Boks’ Pieter-Steph Du Toit named world player of the year for second time

The Springboks' Pieter-Steph du Toit was named rugby's world player of the year for the second time on Sunday at a ceremony in Monaco, while England's Ellie Kildunne took the women's honours and Antoine Dupont and Maddison Levi claimed the sevens titles.

Flanker Du Toit also won in 2019 and becomes the fourth man to take the honour twice after New Zealand trio Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Beauden Barrett. He is the third South African winner after Schalk Burger in 2004 and Bryan Habana in 2007.

The all-action forward helped the Springboks to a first Rugby Championship title in five years and followed up with a clean sweep of wins over Scotland, England and Wales in the Autumn series.

Fullback Kildunne was one of the standout players in an England team that won all 10 matches played in 2024 as they took the Six Nations and WXV 1 titles. Dupont's recognition came after his dramatic contribution to France's Olympic gold on home soil and he becomes the first player to take the 15s and sevens title.

Australia's Levi, who was also nominated in 2022 and 2023, was an unstoppable force at the Olympics, where she scored a record 14 tries having scored 69 on the 2024 Sevens series, the second-highest figure in men’s or women’s series history.

Dupont’s sevens coach Jerome Daret was named coach of the year, becoming the first sevens coach to take the honour.

Loose forward Wallace Sititi was named men's breakthrough player of the year after a remarkable debut season for New Zealand, while Ireland flanker Erin King took the women's award after hitting the ground running after moving to 15s from sevens after the Paris Olympics.

WORLD RUGBY AWARDS 2024 — ALL THE WINNERS

Selected by the World Rugby Awards panels (except for International Rugby Players Try of the Year categories voted by fans online)

World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year: Pieter-Steph du Toit (SA)

Du Toit becomes only the fourth male player to win the award more than once. He was an integral part of the South Africa side that won a first Rugby Championship title in five years and followed that with a perfect Autumn Nations Series tour, beating Scotland, England and Wales. Only three players made more carries than him during the Rugby Championship and Du Toit has come up with vital tries as well, crossing the white line for the fourth time in 2024 during the 29-20 defeat of England at Allianz Stadium.

Nominees: Caelan Doris (Ireland), Eben Etzebeth (SA), Cheslin Kolbe (SA)

World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year: Ellie Kildunne (England)

Kildunne was the standout performer as England once again swept aside their rivals in 2024. The full-back scored a remarkable nine tries as the Red Roses claimed another Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam and then — having represented Great Britain at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 — dusted off her trademark cowboy celebration a further four times as England defended their WXV 1 title in Canada. In total, Kildunne scored 14 tries in only 10 Test appearances during a year to remember.

Nominees: Pauline Bourdon Sansus (France), Alex Matthews (England), Alex Tessier (Canada)

World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year in partnership with HSBC: Antoine Dupont (France)

Only the second player, male or female, to win both the sevens and 15s Player of the Year awards, it is hard to quantify the affect Dupont had on France’s fortunes. Before Dupont’s arrival, Les Bleus Sevens were a good team, but they had not won a series title in 19 years. He helped end that long wait in his second tournament, in Los Angeles in March, and would go on to propel the side to HSBC SVNS Championship success and an Olympic gold medal. In front of packed Stade de France crowds at Paris 2024, Dupont was at his inspirational best, scoring four tries, including the match-confirming score in the quarterfinal against Argentina and a brace to help beat back-to-back defending champions Fiji in the gold medal match.

Nominees: Aaron Grandidier Nkanang (France), Terry Kennedy (Ireland)

World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year in partnership with HSBC: Maddison Levi (Australia)

It was another awe-inspiring year for Australia star Levi, who claims the award for the first time having been nominated in 2022 and 2023. Levi scored 69 tries across the HSBC SVNS 2024 to help drive her side to the Championship title in Madrid. Only five women have scored more tries in series history than the Australian, which is some feat given she made her debut in November 2021. Levi followed up her SVNS heroics by crossing the white line 14 times in six matches at Paris 2024. But despite racking up two hat-tricks and one four-try haul, she could not help her country to a medal, losing the bronze medal match to USA.

Nominees: Michaela Blyde (New Zealand), Jorja Miller (New Zealand)

World Rugby Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year: Wallace Sititi (New Zealand)

Son of former Samoa captain Semo Sititi, he has been on an incredible journey this year. Heading into 2024, Sititi was yet to make his Super Rugby Pacific debut for the Chiefs, but he has gone on to become an almost automatic pick in the All Blacks back row. The 22-year-old came of age during a narrow defeat to South Africa in Cape Town in which he went toe-to-toe with a strong Springbok pack, and he has been a near ever-present since. Sititi started all five of New Zealand’s matches on their end-of-year tour of Japan and Europe.

