Wallace Sititi crowned breakthrough player of the year at World Rugby Awards

Monday, 25 November 2024

All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi has been crowned as the men’s 15s breakthrough player of the year at the annual World Rugby Awards.

He beat out South African first-five Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, English winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Irish centre Jamie Osborne.

Sititi is the fifth All Black to win the award, which was first handed out in 2015.

Winger Nehe Milner-Skudder won it that year, followed by Rieko Ioane in 2017, Will Jordan in 2021 and Mark Tele’a in 2023.

Sititi made his debut against Fiji in San Diego in July then went on to earn nine more caps, most of them at blindside flanker, rather than his preferred position of No 8.

He made the step up to test rugby after starring for the Chiefs in their run to the Super Rugby Pacific final.

Speaking last week, in the wake of his nomination, Sititi said he was “extremely grateful”.

“It's been a big year. Just to have that acknowledgement, it's crazy.”

“Just being able to be on the same list as some of those guys, Sacha, Immanuel and Jamie, they're all quality players.

“Just to be on the same list is an honour and a privilege.”

Three All Blacks – prop Tyrel Lomax, first-five Damian McKenzie and fullback Jordan - were included in World Rugby’s men’s Dream XV.

Three Black Ferns got the nod in the women’s Dream XV –hooker Georgia Ponsonby, second-five Sylvia Brunt and winger Katelyn Vahaakolo.

Springboks veteran Pieter-Steph du Toit was crowned men’s 15s player of the year, an award he previously won in 2019.

England fullback Ellie Kildunne was the women’s 15s player of the year.

Two Black Ferns Sevens players – Michaela Blyde and Jorja Miller – were included in the women’s sevens dream team.

Australia’s Maddison Levi was the women’s sevens player of the year, while France’s Antoine Dupont was the men’s sevens player of the year.