English winners announced at World Rugby Awards
With the World Rugby Awards taking place digitally this week, we will be celebrating the achievements of English winners.
Women's 15s Player of the Year
Zoe Aldcroft
“I am absolutely shocked and made up to be named World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year 2021. It was an honour to be nominated in the first instance and I’m absolutely over the moon.
“Having seen the likes of Emily Scarratt and Sarah Hunter, who I have the privilege of playing with, win this award in recent years and to follow in their footsteps is an amazing feeling.
“Any individual awards are a reflection of a team effort and I’d like to dedicate this to all of the team-mates, coaching and management staff that I work with for club and country. Their support is invaluable and I can’t thank them enough for everything they do.
“From an England perspective, we’re looking forward to the Six Nations and then the World Cup in New Zealand later in 2022 – we’re heading into a huge year for the women’s game.”
Women's 15s Team of the Year
Bern, Ward, Aldcroft, P Cleall, Dow
Five Red Roses made the World Rugby women's 15s team of the year. Four forwards in: Sarah Bern, Abbie Ward, Zoe Aldcroft and Poppy Cleall, with wing Abby Dow the sole England back.
The Red Roses cemented their status as number one team in the world thanks to record wins over the world champion Black Ferns in November, and extended their unbeaten run to 18 Tests.
Women's Team of the Year
1. Annaëlle Deshayes (France) 2. Agathe Sochat (France) 3. Sarah Bern (England) 4. Safi N’Diaye (France) 5. Abbie Ward (England) 6. Zoe Aldcroft (England) 7. Karen Paquin (Canada) 8. Poppy Cleall (England) 9. Laure Sansus (France) 10. Caroline Drouin (France) 11. Abby Dow (England) 12. Beatrice Rigoni (Italy) 13. Stacey Fluhler (New Zealand) 14. Caroline Boujard (France) 15. Jasmine Joyce (Wales).
Men's 15s Team of the Year
Maro Itoje
Saracens lock Itoje is selected in a star-studded team, after an impressive year in an England shirt, where he most recently helped Eddie Jones' men to an unbeaten autumn campaign thanks to wins over Tonga - where he scored a try - Australia, and South Africa - earning his 50th England cap along the way.
Men's Team of the Year
1. Wyn Jones (Wales) 2. Malcolm Marx (South Africa) 3. Tadhg Furlong (Ireland) 4. Maro Itoje (England) 5. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa) 6. Siya Kolisi (South Africa) 7. Michael Hooper (Australia) 8. Ardie Savea (New Zealand) 9. Antoine Dupont (France) 10. Beauden Barrett (New Zealand) 11. Makazole Mapimpi (South Africa) 12. Samu Kerevi (Australia) 13. Lukhanyo Am (South Africa) 14. Will Jordan (New Zealand) 15. Stuart Hogg (Scotland).
World Rugby Coach of the Year
Simon Middleton - Red Roses
Simon Middleton creates history as the first coach of a women’s team to claim the prestigious award, having guided the Red Roses through a second successive calendar year unbeaten to 18 Test wins in-a-row (and counting).
Most recently, Middleton presided over back-to-back record wins over world champions New Zealand in November. Now in his seventh year as England Women's head coach, his side scored 57 tries and conceded just 10 in 2021, as they added another Women’s Six Nations title to their haul.
“When Conor (O'shea) rang me with the news and he read the letter to me on the phone, my daughter was in the other room,” Middleton told World Rugby.
“Obviously, they knew I'd been nominated, and she came straight to the door because she could hear the conversation and she looked and was like, 'Have you got it?' I just put my thumb up and I could just see the tears well up in her eyes.
“Then I told my wife when she came in and she's not one for sentiment, but she was like, ‘Wow, that's unbelievable!’ and gave me a big hug, which was nice.
“And, then I told my son, who's 16. He's really into his sport and he just said: ‘I can’t believe that that’s incredible… I’m so proud of you’. When your kids tell you that they are proud of you, it means a lot.”
Middleton saw off esteemed coaching company to win the award in: Allan Bunting/Cory Sweeney (New Zealand Women’s Sevens), Ian Foster (New Zealand Men) and Dave Rennie (Australia Men).
