World Rugby Player of the Year

World Rugby Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by World Rugby at the World Rugby Awards.^[1] It was called the IRB International Player of the Year, and it is sometimes colloquially referred to as the IRB World Player of the Year. From 2007 until 2014, it was the IRB Player of the Year. Since 2014, following the International Rugby Board becoming World Rugby, the award has been titled the World Rugby Player of the Year.^[2] The award is presented to honour "the achievements of those involved at the highest level of the world game on the field".^[1] The first World Rugby Player of the Year award was presented in London in 2001.^[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 2017 the voting panel comprises John Smit, George Gregan, Maggie Alphonsi, Clive Woodward, Brian O'Driscoll, Agustín Pichot, Richie McCaw and Fabien Galthié.^[5]

The inaugural winner of the award was Irish hooker Keith Wood who is considered one of the greatest Ireland and British and Irish Lions players.^[6][7][8] Members of the New Zealand national team (also known as the All Blacks) dominate the list of winners, having received the award on ten occasions. Two All Blacks have won the award three times – flanker Richie McCaw (2006, 2009 and 2010) and fly-half Dan Carter (2005, 2012 and 2015). Fly-half is the most successful position with six wins, followed by flanker with five. As of 2017, twelve of the seventeen recipients represent southern hemisphere teams. The winner of the World Rugby Player of the Year for 2017 is New Zealand's Beauden Barrett. The All Black fly-half whose 2016 award citation acknowledged his "scintillating displays" which resulted in "defences often left flat-footed by his step and turn of pace",^[9] became the first player since his countryman McCaw to retain the title.^[10] His 2017 citation included acknowledgement of his top-scoring performance during the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand along with his debut captaincy of his country against the Barbarians in the Killik Cup.^[11][12]

