Suaalii reflects on nomination for prestigious World Rugby honour

Wallabies centre Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii is one of four nominees for World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year, with the code-hopper giving full credit to the team after being recognised as one of the sport’s brightest young stars.

World Rugby has unveiled the nominees for its annual awards night, with three Springboks in the running for Player of the Year. Suaalii is in the mix for the breakthrough accolade along with England’s Henry Pollock, South Africa’s Ethan Hooker, and New Zealand’s Fabian Holland.

If Suaalii is recognised with this achievement at the 2025 World Rugby Awards, it’ll be the code-hopper’s second major accolade in a couple of months. Suaalii was named the Rookie of the Year at the 2025 Rugby Australia Awards last month in Sydney.

Len Ikitau, who has partnered Suaalii 12 times in Australia’s midfield this year, was crowned the Wallabies’ Player of the Year with the John Eales Medal. Those two started all three Tests against the British & Irish Lions together, and the famous comeback win over the Springboks.

Suaalii announced himself to the rugby world with a Player of the Match performance on Test debut last year, and the code-hopper has continued to impress since, but the 22-year-old has a team-first mentality – remaining humble when asked about the prestigious nomination.

“It’s pretty cool to get named,” Suaalii told reporters in Paris.

“We’re just speaking before, no award goes without a team so it’s all credit to the team to be nominated for that award.

“It’s pretty cool.

“I don’t think the game of rugby is just ball in hand. I believe you can make an impact defensively, aerially, helping other teammates to get in the space. That’s how I see the game. I don’t necessarily just see it as myself getting the ball in hand,” he explained later.

“Obviously I’d love to but that’s on me to study the game and see where I can pop up on the field and connection with different teammates. That’s on me, that’s not on anyone else in the team.

“I’m still growing in this game… first year properly playing the game of rugby professionally so I’m just keeping chipping at it, just seeing where I can get better and improve.”

Suaalii lined up at outside centre in last weekend’s 46-19 defeat to Ireland in Dublin, with the home side running away with the result in the second term. Australia-born fullback Mack Hansen starred in a green jersey, named the Player of the Match after scoring a first-half hat-trick.

That was the Wallabies’ third consecutive defeat, and their seventh loss from their last nine matches. They had already been beaten by England and Italy in the Quilter Nations Series, and have one more chance in 2025 to bounce back.

After playing 14 physical Tests already this year, the Wallabies will play one more match before their campaign draws to a close, and it’s against France in Paris. The Wallabies are looking to defeat Les Bleus at Stade de France for the first time since November 19, 2016.

“The last three weeks has really tested our character as a team and even individuals as well,” Suaalii said.

“I like to see it as a challenge that the last three weeks, obviously the result hasn’t been there but the process of how we’ve been training and each week and how we’re going about things has gone really well in my opinion.

“[All our focus is] on today and focus on training and how can we manipulate and get better and beat this French team on Sunday.”