World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year

World Rugby
Men's 15s Player of the Year
Date2001; 24 years ago (2001)
Presented byWorld Rugby
Formerly calledIRB Player of the Year (2001–2013)
World Rugby Player of the Year (2014–2019)
First awarded2001
Current holderSouth Africa Pieter-Steph du Toit (2024)
Most awardsNew Zealand Dan Carter
New Zealand Richie McCaw
(3 awards each)
WebsiteWorld Rugby

The World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year is an award presented annually by World Rugby at the World Rugby Awards.[1] It is given to honour "the achievements of those involved at the highest level of the world game on the field".[1] First presented in 2001,[2] it was initially named the IRB International Player of the Year; from 2007 until 2014 it was the IRB Player of the Year and in 2014 it was titled World Rugby Player of the Year, before being given its current name in 2016.[2]

The winner receives a trophy at an annual awards ceremony.[3] The voting panel select a list of nominees who can then be voted for by players, coaches, media representatives and the public via Twitter. Informed by the vote, the panel then select the winner.[4] as of 2021 the voting panel comprises John Smit, George Gregan, Melodie Robinson, Maggie Alphonsi, Clive Woodward, Brian O'Driscoll, Richie McCaw, Thierry Dusautoir and Fiona Coghlan.[5]

The first winner of the award was Ireland hooker Keith Wood. The winner for 2024 was South Africa Pieter-Steph du Toit. New Zealand players have received the most awards, winning ten times. Two players have won three times – flanker Richie McCaw (2006, 2009 and 2010) and fly-half Dan Carter (2005, 2012 and 2015). Nominations for the award are dominated by players from Tier 1 nations; only United States' Joe Taufete'e has ever been nominated from a Tier 2 side. Fly-halves have won the award most often, with seven wins, followed by flankers with six.

Antoine Dupont has won the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year award in 2021 and the World Rugby Men's Sevens Player of the Year in 2024. He is the first and only rugby player ever to have won both the Men’s 15s and the Men’s Sevens World Rugby Player of the Year awards in one's career.

