Du Toit Acknowledged as World Rugby's Top Player in the Year

Rewritten Article:

Springbok's Pieter-Steph du Toit Takes Home World Rugby's Top Honor

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In a star-studded ceremony at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco, Pieter-Steph du Toit, the tireless engine of the Springboks, claimed the Men's 15s Player of the Year gong, clinching rugby's most prestigious individual accolade for the second time in his career, after his first win back in 2019.

The 32-year-old beat out his teammates Eben Etzebeth and Cheslin Kolbe, as well as Ireland's Caelan Doris, to lay his hands on the coveted reward. With this achievement, du Toit became the first South African to bag rugby's top individual honor twice. Schalk Burger won it in 2004, and Bryan Habana, who is heavily credited with South Africa’s 2007 World Cup triumph, is another Springbok to have won this prize, though solid evidence on the exact year is scant (sources vary).

Playing both at flank and lock, the relentless Terminator propelled the back-to-back world champions to a record-breaking 2024 season that saw them clinch the Rugby Championship, winning 11 of their 13 Test matches, with their only losses by a single point each against Ireland and Argentina.

An impressive seven Springboks were included in the 2024 Dream Team, with du Toit, Etzebeth, and Kolbe joined by Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, Damian de Allende, and Jesse Kriel. Unfortunately, Sacha-Feinberg Mngomezulu, the Springbok flyhalf who created a splash in the Test arena before getting sidelined by a knee injury, missed out on the Men's 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year award. The honor went to Wallace Sititi from the All Blacks.

Four of the four Rugby Championships trophies, the Qatar Airways Cup, Mandela Challenge Plate, Freedom Cup, and Prince William Cup, found their way to the Springboks' trophy room in 2024, and they ended the season on top of the world rankings. Despite this remarkable season, Springbok mentor Rassie Erasmus was overlooked as the Coach of the Year, as the honor went to Jérôme Daret, who led the French men's sevens team to SVNS series glory and Olympic gold in Paris.

Speaking after the ceremony, Erasmus praised his players and the entire Springbok team, stating, "To have so many of our players feature in the awards is a testament to their hard work and dedication to the team and the Springbok brand." Erasmus thanked the squad members for making this season a special one.

Captain of the Blitzboks, Selvyn Davids, earned a spot in the Men's Sevens Dream Team, while SA Rugby won the Rugby for All Award, which celebrates impactful initiatives that uphold rugby's core values. SA Rugby's "The Bag That Builds" project was also commended for promoting sustainability by repurposing tournament waste into building materials for community housing projects.

France's Antoine Dupont, who helped France win their first SVNS titles since 2007 as well as Olympic gold on home soil in Paris, was named the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, making him the first male player in history to be named World Rugby Player of the Year in both sevens and 15s. Another Frenchman, Nolann Le Garrec, won the International Rugby Players Men's Try of the Year award for his score against England in the Six Nations.

England's Ellie Kildunne grabbed the Women's 15s Player of the Year award for the first time after leading the Red Roses to a perfect 2024 campaign, winning all 10 matches played, and securing the Women's Six Nations and WXV 1 titles. Ireland's Erin King was named the Women's 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year, and Australia's Maddison Levi received the Women's World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year. It was a third time lucky for Levi after her nominations in 2022 and 2023, and the award recognizes her incredible year which saw her set a new record for most tries in a single Olympic Games (14).

Finally, France's Marine Ménager won the International Rugby Players Women's Try of the Year award for her effort against Canada. Five legends of the game, Emilee Cherry (Australia), DJ Forbes (New Zealand), Donna Kennedy (Scotland), Chris Laidlaw (New Zealand), and Sergio Parisse (Italy), were inducted in the World Rugby Hall of Fame. In addition, Vickii Cornborough (England) received the International Rugby Players Special Merit Award for her impactful influence on and off the field, primarily shaping the support available to women's players in England through her role on the Rugby Players' Association board.

Award Winners:

Men:

Player of the YearWinner: Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)Nominees: Caelan Doris (Ireland), Eben Etzebeth (South Africa), Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa), Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)

Breakthrough Player of the YearWinner: Wallace Sititi (New Zealand)Nominees: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (South Africa), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (England), Jamie Osborne (Ireland), Wallace Sititi (New Zealand)

Try of the YearWinner: Nolann Le Garrec (France v England, Men's Six Nations, 17 March)Nominees: James Lowe (Ireland v England, Men's Six Nations, 10 March), Lorenzo Pani (Italy v Wales, Men's Six Nations, 17 March), Nolann Le Garrec (France v England, Men's Six Nations, 17 March), Akaki Tabutsadze (Georgia v Australia, July Internationals, 20 July)

Dream Team1. Ox Nche (South Africa), 2. Malcolm Marx (South Africa), 3. Tyrel Lomax (New Zealand), 4. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa), 5. Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), 6. Pablo Matera (Argentina), 7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa), 8. Caelan Doris (Ireland), 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), 10. Damian McKenzie (New Zealand), 11. James Lowe (Ireland), 12. Damian de Allende (South Africa), 13. Jesse Kriel (South Africa), 14. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa), 15. Will Jordan (New Zealand)

Coach of the YearJérôme Daret (France sevens)

Women:

Player of the YearWinner: Ellie Kildunne (England)Nominees: Pauline Bourdon Sansus (France), Ellie Kildunne (England), Alex Matthews (England), Alex Tessier (Canada)

Breakthrough Player of the YearWinner: Erin King (Ireland)Nominees: Caitlyn Halse (Australia), Maddie Feaunati (England), Erin King (Ireland), Hannah King (New Zealand)

Try of the YearWinner: Marine Ménager (France v Canada, WXV, 29 September)Nominees: Alyssa D'Incà (Italy v Scotland, Women's Six Nations, 20 April), Georgia Ponsonby (New Zealand v Australia, Pacific Four Series, 25 May), Maya Stewart (Australia v Wales, WXV, 28 September), Marine Ménager (France v Canada, WXV, 29 September)

Dream Team1. 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)

Sevens:

Men's Player of the YearWinner: Antoine Dupont (France)Nominees: Antoine Dupont (France), Aaron Grandidier Nkanang (France), Terry Kennedy (Ireland)

Women's Player of the YearWinner: Maddison Levi (Australia)Nominees: Michaela Blyde (New Zealand), Maddison Levi (Australia), Jorja Miller (New Zealand)

Pieter-Steph du Toit, the South African rugby player, was twice named the Men's 15s Player of the Year, with his most recent win at the 2024 World Rugby Awards.
Aside from du Toit, Eben Etzebeth and Cheslin Kolbe from the Springboks were also nominated, along with Ireland's Caelan Doris, for the Men's 15s Player of the Year.
In the European football leagues, Maddison Levi of Australia was commended for her performance, winning Women's World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2024.
During the 2024 sports season, South Africa's rugby team, the Springboks, won the Rugby Championship, clinching four out of the four Rugby Championships trophies.
Nolann Le Garrec, a French rugby player, won the International Rugby Players Men's Try of the Year award for his score against England in the Six Nations.
The European Premier League saw England's Ellie Kildunne leading the Red Roses to a perfect 2024 campaign, winning the Women's 15s Player of the Year award.