Full list of winners at French rugby awards as Jack Willis retains title

For the second consecutive year, Jack Willis has been named the Top 14 Player of the Season, awarded by the LNR at 22nd La Nuit du Rugby.

In doing so, the England international has matched Antoine Dupont’s feat of claiming the prize in back-to-back seasons.

Willis was once again central to Stade Toulousain’s title challenge, scoring six tries, winning 19 jackals, and making 173 tackles across the season. He also delivered a string of outstanding performances, including a Player of the Match display in the final victory over Montpellier.

After helping Stade Toulousain clinch a 25th Bouclier de Brennus, the 29-year-old former Wasps back-rower was nominated for the Player of the Season award alongside Union Bordeaux-Bègles’ Matthieu Jalibert and ASM Clermont’s Harry Plumer.

The only other English player to have won the award is Zach Mercer, who claimed the honour in 2022 after a sensational season with Montpellier.

Yet Willis was far from the only winner on the night, with 12 additional awards handed out at the event, which was co-organised by Canal+.

Section Paloise’s outstanding talent Fabien Brau-Boirie won the Player Revelation of the season, beating fellow Les Bleus teammate Kalvin Gourgues and Montpellier’s Auguste Cadot.

Another award headed to Section Paloise, as Émilien Gailleton’s spectacular score against Aviron Bayonnais in Round 21 was named the Try of the Season.

In the ProD2, Flying Fijian Setareki Bituniyata was chosen as the competition’s Player of the Season, after helping Provence qualify for the final.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey was voted as the Les Bleus Player of the Season, as the lightning-fast speedster was critical to France’s Six Nations victory, scoring nine tries in the campaign.

On the women’s side, ASM Romagnat hooker Mathilde Lazaro won the AXA Élite 1 Player of the Year award following an outstanding campaign that saw her side finish as runners-up. Lazarko’s teammate Élodie Fernandez and Stade Bordelais Carla Arbez were the other nominees.

French No.8 Léa Champon took home the France Women’s Player of the Year award, a well-deserved honour after a year in which she dotted down three tries for Les Bleues and delivered several sensational performances in both the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup and the Six Nations.

For coach of the year, Montpéllier and RC Vannes were the winners. Joan Caudullo’s staff led Montpéllier to EPCR Challenge Cup glory and qualified for the Top 14 final, where they lost to Stade Toulousain 28-20. Vannes won the ProD2 for the second time in the last three years, with Jean-Noël Spitzer leading a side that conceded only six losses in 32 games.

Luc Ramos, who officiated last season’s Top14 final, was named Match Official of the Year.

The Extenso Supersevens Player of the Year awards went to UBB star Marcos Moneta in the men’s category and AC Bobigny’s Hawa Tounkara in the women’s, with both players recognised for their outstanding performances throughout the season.

Racing 92 was also recognised for its commitment to social inclusion, with its “Une équipe de rugby adaptée pleinement intégrée au club” (adapted rugby) initiative receiving the Social Equality Trophy.