Nominees: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (SA), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (England), Jamie Osborne (Ireland)

World Rugby Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year: Erin King (Ireland)

Ireland flanker King has enjoyed an incredible rise since transitioning from sevens after the Olympic Games Paris 2024. King made her Test debut in only her fourth senior 15s match and then provided a match-winning cameo against the six-time world champion Black Ferns in the opening round of WXV 1 in Vancouver. That two-try performance as a replacement earned her a first start against Canada and she retained the number six jersey for Ireland’s final WXV 1 assignment against USA. King scored the first of her side’s four tries as they secured a 26-14 victory and second place in the standings.

Nominees: Maddie Feaunati (England), Caitlyn Halse (Australia), Hannah King (New Zealand)

World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team of the Year:

Four nations are represented in the Dream Team with world champions SA boasting seven players, Ireland four, New Zealand three and Argentina one.

1. Ox Nche (SA) 2. Malcolm Marx (SA) 3. Tyrel Lomax (New Zealand) 4. Eben Etzebeth (SA) 5. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland) 6. Pablo Matera (Argentina) 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (SA) 8. Caelan Doris (Ireland) 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland) 10. Damian McKenzie (New Zealand) 11. James Lowe (Ireland) 12. Damian de Allende (SA) 13. Jesse Kriel (SA) 14. Cheslin Kolbe (SA) 15. Will Jordan (New Zealand).

World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year:

Six nations are represented in the Dream Team with unbeaten England accounting for six players, Canada and New Zealand three apiece and one each for USA, Ireland and France.

1. Hope Rogers (USA), 2. Georgia Ponsonby (New Zealand) 3. Maud Muir (England) 4. Zoe Aldcroft (England) 5. Laetitia Royer (Canada) 6. Aoife Wafer (Ireland) 7. Sophie de Goede (Canada) 8. Alex Matthews (England) 9. Pauline Bourdon Sansus (France) 10. Holly Aitchison (England) 11. Katelyn Vahaakolo (New Zealand) 12. Alex Tessier (Canada) 13. Sylvia Brunt (New Zealand) 14. Abby Dow (England) 15. Ellie Kildunne (England).

World Rugby Men’s Sevens Dream Team of the Year in partnership with HSBC:

Selvyn Davids (SA), Antoine Dupont (France), Aaron Grandidier Nkanang (France), Terry Kennedy (Ireland), Nathan Lawson (Australia), Ponipate Loganimasi (Fiji), Matías Osadczuk (Argentina).

World Rugby Women’s Sevens Dream Team of the Year in partnership with HSBC:

Olivia Apps (Canada), Michaela Blyde (New Zealand), Kristi Kirshe (USA), Maddison Levi (Australia), Ilona Maher (USA), Jorja Miller (New Zealand), Séraphine Okemba (France).

International Rugby Players Men’s Try of the Year: Nolann Le Garrec (France, v England, Men’s Six Nations, 17 March)

A brilliant team try from the Men’s Six Nations takes the award. Nolann Le Garrec finished off a flowing counterattack for France against England in March after a stolen line-out had set the platform for Gaël Fickou and Léo Barré to show their class. A sumptuous dummy and offload from the latter putting the score on a plate for scrumhalf Le Garrec.

Nominees: James Lowe (Ireland, v England, Men’s Six Nations, March 10), Lorenzo Pani (Italy, v Wales, Men’s Six Nations, March 17), Akaki Tabutsadze (Georgia, v Australia, July 20)

International Rugby Players Women’s Try of the Year: Marine Ménager (France, v Canada, WXV 1, 29 September)

It is a French Try of the Year double as Lina Queyroi and Marine Ménager’s quick thinking struck a chord with voters. Having launched an impressive 50:22 in Les Bleues’ WXV 1 encounter with Canada in Vancouver, Queyroi caught the home defence napping and delivered a swift line-out throw to the onrushing Ménager, who cantered over the tryline. Magnifique.

International Rugby Players Special Merit Award: Vickii Cornborough (England)

Former England prop Cornborough officially announced her international retirement in April having played 75 times for the Red Roses. During a glittering playing career, Cornborough won six Women’s Six Nations titles, five Grand Slams and started two Women’s Rugby World Cup finals, both of which ended in heartbreaking defeats to the Black Ferns. Away from the pitch, she served as vice-chair of the Rugby Players’ Association in England and played a pivotal role in the creation of the Rugby Football Union’s maternity policy.

World Rugby Coach of the Year: Jérôme Daret (France)

The man who masterminded France’s sevens renaissance, Daret is recognised as Coach of the Year and is the first sevens recipient. Daret has overseen the team’s transformation into HSBC SVNS contenders, leading his side to only their second series title, in Los Angeles in March, and following that with a stunning HSBC SVNS Championship success in Madrid. Daret’s crowning moment came at Paris 2024 in July when he guided Les Bleus Sevens past Argentina, SA and Fiji and onto the top step of the Olympic podium in front of a sold-out Stade de France.