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Breakthrough player of the year nominees revealed

By Ian Cameron
Ange Capuozzo (Getty Images)

World Rugby have revealed the Breakthrough Player of the Year nominees ahead of the World Rugby Awards which will be held in Monaco this coming weekend.

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New Zealand and Ireland have the most nominations across both the women’s and men’s categories.

England’s Maud Muir, Fiji’s Vitalina Naikore, New Zealand’s Maiakawanakaulani Roos and Ruby Tui have been nominated in the women’s category; while England’s Henry Arundell, Italy’s Ange Capuozzo, Ireland’s Mack Hansen and Ireland’s Dan Sheehan have all been nominated in the men’s category.

“Having broken into the Ireland team during the men’s Six Nations, Dan Sheehan and Mack Hansen each played an integral role in the series win against New Zealand in July,” said World Rugby in a statement. “Italy full-back Ange Capuozzo scored twice on his debut and then set up the match-winning try as the Azzurri secured a first win against Wales in 15 years. Henry Arundell made an instant impact on test rugby, scoring a try within six minutes of coming on to win his first England cap, against Australia in July.”

World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “The World Rugby Awards are the ultimate accolades for rugby, and we are delighted to honour the outstanding players and individuals who have made an impact on our game on and off the field in 2022.

“On behalf of World Rugby, I would like to congratulate all nominees of this 22nd edition for their incredible achievements over the past calendar year. Not only have they showcased tremendous rugby skills, but they have also inspired millions of fans around the world helping spread the values of our sport.

“I am looking forward to host the global rugby family next Sunday under the high patronage of HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco and the Principality for a night of celebration in Monte-Carlo.”

Fans can cast their vote on social media and select their winners for the two International Rugby Players Men’s and Women’s Try of the Year categories until Thursday, 17 November at 23:59 GMT.

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More nominees will be revealed in the week.

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J
Jon 9 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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