World Rugby Awards

World Rugby Awards
World Rugby Awards
Awarded for	Excellence in rugby
Presented by	World Rugby
First awarded	2001; 23 years ago
Website	World Rugby Awards

The World Rugby Awards are given out annually by World Rugby (until November 2014, known as the International Rugby Board), the worldwide governing body for rugby union, for major achievements in the sport. The idea of rewarding excellence in rugby was disclosed in 2001 following the Annual Meeting of the International Rugby Board Council in Copenhagen,^[1] and the first ceremony was first awarded later that year.^[2]^[3] The International Rugby Players' Association also gives out awards, for Try of the Year (since 2007), and Special Merit, as a part of the programme. As of 2021, they now present Women's Try of the Year.

In 2020, World Rugby decided to "look back on a decade of international rugby" instead of presenting the usual awards. Six of the categories were decided by fan votes and two by a selected panel. The 'Special Edition Awards' focused on "...members of the rugby family who had showcased solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting their communities and getting involved in relief efforts."^[4]

World Rugby reintroduced the normal awards in 2021 with a few new additions. Unlike previous years where a majority of the awards were selected by an independent panel, half of the categories will now be selected by public voting.^[5]^[6]

2001

IRB Player of the Year: Keith Wood Ireland
IRB International Team of the Year: Australia
IRB International Coach of the Year: Rod Macqueen Australia
IRB International Young Player of the Year: Gavin Henson Wales
IRB International Women's Player of the Year: Shelley Rae England
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Ed Morrison England
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Tim Grandadge India
IRB Distinguished Service Award: Tom Kiernan Ireland
IRB Development Award: Jorge Brasceras Uruguay
IRB Chairman's Awards: Kath McLean, Sir Terry McLean, Albert Ferrasse, John Eales

2002

IRB Player of the Year: Fabien Galthié France
IRB International Team of the Year: France
IRB International Coach of the Year: Bernard Laporte France
IRB International U19 Player of the Year: Luke McAlister New Zealand
IRB International U21 Player of the Year: Pat Barnard South Africa
IRB International Sevens Team of the Year: New Zealand
IRB International Women's Player of the Year: Monique Hirovanaa New Zealand
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Colin Hawke New Zealand
IRB Distinguished Services Award: Allan Hosie Scotland
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Old Christians Club Uruguay
IRB Development Award: John Broadfoot England
IRB Chairman's Awards: Bill Mclaren, George Pippos (posthumously)

2003

IRB International Player of the Year: Jonny Wilkinson England
IRB International Team of the Year: England
IRB International Coach of the Year: Sir Clive Woodward England
IRB International U19 Player of the Year: Jean Baptiste Payras France
IRB International U21 Player of the Year: Ben Atiga New Zealand
IRB International Sevens Team of the Year: New Zealand
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Michael & Linda Collinson Eswatini
IRB Award for Distinguished Service: Bob Stuart Australia
IRB Referee Distinguished Service Award: Derek Bevan Wales
IRB International Women's Personality of the Year: Kathy Flores United States
IRB Development Award: Tan Theany & Philippe Monnin
IRB Chairman's Award: Vernon Pugh Wales

2004

IRB International Player of the Year: Schalk Burger South Africa
IRB International Team of the Year: South Africa
IRB International Coach of the Year: Jake White South Africa
IRB International U19 Player of the Year: Jeremy Thrush New Zealand
IRB International U21 Player of the Year: Jerome Kaino New Zealand
IRB International Sevens Team of the Year: New Zealand
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Simon Amor England
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Jarrod Cunningham New Zealand
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Ronnie Dawson Ireland
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Jim Fleming Scotland
IRB International Women's Personality of the Year: Donna Kennedy Scotland
IRB Development Award: Guedel Ndiaye Senegal
IRB Chairman's Award: Marcel Martin France

