’s not available,” Robertson told media the morning after the loss.
Should Cane also fail to meet the mark, Lakai would be staring at his first Test start, and the All Blacks would have to call on another of their recently recruited uncapped All Blacks XV players to fortify the bench. Those candidates are Christian Lio-Willie and Du’Plessis Kirifi.
