World Rugby Men's Sevens Player of the Year explained

The World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year is awarded by World Rugby each year. It was first awarded in 2004. The award is based in large part on the player’s performance over the course of the World Rugby Sevens Series, along with other Sevens tournaments during the year.

From 2004 until 2008 the award was called the IRB International Sevens Player of the Year. From 2009 until 2013, it was the IRB Sevens Player of the Year. Since 2014, following the International Rugby Board becoming World Rugby, the award has been titled the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year.

Antoine Dupont has won the World Rugby Men's Sevens Player of the Year award in 2024 and the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year in 2021. He is the first and only rugby player ever to have won both the Men’s Sevens and the Men’s 15s World Rugby Player of the Year awards in one's career.

List of winners

scope=col	Year	Image	Winner	scope=col	Country	scope=col	Other nominees	scope=col
2004		Simon Amor		Ben Gollings Lucio Lopez Fleming	[1] [2] [3]
2005		Orene Ai'i		Amasio Valence Neumi Nanuku	[4]
2006		Uale Mai		Stefan Basson Mathew Tait
2007		Afeleke Pelenise		DJ Forbes Mikaele Pesamino
2008		DJ Forbes		Uale Mai Fabian Juries	[5] [6]
2009		Ollie Phillips		Collins Injera H. Kayange Renfred Dazel	[7] [8]
2010				Lolo Lui Alafoti Fa'osiliva Ben Gollings	[9]
2011		Cecil Afrika		Tomasi Cama Jr. Tim Mikkelson	[10]
2012		Tomasi Cama		Frank Halai Mathew Turner	[11] [12]
2013		Tim Mikkelson			[13]
2014		Samisoni Viriviri		Tim Mikkelson Kyle Brown Tom Mitchell	[14]
2015		Werner Kok		Seabelo Senatla Semi Kunatani	[15]
2016		Seabelo Senatla		Osea Kolinisau Virimi Vakatawa	[16]
2017		Perry Baker		Rosko Specman Jerry Tuwai	[17]
2018		Perry Baker		Ben O'Donnell Jerry Tuwai	[18] [19]
2019		Jerry Tuwai		Stephen Tomasin Folau Niua	[20] [21]
2020	No award				[22]
2021		Marcos Moneta		Napolioni Bolaca Scott Curry Jiuta Wainiqolo	[23]
2022		Terry Kennedy		Nick Malouf Kaminieli Rasaku Corey Toole	[24] [25]
2023		Rodrigo Isgró		Leroy Carter Marcos Moneta Akuila Rokolisoa	[26]
2024		Antoine Dupont		Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang Terry Kennedy	[27] [28] [29]

Winners with multiple nominations

Player	Wins	Nominations
	2 (2017, 2018)	2 (2017, 2018)
	1 (2019)	3 (2017, 2018, 2019)
	1 (2013)	3 (2011, 2013, 2014)
	1 (2016)	2 (2015, 2016)
	1 (2012)	2 (2011, 2012)
	1 (2010)	2 (2007, 2010)
	1 (2008)	2 (2007, 2008)
	1 (2006)	2 (2006, 2008)
	1 (2021)	2 (2021, 2023)

Explanatory notes

This section provides additional detail to the table above regarding the team and player accomplishments that season that helped the player win the Sevens Player of the Year award.

• 2010: Samoa won its first ever World Series title
• 2013: Tim Mikkelson was recognized as the Player of the Tournament at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
• 2014: Samisoni Viriviri led all players in tries scored with 52.
• 2015: Werner Kok led all players in tackles made.
• 2016: Seabelo Senatla led all players in tries scored with 66.
• 2017: Perry Baker led the World Series in several statistical categories — 57 tries, 76 clean breaks, and 285 points.
• 2018: Baker was the World Series leader in tries with 37 before missing the last three rounds to injury, returning to help the USA to its best-ever finish of sixth at the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens.
• 2019: Jerry Tuwai was fifth in clean breaks with 34.
• 2021: Marcos Moneta lead Argentina to their first Rugby Bronze Olympic Medal and he ended being the tryman at that tournament. At the olympics he scored two tries in the memorable match between Argentina and South Africa where Gaston Revol was expelled and Argentina where playing with 6 players.
• 2022: Terry Kennedy led Ireland to a bronze medal at the Rugby World Cup Sevens.

