South Africa flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit and England fullback Ellie Kildunne have been named World Rugby’s players of the year, while Australia’s Maddison Levi won the women’s sevens player of the year award.
Levi was named the best women’s sevens player.
Previously a two-time nominee, Levi is the third Australian to win the award, beating New Zealand pair Michaela Blyde and Jorja Miller to be crowned the world’s best.
The 22-year-old enjoyed a record-breaking 2023/2024 season, crossing for 83 tries, 69 of which came on the HSBC SVNS world series and 14 at the Paris Olympic Games.
Levi claimed Player of the Final honours at the Madrid SVNS Grand Final following a hat-trick against France.
Antoine Dupont and Maddison Levi pose with their World Rugby sevens player of the year awards for 2024. (Photo by World Rugby)
She notched her 150th career try during the Madrid tournament to now be only second behind Charlotte Caslick in the all-time list for the Australians.
Levi’s achievement also saw her named in the inaugural HSBC SVNS Women’s Dream Team for 2023/2024.
Aussie Men’s Sevens winger Nathan Lawson was named in the HSBC SVNS Men’s Dream Team after a stellar personal season.
Lawson crossed for 25 tries during the calendar year, finishing fourth on the list overall.
Du Toit, also the 2019 winner, became only the fourth men’s player to win the award at least twice, after New Zealanders Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Beauden Barrett.
Despite the Springboks’ policy of rotation, Du Toit showed his immense value by appearing in 10 of their 13 Tests, and played the full game in eight of them.
The double World Cup winner helped the Springboks win their first Rugby Championship since 2019 and achieve a first unbeaten autumn tour of Europe in 11 years.
Du Toit was crowned ahead of teammates Eben Etzebeth and Cheslin Kolbe, and Ireland captain Caelan Doris.
Kildunne’s award capped an impressive year in which she was also the Women’s Six Nations best player.
In an unbeaten year with England, she won a Six Nations Grand Slam, retained the WXV1 title and scored 14 tries in 10 Tests. She also had time to help Britain in the Paris Olympics sevens.
Also nominated were teammate and No. 8 Alex Matthews, France scrumhalf Pauline Bourdon Sansus and Canada flyhalf Alex Tessier.
Kildunne was the fourth England winner in the last five awards.
All Blacks flanker Wallace Sititi was the men’s breakthrough player at the year.
Sititi, the son of former Samoa captain Semo Sititi, debuted off the bench against Fiji in July, and made a huge impression in his first Test start against South Africa in Cape Town in September, on his 22nd birthday.
He was undroppable from then on; starting all seven remaining Tests. He was the only All Black to start all five on their tour of Japan and Europe.
Erin King became the first Irishwoman to win an individual award when she was chosen the women’s breakthrough player of the year.
King also went to the Olympics, and made her 15s debut only in September, when the back-rower helped Ireland finish second in the WXV1 after a historic win over world champion New Zealand.
Superstar halfback Antoine Dupont was named men’s sevens player of the year after lifting France to the Olympic gold medal and first world series title.
The France men had never previously medalled in the Olympics – didn’t even qualify for the 2021 Tokyo Games – and their best previous finish in world series history was fourth.
The coach of the year was Jerome Daret, for guiding the France men’s sevens team to their success.
FULL HONOUR ROLL
International Rugby Players women’s try of the year winner: Marine Menager (France)
World Rugby women’s 15s breakthrough player of the year winner: Erin King (Ireland)
World Rugby women’s 15s dream team of the year: 15: Ellie Kildunne (England); 14. Abby Dow (England), 13. Slyvia Brunt (New Zealand), 12. Alex Tessier (Canada), 11. Katelyn Vahaakolo (New Zealand); 10. Holly Aitchison (England), 9. Pauline Bourdon Sansus (France); 1. 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).
World Rugby women’s 15s player of the year: Ellie Kildunne (England)
Hall of Fame induction: No167 – Emilee Cherry (Australia), No168 – DJ Forbes (New Zealand), No169 – Sergio Parisse (Italy), No170 – Donna Kennedy (Scotland), No171 – Chris Laidlaw (New Zealand)
International Rugby Players special merit award winner: Vickii Cornborough (England)
World Rugby coach of the year winner: Jerome Daret (France)
International Rugby Players men’s try of the year: Nolann Le Garrec (France)
World Rugby men’s 15s breakthrough player of the year: Wallace Sititi (New Zealand)
World Rugby men’s 15s dream team of the year: 15. Will Jordan (New Zealand); 14. Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa), 13. Jesse Kriel (South Africa), 12. Damian de Allende (South Africa), 11. James Lowe (Ireland); 10. Damian McKenzie (New Zealand), 9. Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland); 1. 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).
World Rugby men’s 15s player of the year winner: Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)
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), Seraphine Okemba (France).
World Rugby women’s sevens player of the year in partnership with HSBC: Maddison Levi (Australia)
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), Matias Osadczuk (Argentina).
World Rugby men’s sevens player of the year in partnership with HSBC: Antoine Dupont (France)
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