2005

IRB International Player of the Year: Daniel Carter New Zealand
IRB International Team of the Year: New Zealand
IRB International Coach of the Year: Graham Henry New Zealand
IRB International U19 Player of the Year: Isaia Toeava New Zealand
IRB International U21 Player of the Year: Tatafu Polota-Nau Australia
IRB International Sevens Team of the Year: Fiji
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Orene Ai’i New Zealand
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Jean Pierre Rives France
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Peter Crittle Australia
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Paddy O'Brien New Zealand
IRB International Women's Personality of the Year: Farah Palmer New Zealand
IRB Development Award: Robert Antonin France
IRB Chairman's Award: Sir Tasker Watkins V.C., G.B.E, D.L Wales

2006

IRB International Player of the Year: Richie McCaw, New Zealand
IRB International Team of the Year: New Zealand
IRB International Coach of the Year: Graham Henry, New Zealand
IRB International U19 Player of the Year: Josh Holmes Australia
IRB International U21 Player of the Year: Lionel Beauxis France
IRB International Sevens Team of the Year: Fiji
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Uale Mai Samoa
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Polly Miller
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Brian Lochore New Zealand
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Peter Marshall Australia
IRB International Women's Personality of the Year: Margaret Alphonsi England
IRB Development Award: Mike Luke Canada
IRB Hall of Fame inductees: William Webb Ellis and Rugby School England

2007

IRB International Player of the Year: Bryan Habana, South Africa
IRB International Team of the Year: South Africa
IRB International Coach of the Year: Jake White, South Africa
IRB Under-19 Player of the Year: Robert Fruean, New Zealand
IRB Sevens Player of the Year: Afeleke Pelenise, New Zealand
IRB Sevens Team of the Year: New Zealand
IRB Women's Personality of the Year: Sarah Corrigan, referee, Australia
In 2007, she became the first woman ever to referee in an IRB 15-man tournament outside of the Women's Rugby World Cup when she took charge of the match between Zimbabwe and Canada in the 2007 Under 19 Rugby World Championship.
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Dick Byres, retired, Australia
After refereeing 14 Tests, he was a charter member of the IRB Referee Selector panel when it was formed in 1997, and was the longest-serving member of the panel when he retired in 2007.
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: José María Epalza, Spain
After a playing career that saw him earn 38 caps for Spain, and coaching the Spanish national team from 1986 to 1990, he went on to a distinguished career in rugby administration, serving in several key posts in the Spanish Rugby Federation and FIRA–AER.
Spirit of Rugby Award: Nicolas Pueta, Argentina
Pueta regularly plays club rugby despite having a congenital femoral deficiency that meant that his left leg never grew to the same size as his right one.
IRPA Try of the Year: Takudzwa Ngwenya, United States
IRPA Special Merit Award: Fabien Pelous, France
Pelous is the most-capped player in France history, and also the most-capped lock ever.
IRB Development Award: Jacob Thompson, Jamaica
Ever since returning home to Jamaica from England in the 1970s, Thompson has tirelessly worked to promote the sport in his homeland. He has been president of the Jamaica Rugby Union since 1999.
IRB Hall of Fame inductees:
- Pierre de Coubertin, France
- Wilson Whineray, New Zealand
- Danie Craven, South Africa
- Gareth Edwards, Wales
- John Eales, Australia

2008

IRB Player of the Year: Shane Williams, Wales
IRB International Team of the Year: New Zealand
IRB International Coach of the Year: Graham Henry, New Zealand
IRB Junior Player of the Year: Luke Braid, New Zealand
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: DJ Forbes, New Zealand
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Roelien Muller and Patrick Cotter
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Andre Watson South Africa
IRB International Women's Personality of the Year: Carol Isherwood England
IRPA Special Merit Award: Agustín Pichot Argentina
IRB Development Award: TAG Rugby Development Trust and Martin Hansford England
IRPA Try of the Year: Brian O'Driscoll Ireland

