World Rugby Men's Sevens Player of the Year

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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.

Awarded forBest Men's Sevens Player of the Year
Date2004; 22 years ago (2004)
Presented byWorld Rugby
First award2004
Quick facts Awarded for, Date ...
World Rugby Men's Sevens Player of the Year
Awarded forBest Men's Sevens Player of the Year
Date2004; 22 years ago (2004)
Presented byWorld Rugby
First award2004
Currently held bySouth Africa Tristan Leyds (2026)
WebsiteWorld Rugby Awards
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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

More information Year, Image ...
Year Image Winner Country Other nominees Ref(s)
2004 Simon Amor in 2005 Simon Amor  England England Ben Gollings
Argentina Lucio Lopez Fleming		 [1][2][3]
2005 Orene Ai'i in 2011 Orene Ai'i  New Zealand New Zealand Amasio Valence
Fiji Neumi Nanuku		 [4]
2006 Uale Mai in 2011 Uale Mai  Samoa South Africa Stefan Basson
England Mathew Tait
2007 N/a Afeleke Pelenise  New Zealand New Zealand DJ Forbes
Samoa Mikaele Pesamino
2008 DJ Forbes in 2017 DJ Forbes  New Zealand Samoa Uale Mai
South Africa Fabian Juries		 [5][6]
2009 N/a Ollie Phillips  England Kenya Collins Injera
Kenya H. Kayange
South Africa Renfred Dazel		 [7][8]
2010 N/a Mikaele Pesamino  Samoa Samoa Lolo Lui
Samoa Alafoti Fa'osiliva
England Ben Gollings		 [9]
2011 Cecil Afrika in 2012 Cecil Afrika  South Africa New Zealand Tomasi Cama Jr.
New Zealand Tim Mikkelson		 [10]
2012 Tomasi Cama in 2022 Tomasi Cama  New Zealand New Zealand Frank Halai
England Mathew Turner		 [11][12]
2013 Tim Mikkelson in 2009 Tim Mikkelson  New Zealand [13]
2014 Samisoni Viriviri in 2014 Samisoni Viriviri  Fiji New Zealand Tim Mikkelson
South Africa Kyle Brown
England Tom Mitchell		 [14]
2015 Werner Kok in 2022 Werner Kok  South Africa South Africa Seabelo Senatla
Fiji Semi Kunatani		 [15]
2016 N/a Seabelo Senatla  South Africa Fiji Osea Kolinisau
France Virimi Vakatawa		 [16]
2017 Perry Baker  United States South Africa Rosko Specman
Fiji Jerry Tuwai		 [17]
2018 Perry Baker  United States Australia Ben O'Donnell
Fiji Jerry Tuwai		 [18][19]
2019 Jerry Tuwai  Fiji United States Stephen Tomasin
United States Folau Niua		 [20][21]
2020 No award [22]
2021 Marcos Moneta  Argentina Fiji Napolioni Bolaca
New Zealand Scott Curry
Fiji Jiuta Wainiqolo		 [23]
2022 Terry Kennedy  Ireland Australia Nick Malouf
Fiji Kaminieli Rasaku
Australia Corey Toole		 [24][25]
2023 Rodrigo Isgró  Argentina New Zealand Leroy Carter
Argentina Marcos Moneta
New Zealand Akuila Rokolisoa		 [26]
2024 Antoine Dupont in 2023 Antoine Dupont  France France Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang
Ireland Terry Kennedy		 [27][28][29]
2025 Luciano González  Argentina France Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang
Ireland Terry Kennedy		 [30]
2026 N/a Tristan Leyds  South Africa Australia Henry Hutchison
Fiji Vuiviawa Naduvalo		 [31]
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Winners with multiple nominations

More information Player, Wins ...
PlayerWinsNominations
United States Perry Baker2 (2017, 2018)2 (2017, 2018)
Fiji Jerry Tuwai1 (2019)3 (2017, 2018, 2019)
New Zealand Tim Mikkelson1 (2013)3 (2011, 2013, 2014)
Ireland Terry Kennedy1 (2022)3 (2022, 2024, 2025)
South Africa Seabelo Senatla1 (2016)2 (2015, 2016)
New Zealand Tomasi Cama Jr.1 (2012)2 (2011, 2012)
Samoa Mikaele Pesamino1 (2010)2 (2007, 2010)
New Zealand DJ Forbes1 (2008)2 (2007, 2008)
Samoa Uale Mai1 (2006)2 (2006, 2008)
Argentina Marcos Moneta1 (2021)2 (2021, 2023)
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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

See also

References

External links

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