Other World Rugby Awards

• World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year
  • • World Rugby Team of the Year World Rugby Coach of the Year World Rugby Junior Player of the Year
• World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year
• World Rugby Women's Sevens Player of the Year
  • • IRB Spirit of Rugby Award Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service World Rugby Referee Award
  • IRB Development Award IRB Chairman's Award

External links

• World Rugby Awards

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2021-06-07. Hong Kong appoint England legend Amor as men's rugby coach. 2021-12-22. South China Morning Post. en.
2. Web site: Simon Amor. 2021-12-22. www.englandrugby.com.
3. Web site: 2021-12-22. Ex England attack coach & World Rugby Player…. 2021-12-22. Hong Kong Rugby Union. en.
4. Web site: Orene Ai'i. 2021-12-22. Hurricanes. en.
5. Web site: 2016-02-09. DJ Forbes. 2021-12-22. New Zealand Olympic Team. en.
6. Web site: 2017-09-06. Sevens legend Forbes retires. 2021-12-22. www.world.rugby.
7. Web site: 2020-02-05. Ollie Phillips: 'It's great to be back in international rugby'. 2021-12-22. www.world.rugby.
8. Web site: 2021-06-05. Ollie Phillips: 'This summer's Olympics more relevant than ever for rugby'. 2021-12-22. www.world.rugby.
9. Web site: 2010-05-30. Mikaele Pesamino IRB Sevens Player of Year. 2021-12-22. www.world.rugby.
10. Web site: 2012-10-28 . Rugby sevens star Cecil Afrika named newest Laureus Ambassador . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20211222151144/https://staging.laureus.com/news/rugby-sevens-star-cecil-afrika-named-newest-laureus-ambassador . 2021-12-22 . 2021-12-22 . Laureus . en.
11. Web site: 2012-05-14. Cama wins Sevens top award. 2021-12-22. Sport. en-US.
12. Web site: 2012-05-14. Cama caps off Sevens victory with top player honour. 2021-12-22. . en-nz.
13. Web site: New Zealand's Tim Mikkelson named IRB Sevens Player of the Year. 2021-12-22. Sky Sports. en.
14. Web site: Anderson. Gary. 2014-05-11. Fijian Samisoni Viriviri voted IRB Sevens Player of the Year. 2021-12-22. www.insidethegames.biz.
15. Web site: 2015-05-17 . Trio nominated for World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20211222151140/https://www.world.rugby/sevens-series/news/71987?lang=en . 2021-12-22 . 2021-12-22 . www.world.rugby.
16. Web site: 2016-11-14. Senatla scoops World Rugby sevens award. 2021-12-22. Sport. en-US.
17. https://www.florugby.com/articles/6050658-perry-baker-wins-7s-player-of-the-year "Perry Baker Wins 7s Player Of The Year"
18. Sexton and Trémoulière named World Rugby Players of the Year 2018 . World Rugby . 25 November 2018 . 27 November 2018.
19. Web site: 2018-10-22. World Rugby Sevens Players of the Year 2018 nominees announced. 2021-12-22. www.world.rugby.
20. Web site: Jerry Tuwai wins World Rugby Mens 7s Player of the Year.
21. Web site: 2019-09-05. World Rugby Sevens Players of the Year 2019 nominees announced. 2021-12-22. www.world.rugby.
22. Web site: 15 October 2020 . World Rugby . World Rugby Awards Special Edition: Fans' Choice voting now open! . https://web.archive.org/web/20201027040556/https://www.women.rugby/news/593392/world-rugby-awards-2020-fans-choice-voting-now-open . 27 October 2020.
23. Web site: Marcos Moneta is feeling on top of the world after award World Rugby. 2021-12-20. www.world.rugby.
24. Web site: 2022-11-14 . Nominees unveiled for World Rugby Awards 2022 . 2022-11-14 . www.world.rugby.
25. Web site: 2022-11-20 . Josh van der Flier and Ruahei Demant named World Rugby Players of the Year 2022 . 2022-11-21 . www.world.rugby.
26. Web site: 2023-10-30 . Ardie Savea named World Rugby Men's Player of the Year 2023 . 2023-10-30 . www.world.rugby.
27. News: Nominees revealed for World Rugby Awards 2024 . . 18 November 2024 . 18 November 2024.
28. Web site: Wright . Jared . 2024-11-18 . World Rugby Awards: Springboks dominate nominations, Antoine Dupont up for top gong . 2024-11-18 . Planet Rugby . en.
29. Web site: 2024-11-24 . Ellie Kildunne, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Maddison Levi and Antoine Dupont named World Rugby Players of the Year. 2024-11-25 . World Rugby . en.