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Jack Willis on brink of matching exclusive Antoine Dupont feat in France
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Jack Willis could join Antoine Dupont in an exclusive club next week after the Toulouse flanker was shortlisted for the Top 14 Player of the Season award for a second successive year.
The former England international is up against Bordeaux-Begles and France fly-half Matthieu Jalibert and ASM Clermont-Auvergne’s All Black Harry Plummer for the prize, which will be announced at the Ligue Nationale de Rugby’s Nuit du Rugby ceremony at the Olympia in Paris on September 28.
Willis won the award last year and could now become only the second player to retain it after Toulouse team-mate Dupont claimed successive honours in 2023 and 2024. Victory would also make Willis only the second player to win the award more than once, with Dupont a three-time recipient after his first triumph in 2021.
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The 29-year-old strengthened his case during another title-winning campaign with Toulouse, captaining the French giants on occasions before producing a huge display in their Top 14 final victory over Montpellier. Willis made 17 tackles and won four turnovers as Toulouse prevailed 28-20. The two sides will meet again this weekend in round four of the new season.
His performances have kept him among French rugby’s leading players, despite remaining ineligible for England under the RFU’s overseas selection policy.
The LNR will hand out 13 awards recognising the 2025/26 season, with the winners determined through a mixture of player, coach, referee and public votes.
Other nominations:
Breakthrough player: Fabien Brau-Boirie, Auguste Cadot, Kalvin Gourgues.
Pro D2 player: Setareki Bituniyata, Raymond Nu’U, Michael Ruru.
Elite 1 player: Carla Arbez, Elodie Fernandez, Mathilde Lazarko.
Men’s Supersevens player: Léonard Bouscasse, Nathan Gagnac, Marcos Moneta.
Women’s Supersevens player: Cléo Hagel, Salomé Perraudin, Hawa Tounkara.
French international player: Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Matthieu Jalibert, Thomas Ramos.
French women’s international player: Pauline Barrat, Léa Champon, Mathilde Lazarko.
Top 14 staff: Montpellier, Pau, Toulouse.
Pro D2 staff: Colomiers, Provence, Vannes.
Referee: Pierre Brousset, Ludovic Cayre, Luc Ramos.
Try of the season: Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Emilien Gailleton, Kalvin Gourgues, Joris Jurand, Jiuta Wainiqolo.
Social commitment award: Lyon, Racing 92, Bordeaux-Begles.
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