Bundee Aki and Antoine Dupont among nominees for Player of the Year at World Rugby Awards 2023
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Updated 26/10/2023 at 11:36 GMT+1
Ireland's Bundee Aki and France's Antoine Dupont are part of the four-player shortlist to be crowned Men's Player of the Year at the World Rugby Awards 2023. Aki is seeking to win the award for the first time, while Dupont received the honour in 2021. The northern hemisphere duo are up against World Cup finalists Eben Etzebeth of South Africa and Ardie Savea of New Zealand.
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Ireland centre Bundee Aki and France captain Antoine Dupont are among the nominees for Men's 15s Player of the Year at the World Rugby Awards 2023.
There are 11 categories in total, with the winners to be unveiled in Paris on Sunday, October 29, the day after the Rugby World Cup final between New Zealand and South Africa at the Stade de France.
Following the inception of the WXV, which ends on November 4, there will also be a further four women’s categories added, with the award winners to be announced and celebrated at the conclusion of the tournament.
World Rugby has revealed six shortlists, all of which have been selected by the World Rugby Awards panels.
Ireland’s Aki and France’s Dupont are in the running for Men’s 15s Player of the Year but face stiff opposition from South Africa’s Eben Etzebeth and New Zealand’s Ardie Savea.
Aki, 33, was born in New Zealand but made his Ireland debut in 2017 after completing a three-year residency period. The inside centre scored four tries in this year’s World Cup that came to a heartbreaking end in the quarter-finals against the All Blacks.
Scrum-half Dupont claimed the prize in 2021 and is back in the running this year. The Frenchman, who is widely recognised as the best in his position and one of the best players in the world, also exited the World Cup in the quarter-finals, as South Africa beat the hosts by a single point.
Etzebeth and Savea will contest the World Cup final for South Africa and New Zealand respectively as both nations seek to win rugby’s showpiece event for a record fourth time.
Last year the award was scooped by Aki's Ireland team-mate Josh van der Flier.
Elsewhere, Andy Farrell is up for Coach of the Year alongside Ian Foster (New Zealand), Jacques Nienaber (South Africa) and Simon Raiwalui (Fiji).
Farrell, a former player, took over as the head coach of Ireland from Joe Schmidt in 2019 and oversaw a first series victory in New Zealand in 2022 and a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2023.
Scotland’s Duhan van der Merwe is among the nominees for Men’s Try of the Year for his stunning solo effort against England in the Six Nations.
Here is the full list of nominations:
Men's 15s Player of the Year
- Bundee Aki (Ireland)
- Antoine Dupont (France)
- Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
- Ardie Savea (New Zealand)
Men's Sevens Player of the Year
- Leroy Carter (New Zealand)
- Rodrigo Isgro (Argentina)
- Marcos Moneta (Argentina)
- Akuila Rokolisoa (New Zealand)
Women's Sevens Player of the Year
- Michaela Blyde (New Zealand)
- Maddison Levi (Australia)
- Tyla Nathan-Wong (New Zealand)
- Reapi Ulunisau (Fiji)
International Rugby Players Men's Try of the Year
- Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland v England)
- Damian Penaud (France v Ireland)
- Hugo Keenan (Ireland v France)
- Vinaya Habosi (Fiji v Georgia)
Men's 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year
- Louis Bielle-Biarrey (France)
- Manie Libbok (South Africa)
- Mark Tele'a (New Zealand)
- Tamaiti Williams (New Zealand)
Coach of the Year
- Andy Farrell (Ireland)
- Ian Foster (New Zealand)
- Jacques Nienaber (South Africa)
- Simon Raiwalui (Fiji)
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