David Pocock has capped his stellar return to international
Rugby by claiming the
John Eales Medal at the 2018
Rugby Australia Awards at Randwick Racecourse on Friday night.
Pocock wins the award for the second time in his decade-long career, having previously collected the medal in 2010.
Amassing 262 votes (123 clear of his nearest teammate, Lukhan Tui) from his Wallabies teammates since the start of the June
Ireland Series, Pocock took the award despite not playing in every match during the award voting period.
The workhorse backrower also reinforced his standing in the eyes of Wallabies supporters by taking out the fan’s choice award for the Wallabies Player of the Year.
Standout Queensland loose forward
Fraser McReight was named the top Under 20s player, and looks like a big prospect to keep an eye on in the future.
Also taking top honours on the night were Australian Sevens stars Evania Pelite and Ben O’Donnell, who scooped the Sevens Player of the Year awards named in memory of the late Shawn MacKay.
Pelite and O’Donnell were standouts on the HSBC Sevens World Series in 2017-2018 with Pelite amassing 13 tries for the World Series-champion Aussie women, and O’Donnell bursting onto the scene to finish 8th on the tryscorers list in the men’s series with 32 tries in his rookie campaign.
Fellow rookie
Emily Chancellor took out the Player of the Year award for the Wallaroos after two outstanding performances against New Zealand’s Black Ferns in August. Chancellor emerged as one of
Australia’s finds of the season, with the versatile backrower also co-captaining Macquarie University in the Aon University Sevens Series in 2017 and 2018.
Three former greats were inducted into the Wallabies Hall of Fame, including pre-War hooker Eddie Bonis (Wallaby 261, 21 caps), former number eight,
Tim Gavin (Wallaby 670, 47 caps) and former Wallabies captain and dual
Rugby World Cup-winning hooker,
Phil Kearns (Wallaby 681, 67 caps).
Young tyro
Taniela Tupou celebrated a breakout maiden season of international
Rugby, winning the
Rugby Australia Rookie of the Year and Super
Rugby Player of the Year award after his influential season for the Queensland Reds. Meanwhile, Shanice Parker was voted the inaugural Super W Player of the Year after steering NSW Women to an historic title.
For being a shining light on the values of
Rugby and for services to the game, long-time administrator Ron Graham won the Joe French Award and
Scott Fardy was recognised for his selfless role in the disaster relief efforts following the 2011 Tsunami in
Japan by receiving the
Nick Farr-Jones Spirit of
Rugby Award.
In a first, it was an even split in the Volunteer of the Year award voting between Knox Rugby Club’s Ian Frame and Box Hill’s Tilly Vlok, while Matthew Chapman of Miami State High in Queensland was judged the outstanding Community Coach in 2018.
Rugby Australia Chief Executive, Raelene Castle congratulated the winners: “On behalf of the Australian Rugby community, I wholeheartedly congratulate our award winners for 2018.”
“There were many outstanding achievements by some very special individuals across every level of the game and it was a great night to recognise the significant contributions of people within the game, both past and present.
“As a sport we have had much to celebrate in 2018, with participation growth across all formats of the game, a second World Series title in three years for our Women’s Sevens team, a blockbuster Ireland Series in June, and some monumental moments for women’s Rugby with the inaugural Buildcorp Super W season and the first ever double-header in Australia involving the Qantas Wallabies and Buildcorp Wallaroos.”
Rugby Australia Awards 2018 Award Winners
HSBC Volunteer of the Year: Ian Frame (Knox Rugby Club)
HSBC Volunteer of the Year: Tilly Vlok (Box Hill Rugby Club)
Roger Vanderfield TNT Referee of the Year: Angus Gardner
Nick Farr-Jones Spirit of Rugby Award: Scott Fardy
Joe French Award: Ron Graham
Geoff ‘Bunter’ Shaw Community Coach of the Year Award: Matthew Chapman (Miami State High)
Under 20s Player of the Year: Fraser McReight (Queensland)
Rugby Australia Rookie of the Year:
Taniela Tupou (Qantas Wallabies)
Buildcorp Super W Player of the Year: Shanice Parker (NSW Women)
Vodafone Super Rugby Player of the Year: Taniela Tupou (Queensland Reds)
Australia’s Choice – Qantas Wallaby of the Year: David Pocock
Buildcorp Women’s XV Player of the Year: Emily Chancellor
The Shawn MacKay Award – Men’s Sevens Player of the Year: Ben O’Donnell
The Shawn MacKay Award – Women’s Sevens Player of the Year: Evania Pelite
John Eales Medal: David Pocock
Comments on RugbyPass
SACK HIM !
1 Go to commentsSafas are so triggered by Ireland. 3 consecutive losses, incl RWC. 8 losses out of last 12 Tests. Always excuses, of course, with Bok fans. Now Rassie with his “88%” nonsense, the Claytons Excuse is an embarrassment to Bok teams of the past when every test mattered. Their fickle mojo will be on edge for the Ireland tour. Have the referees been appointed yet ? They will need security. Have WR laid out strict guidelines for TMO’s and replays on the stadium screens ? Will the constant stoppages from Bok forwards for cramps and bootlaces be tolerated ? We’re not talking a dominant Springbok team here, they won the LOTTO Cup and they know it whether they admit it or not. The Disney doco has their fans positively fermenting internally, its going to be a nasty hangover if they get beaten on home soil. What will the excuses be then……
75 Go to commentsGreat role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
75 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
75 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
75 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
75 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
75 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
75 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
75 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
75 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
75 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
75 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to comments