'Unanimous decision': Why Kaipo Olsen-Baker claimed women's rugby's top individual award

Sky Sports commentator Rikki Swannell believes that Kaipo Olsen-Baker’s form and consistency saw her run away with the World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year award, receiving unanimous votes from the seven-person voting panel.

Olsen-Baker stood on the sidelines as her Black Ferns side stormed home yet again to clinch a third-straight impressive victory over France in New Zealand, this time at One New Zealand Stadium in Christchurch.

The recently named world’s best Women’s player picked up a nasty lower-leg injury against France in Whangarei two weeks ago, having to be carried off the field at halftime, but that didn’t stop the loose-forward from taking home women’s rugby’s top personal honour.

The 24-year-old Matatu loose-forward had her challenges throughout her rugby upbringing, falling out of love with the sport throughout a tough period in her career, before finding her way back to the top level.

Olsen-Baker’s Test debut came in 2022, and despite missing selection for the Black Ferns’ Women’s World Cup victory, the barnstorming loose-forward put that behind her to go on to become one of Whitney Hansen’s most important and influential players.

Speaking to fellow Sky Sports commentator Tony Johnson on Monday, Swannell revealed that it was a unanimous decision to crown Olsen-Baker the award.

“And as I gather it from hearing about the judging of it, it’s judged by seven former international players, all really well credentialed, and they’re all from different countries,” Swannell said on Sport Nation Mornings.

“It was a unanimous decision; it was a really robust and thorough conversation. But they were all unanimous that Kaipo Olson-Baker was the player of the year.”

The experienced broadcaster praised Olson-Baker’s personality, which has helped her push through the tough times in her career.

“She’s such a special player and a special person, Kaipo. I think when that award got announced on the field on Saturday night, I think the reaction of everybody kind of sums up just how she is thought of.

“I mean, as a player, when you think of the injuries that she’s had, she missed out on the 2022 World Cup when she kind of burst onto the scene. She got injured at various points of the last World Cup.

“She’s had some injuries. Every time she’s come back from injury, she’s come back better. I think of the Test against England at Twickenham, where she hadn’t played for a couple of weeks, and she came in, and she was absolutely dynamic.

“She is a monster with the ball in hand; she’ll bend the line all the time. She beats defenders. Like, I’m not a massive stats kind of person. I don’t think they always tell half the total story, but with Kaipo, her numbers are absolutely phenomenal.

“What you don’t see with the numbers is the time that she does it, the big moments that she has, and that can swing games and swing momentum.