Ellie Kildunne named World Rugby Player of the Year and nine PWR players selected for the World Dream Team

In a star-studded evening in Monaco and surrounded by legends of the game, South Africa’s Pieter-Steph du Toit and England’s Ellie Kildunne have been named World Rugby Men’s and Women’s 15s Player of the Year, respectively.

Full-back Kildunne claims the coveted prize for the first time after playing a key role in the Red Roses’ perfect 2024 campaign that saw them win all 10 matches played and secure the Women’s Six Nations and WXV 1 titles.

In a year that saw rugby sevens’ coming of age at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 and first SVNS Grand Final in Madrid, Australia’s Maddison Levi and France’s Antoine Dupont received the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year awards in partnership with HSBC for their performances and achievements on the pitch.

It is a case of third time lucky for Levi after her nominations in 2022 and 2023, and recognising her incredible year which saw the Australian set a new record for most tries in a single Olympic Games (14) after scoring 69 tries on the HSBC SVNS 2024, the second-highest figure in men’s or women’s series history. The prolific finisher becomes the third Australian recipient after Emilee Cherry and Charlotte Caslick.

Our 🌟 girl #COYQ pic.twitter.com/0Lvwzxkeyp

— Harlequins Women 🃏 (@HarlequinsWomen) November 25, 2024

French star Dupont, who helped France win their first HSBC SVNS titles since 2007 in Los Angeles, Madrid as well as Olympic gold on home soil in Paris becomes the first male player in history to be named World Rugby Player of the Year in both sevens and 15s (2021 and 2024).

Dupont’s sevens head coach Jérôme Daret was named World Rugby Coach of the Year, recognising his efforts in ending a 19-year wait for an SVNS title Cup and steering France to Olympic gold in July. Daret is the first sevens coach to receive this award.

During the evening, five legends of the game were inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in Emilee Cherry (Australia), DJ Forbes (New Zealand), Donna Kennedy (Scotland), Chris Laidlaw (New Zealand) and Sergio Parisse (Italy), while Vickii Cornborough (England) received the International Rugby Players Special Merit Award for her impact, both on and off the field of play, shaping among her many achievements the support available to women’s players in England through her role on the Rugby Players’ Association board.

WORLD RUGBY AWARDS 2024 – WINNERS

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

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

Ellie 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 Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year:

Nine PWR players and 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 (Exeter Chiefs & USA), 2. Georgia Ponsonby (New Zealand) 3. Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury & England) 4. Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury & England) 5. Laetitia Royer (Canada) 6. Aoife Wafer (Ireland) 7. Sophie de Goede (Saracens & Canada) 8. Alex Matthews (Gloucester-Hartpury & England) 9. Pauline Bourdon Sansus (France) 10. Holly Aitchison (Bristol Bears & England) 11. Katelyn Vahaakolo (New Zealand) 12. Alex Tessier (Exeter Chiefs & Canada) 13. Sylvia Brunt (New Zealand) 14. Abby Dow (Trailfinders Women & England) 15. Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins & England).

On cloud nine ☁️

Nine players from six Premiership Women's Rugby teams have been named in the Women's 15s Dream Team of the Year at the #WorldRugbyAwards 🥳

Congratulations to the players selected 👏#PWR | #PoweredDifferently pic.twitter.com/d5srDZBZTO

— Premiership Women's Rugby (@ThePWR) November 24, 2024

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

Former England prop Vickii 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 heart-breaking defeats to the Black Ferns. Away from the pitch, she served as the 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.

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 lineout throw to the onrushing Ménager, who cantered over the try-line. Magnifique.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Selvyn Davids (South Africa), 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 lineout 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 scrum-half Le Garrec.

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

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

The man who masterminded France’s sevens renaissance, Jérôme Daret, is recognised as Coach of the Year – the first-ever sevens recipient.