2009

IRB Player of the Year: Richie McCaw New Zealand
IRB International Team of the Year: South Africa
IRB International Coach of the Year: Declan Kidney (Ireland)
IRB Junior Player of the Year: Aaron Cruden New Zealand
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Ollie Phillips England
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: L'Aquila Rugby Italy
The town of L'Aquila, with long rugby traditions, was hit on 6 April 2009 by an earthquake which left 307 people dead and tens of thousands homeless. Amongst the victims was promising young prop Lorenzo Sebastiani, who had played in the last IRB Junior World Championship in Wales. L'Aquila Rugby Club provided shelter, refuge and comfort to people in the town. L'Aquila's Rugby were in the front line of the rescue effort, and helped evacuate victims from damaged buildings.
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: to be awarded
IRB International Women's Personality of the Year: Debby Hodgkinson Australia
IRPA Special Merit Award: Kevin Mac Clancy
IRB Development Award: 林嘉生 Lin, Chia-Sheng(Carlson Lin) Taiwan
Mr Lin was the first person from Asian countries to receive this award, for his decades of dedication to promote rugby sport in Taiwan, and also his selfless contribution to the world rugby society.
IRPA Try of the Year: Jaque Fourie South Africa

2010

IRB Player of the Year: Richie McCaw New Zealand
IRB International Team of the Year: New Zealand
IRB International Coach of the Year: Graham Henry New Zealand
IRB Junior Player of the Year: Julian Savea New Zealand
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Mikaele Pesamino Samoa
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Jean-Claude Baqué France
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Virreyes RC Argentina
IRB Women's Personality of the Year Carla Hohepa New Zealand
IRB Development Award winner Brian O'Shea Australia^[7]
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service Colin High
IRPA Try of the Year: Chris Ashton England

2011

IRB Player of the Year: Thierry Dusautoir France
IRB International Team of the Year: New Zealand
IRB International Coach of the Year: Graham Henry New Zealand
IRB Junior Player of the Year: George Ford England
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Cecil Afrika South Africa
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Jock Hobbs New Zealand
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Wooden Spoon Society United Kingdom
IRB Women's Personality of the Year: Ruth Mitchell
IRB Development Award winner: Rookie Rugby USA
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Keith Lawrence New Zealand
IRPA Special Merit Award: George Smith Australia
IRPA Try of the Year: Radike Samo Australia
IRB Hall of Fame inductees:
- Roger Vanderfield Australia
- Richard Littlejohn New Zealand
- Nicholas Shehadie Australia
- John Kendall-Carpenter England
- David Kirk New Zealand
- Nick Farr-Jones Australia
- Francois Pienaar South Africa
- Martin Johnson England
- John Smit South Africa
- Brian Lochore New Zealand
- Bob Dwyer Australia
- Kitch Christie South Africa
- Rod Macqueen Australia
- Clive Woodward England
- Jake White South Africa
- Gareth Rees Canada
- Agustín Pichot Argentina
- Brian Lima Samoa
- Jonah Lomu New Zealand

2012

IRB Player of the Year: Dan Carter New Zealand
IRB International Team of the Year: New Zealand
IRB International Coach of the Year: Steve Hansen New Zealand
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Tomasi Cama New Zealand
IRB Development Award: South African Rugby Union South Africa
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Paul Dobson South Africa
IRB Junior Player of the Year: Jan Serfontein South Africa
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Viorel Morariu Romania
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Lindsay Hilton Canada
IRPA Try of the Year: Bryan Habana South Africa
IRB Hall of Fame inductees:
IRB Women’s Player of the Year: Michaela Staniford England

2013

IRB Player of the Year: Kieran Read New Zealand
IRB International Team of the Year: New Zealand
IRB International Coach of the Year: Steve Hansen New Zealand
IRB Sevens Player of the Year: Tim Mikkelson New Zealand
IRB Women's Sevens Player of the Year: Kayla McAlister New Zealand
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Michel Lamoulie France
IRPA Try of the Year: Beauden Barrett New Zealand

2014

Note: Some of the awards for this year were presented before 19 November, when the International Rugby Board changed its name to the current World Rugby.