Wallace Sititi capped his stellar debut season in Test rugby by being named World Rugby’s XVs Breakthrough Player of the Year at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco.
World Rugby’s citation noted Sititi is the son of former Samoa captain Semo Sititi.
“Heading into 2024, Sititi was yet to make his Super Rugby Pacific debut for the Chiefs, but he has become an almost automatic pick in the All Blacks back row.
“The 22-year-old came of age during a narrow defeat by South Africa in Cape Town which he went toe-to-toe with a strong Springbok pack, and he has been a near ever-present since that day.”
He headed off Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (South Africa), Immanuel Feyi-Wabsos (England), and Jamie Osborne (Ireland).
While New Zealand was short on nominees for awards when announced last week, they had better results in the men’s and women’s Dream Teams of the Year.
In the women’s team, Black Fern hooker Georgia Ponsonby, wing Katelyn Vahaakolo and centre Sylvia Brunt were named, while in the men’s team, tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax, first five-eighths Damian McKenzie and fullback Will Jordan were named.
Two other New Zealanders who play for Ireland, halfback Jamison Gibson-Park and wing James Lowe, were selected.
Black Ferns Sevens players Michaela Blyde and Jorja Miller were named in World Rugby’s Women’s Sevens Dream Team of the Year.
South African loose forward Pieter Steph-du Toit became only the fourth male, after Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Beauden Barrett, to be named World Rugby’s Men’s XVs Player of the Year for a second time, while England’s Ellie Kildunne was World Rugby’s Women’s XVs Player of the Year.
Antoine Dupont of France and Australia’s Maddison Levi were named the World Rugby Men’s and Women’s Sevens Players of the Year, respectively.
During the evening, former All Blacks halfback Chris Laidlaw and Sevens Men’s captain DJ Forbes were inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
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