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Ireland dominate World Rugby Awards

By Sam Warlow
Jonathan Sexton and Joe Schmidt. Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images

Johnny Sexton, Joe Schmidt and the Irish national side received three of the top prizes at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco.

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Named Player of the Year, Coach of the Year and Team of the Year respectively, the ceremony capped an incredible year for the men in green, which saw them lose just one match all season.

To win his award, 33-year-old Sexton beat out New Zealanders Rieko Ioane and Beauden Barrett – the latter in the running for his third consecutive award – and South Africans Faf de Klerk and Malcolm Marx.

Sexton was an instrumental part of Ireland’s success in 2018, steering them to victory over Barrett and the All Blacks last weekend. His year was also highlighted by titles with Leinster in both the Pro14 and Champions Cup.

During the ceremony, Sexton was left speechless thanks to a throat infection so Ireland captain Rory Best had to deliver a speech on his behalf.

“Johnny’s got too big time to speak for himself, so I’m up here to speak for him,” Best joked. The hooker then read a few notes Sexton had made.

“Thank you to my teammates and coaches. If a Number 10 wins an award like this it is due to the team around him and his coaches making his job easier,” he read.

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“We have some of the best coaches in the world and are led superbly.”

Sexton also gave a nod to the other nominees.

Sexton is just the second Irishman to win the award after hooker Keith Wood secured the top gong in 2001.

Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt edged All Blacks coach Steve Hansen and Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus to scoop the Coach of the Year award for the first time in his five-year tenure.

Ireland were also named Team of the Year after rising to number two in the World Rankings, secured a Six Nations Grand Slam – their first since 2009 – and beat the All Blacks in Ireland for the first time. Their only loss was an 18-9 defeat at the hands of Australia during their June tour.

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France fullback Jessy Tremouliere was named Womens Player of the Year. She scored five tries in France’s Grand Slam-winning Six Nations campaign, and was one of four French players nominated for the award alongside Black Ferns captain Fiao’o Fa’amausili.

Other major awards included Breakthrough Player of the Year, where South African winger Aphiwe Dyantyi edged inspirational All Blacks prop Karl Tu’inukuafe.

New Zealand’s Michaela Blyde and the United States’ Perry Baker won their respective Sevens Player of the Year awards, both for the second year in a row.

Brodie Retallick’s now-famous dummy and score against Australia was awarded Try of the Year.

AWARD WINNERS

World Rugby Men’s Player of the Year –  Winner – Johnny Sexton (Ireland).
World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year – Winner –  Jessy Tremouliere (France).
World Rugby Team of the Year  – Winner – Ireland
World Rugby Coach of the Year  –  Winner – Joe Schmidt (Ireland)
World Rugby Referee Award  – Winner – Angus Gardner
Try of the Year  –  Winner –  Brodie Retallick (All Blacks)
World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year – Winner – Aphiwe Dyantyi (South Africa)
World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year – Winner – Perry Baker (USA)?
World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year – Winner – Michaela Blyde (Black Ferns Sevens)
IRPA Special Merit Award  – Winners: DJ Forbes (NZ), Stephen Moore (Australia)

World Rugby Referee Award – Angus Gardner (Australia)

The 34-year-old has shown strong development over the last two years, highlighted by the calibre of matches he is now being appointed to referee, and is now one of the leading referees in international rugby. A good communicator on and off the field, Gardner referred the first of his 19 tests in 2011 and took charge of the Super Rugby final for the first time earlier this year.

Award for Character – Doddie Weir (Scotland)

A veteran of 61 tests for his beloved Scotland from 1990-2000, Doddie Weir has shown tremendous courage and character in the two years since he was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. A devasting illness with no cure, the 48-year-old has made it his mission to raise awareness of the disease and money for research through his My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. The drive he showed in his playing career now inspires those around him as he faces his biggest challenge.

Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service – Yoshir? Mori (Japan)

The former Prime Minister of Japan and former President of the Japan Rugby Football Union has been instrumental in growing the game in Asia and more specifically in Japan with his enthusiasm and dedication culminating in Japan securing the hosting rights to Rugby World Cup 2019. His service to sport and society was recognised in 2017 when he was awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers by His Majesty the Emperor Akihito, The Emperor of Japan.

Spirit of Rugby Award in association with Dove Men+Care – Jamie Armstrong, The Clan (Scotland)

Trust Rugby International pioneers unified rugby in Scotland. Through the inspirational leadership of Development Director Jamie Armstrong, it brings together able, disabled and disadvantaged young people into a close-knit team called The Clan.

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J
Jon 4 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”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 7 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

30 Go to comments
A
Adrian 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

30 Go to comments
T
Trevor 12 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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