Winners and nominees

Winners and nominees of the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year
Year Image Winner Country Position Other nominees Ref(s)
2001 Keith Wood in 2012 Keith Wood  Ireland Hooker  Australia – George Gregan (Scrum-half)
 Australia – George Smith (Flanker)
 England – Jonny Wilkinson (Fly-half)
 Ireland – Brian O'Driscoll (Centre) 		[6][7][8]
2002 Fabien Galthié in 2008 Fabien Galthié  France Scrum-half  England – Jason Robinson (Wing)
 Ireland – Brian O'Driscoll (Centre)
 New Zealand – Richie McCaw (Flanker)
 South Africa – Joe van Niekerk (Flanker) 		[9][10]
2003 Jonny Wilkinson in 2007 Jonny Wilkinson  England Fly-half  Australia – Phil Waugh (Flanker)
 England – Steve Thompson (Hooker)
 France – Imanol Harinordoquy (Number 8)
 New Zealand – Richie McCaw (Flanker) 		[11][12]
2004 Schalk Burger in 2008 Schalk Burger  South Africa Flanker  Australia – Matt Giteau (Centre)
 France – Serge Betsen (Flanker)
 Ireland – Gordon D'Arcy (Centre)
 South Africa – Marius Joubert (Centre) 		[13][14]
2005 Dan Carter in 2011 Dan Carter  New Zealand Fly-half  New Zealand – Richie McCaw (Flanker)
 New Zealand – Tana Umaga (Centre)
 South Africa – Bryan Habana (Wing)
 South Africa – Victor Matfield (Lock) 		[15][16]
2006 Richie McCaw in 2008 Richie McCaw  New Zealand Flanker  Australia – Chris Latham (Full-back)
 Ireland – Paul O'Connell (Lock)
 New Zealand – Dan Carter (Fly-half)
 South Africa – Fourie du Preez (Scrum-half) 		[17][18]
2007 Bryan Habana in 2007 Bryan Habana  South Africa Wing  Argentina – Felipe Contepomi (Centre)
 Argentina – Juan Martín Hernández (Fly-half)
 France – Yannick Jauzion (Centre)
 New Zealand – Richie McCaw (Flanker) 		[19]
2008 Shane Williams in 2008 Shane Williams  Wales Wing  Italy – Sergio Parisse (Number 8)
 New Zealand – Dan Carter (Fly-half)
 Scotland – Mike Blair (Scrum-half)
 Wales – Ryan Jones (Number 8) 		[20]
2009 Richie McCaw in 2011 Richie McCaw  New Zealand Flanker  Australia – Matt Giteau (Fly-half)
 England – Tom Croft (Flanker)
 Ireland – Jamie Heaslip (Number 8)
 Ireland – Brian O'Driscoll (Centre)
 South Africa – Fourie du Preez (Scrum-half)
 South Africa – François Steyn (Centre) 		[7][17]
2010 Richie McCaw in 2011 Richie McCaw  New Zealand Flanker  Australia – Kurtley Beale (Centre)
 Australia – David Pocock (Flanker)
 France – Imanol Harinordoquy (Number 8)
 New Zealand – Mils Muliaina (Full-back)
 South Africa – Victor Matfield (Lock) 		[17]
2011 Thierry Dusautoir in 2012 Thierry Dusautoir  France Flanker  Australia – Will Genia (Scrum-half)
 Australia – David Pocock (Flanker)
 New Zealand – Jerome Kaino (Flanker)
 New Zealand – Ma'a Nonu (Centre)
 New Zealand – Piri Weepu (Scrum-half) 		[9][21]
2012 Dan Carter in 2011 Dan Carter  New Zealand Fly-half  England – Owen Farrell (Fly-half)
 France – Frédéric Michalak (Fly-half)
 New Zealand – Richie McCaw (Flanker) 		[15]
2013 Kieran Read in 2011 Kieran Read  New Zealand Number 8  Italy – Sergio Parisse (Number 8)
 New Zealand – Ben Smith (Full-back)
 South Africa – Eben Etzebeth (Lock)
 Wales – Leigh Halfpenny (Full-back) 		[22]
2014 Brodie Retallick in 2014 Brodie Retallick  New Zealand Lock  Ireland – Johnny Sexton (Fly-half)
 New Zealand – Julian Savea (Wing)
 South Africa – Willie le Roux (Full-back)
 South Africa – Duane Vermeulen (Number 8) 		[23][24]
2015 Dan Carter in 2015 Dan Carter  New Zealand Fly-half  Australia – Michael Hooper (Flanker)
 Australia – David Pocock (Flanker)
 New Zealand – Julian Savea (Wing)
 Scotland – Greig Laidlaw (Scrum-half)
 Wales – Alun Wyn Jones (Lock) 		[25]
2016 Beauden Barrett in 2014 Beauden Barrett  New Zealand Fly-half  England – Owen Farrell (Fly-half)
 England – Maro Itoje (Lock)
 England – Billy Vunipola (Number 8)
 Ireland – Jamie Heaslip (Number 8)
 New Zealand – Dane Coles (Hooker) 		[26][27]
2017 Beauden Barrett in 2017 Beauden Barrett  New Zealand Fly-half  Australia – Israel Folau (Full-back)
 England – Owen Farrell (Fly-half)
 England – Maro Itoje (Lock)
 New Zealand – Rieko Ioane (Wing) 		[28][29]
2018 Johnny Sexton in 2015 Johnny Sexton  Ireland Fly-half  New Zealand – Beauden Barrett (Fly-half)
 New Zealand – Rieko Ioane (Wing)
 South Africa – Faf de Klerk (Scrum-half)
 South Africa – Malcolm Marx (Hooker) 		[30]
2019 Pieter-Steph du Toit in 2022 Pieter-Steph du Toit  South Africa Flanker  England – Tom Curry (Flanker)
 New Zealand – Ardie Savea (Flanker)
 South Africa – Cheslin Kolbe (Wing)
 United States – Joe Taufete'e (Hooker)
 Wales – Alun Wyn Jones (Lock) 		[31]
2020 Not Awarded [32]
2021 Antoine Dupont in 2023 Antoine Dupont  France Scrum-half  Australia – Michael Hooper (Flanker)
 England – Maro Itoje (Lock)
 Australia – Samu Kerevi (Centre) 		[33]
2022 Josh van der Flier in 2023 Josh van der Flier  Ireland Flanker  South Africa – Lukhanyo Am (Centre)
 France – Antoine Dupont (Scrum-half)
 Ireland – Johnny Sexton (Fly-half) 		[34][35]
2023 Ardie Savea in 2018 Ardie Savea  New Zealand Number 8  South Africa – Eben Etzebeth (Lock)
 France – Antoine Dupont (Scrum-half)
 Ireland – Bundee Aki (Centre) 		[36]
2024 Pieter-Steph du Toit in 2022 Pieter-Steph du Toit  South Africa Flanker  Ireland – Caelan Doris (Number 8
 South Africa – Eben Etzebeth (Lock)
 South Africa – Cheslin Kolbe (Wing) 		[37][38]

Statistics

Correct as of the 2024 nominations

By country

References

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