List of winners and nominees

Year	Winner		Position	Nationality		Nominees	Ref(s)
2001		Keith Wood 1994–2003 (Appearances: 63)	Hooker		Ireland	George Gregan Australia – Scrum-half Brian O'Driscoll Ireland – Centre George Smith Australia – Flanker Jonny Wilkinson England – Fly-half	[13][14]
2002		Fabien Galthié 1991–2003 (Appearances: 64)	Scrum-half		France	Richie McCaw New Zealand – Flanker Joe van Niekerk South Africa – Flanker Brian O'Driscoll Ireland – Centre Jason Robinson England – Wing	[15][16]
2003		Jonny Wilkinson 1998–2011 (Appearances: 97)	Fly-half		England	Imanol Harinordoquy France – Number 8 Richie McCaw New Zealand – Flanker Steve Thompson England – Hooker Phil Waugh Australia – Flanker	[17][18]
2004		Schalk Burger 2003–2015 (Appearances: 86)	Flanker		South Africa	Serge Betsen France – Flanker Gordon D'Arcy Ireland – Centre Matt Giteau Australia – Centre Marius Joubert South Africa – Centre	[19]
2005		Dan Carter 2003–2015 (Appearances: 112)	Fly-half		New Zealand	Bryan Habana South Africa – Wing Victor Matfield South Africa – Lock Richie McCaw New Zealand – Flanker Tana Umaga New Zealand – Centre	[20][21]
2006		Richie McCaw 2001–2015 (Appearances: 148)	Flanker		New Zealand	Dan Carter New Zealand – Fly-half Chris Latham Australia – Full-back Paul O'Connell Ireland – Lock Fourie du Preez South Africa – Scrum-half	[22][23]
2007		Bryan Habana 2004–2016 (Appearances: 124)	Wing		South Africa	Felipe Contepomi Argentina – Centre Juan Martín Hernández Argentina – Fly-half Yannick Jauzion France – Centre Richie McCaw New Zealand – Flanker	[24]
2008		Shane Williams 2000–2011 (Appearances: 91)	Wing		Wales	Mike Blair Scotland – Scrum-half Dan Carter New Zealand – Fly-half Ryan Jones Wales – Number 8 Sergio Parisse Italy – Number 8	[25]
2009		Richie McCaw 2001–2015 (Appearances: 148)	Flanker		New Zealand	Jamie Heaslip Ireland – Number 8 Brian O'Driscoll Ireland – Centre Fourie du Preez South Africa – Scrum-half François Steyn South Africa – Centre Matt Giteau Australia – Centre Tom Croft England – Flanker	[13][22]
2010		Richie McCaw 2001–2015 (Appearances: 148)	Flanker		New Zealand	Mils Muliaina New Zealand – Full-back Victor Matfield South Africa – Lock Imanol Harinordoquy France – Number 8 David Pocock Australia – Flanker Kurtley Beale Australia – Centre	[22]
2011		Thierry Dusautoir 2006–2015 (Appearances: 80)	Flanker		France	Piri Weepu New Zealand – Scrum-half Jerome Kaino New Zealand – Flanker Ma'a Nonu New Zealand – Centre David Pocock Australia – Flanker Will Genia Australia – Scrum-half	[15][26]
2012		Dan Carter 2003–2015 (Appearances: 112)	Fly-half		New Zealand	Owen Farrell England – Fly-half Frédéric Michalak France – Fly-half Richie McCaw New Zealand – Flanker	[20]
2013		Kieran Read 2008–pres. (Appearances: 109)	Number 8		New Zealand	Eben Etzebeth South Africa – Lock Leigh Halfpenny Wales – Full-back Sergio Parisse Italy – Number 8 Ben Smith New Zealand – Full-back	[27]
2014		Brodie Retallick 2012–pres. (Appearances: 68)	Lock		New Zealand	Willie le Roux South Africa – Full-back Julian Savea New Zealand – Wing Jonathan Sexton Ireland – Fly-half Duane Vermeulen South Africa – Number 8	[28]
2015		Dan Carter 2003–2015 (Appearances: 112)	Fly-half		New Zealand	Michael Hooper Australia – Flanker Greig Laidlaw Scotland – Scrum-half David Pocock Australia – Flanker Julian Savea New Zealand – Wing Alun Wyn Jones Wales – Lock	[29]
2016		Beauden Barrett 2012–pres. (Appearances: 64)	Fly-half		New Zealand	Owen Farrell England – Fly-half Maro Itoje England – Lock Billy Vunipola England – Number 8 Jamie Heaslip Ireland – Number 8 Dane Coles New Zealand – Hooker	[30][31]
2017		Beauden Barrett 2012–pres. (Appearances: 64)	Fly-half		New Zealand	Israel Folau Australia – Full-back Owen Farrell England – Fly-half Maro Itoje England – Lock Rieko Ioane New Zealand – Wing	[32][33]

Statistics

Correct as of the 2017 award

Multiple wins 3 Dan Carter  New Zealand Richie McCaw  New Zealand 2 Beauden Barrett  New Zealand Winners by country 10  New Zealand 2  South Africa  France 1  England  Ireland  Wales Wins by position 6 Fly-half 5 Flanker 2 Wing 1 Hooker Lock Number 8 Scrum-half

Multiple nominations including wins 8 Richie McCaw  New Zealand 5 Dan Carter  New Zealand 3 Brian O'Driscoll  Ireland Owen Farrell  England David Pocock  Australia 2 Beauden Barrett  New Zealand Fourie du Preez  South Africa Matt Giteau  Australia Bryan Habana  South Africa Imanol Harinordoquy  France Jamie Heaslip  Ireland Maro Itoje  England Victor Matfield  South Africa Sergio Parisse  Italy Julian Savea  New Zealand Jonny Wilkinson  England

Nominations including wins by country 27  New Zealand 13  Australia  South Africa 11  England 9  Ireland 7  France 4  Wales 2  Argentina  Italy  Scotland

References

External links

• Official website