The World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year is awarded by World Rugby each year. It was first awarded in 2004. The award is based in large part on the player’s performance over the course of the World Rugby Sevens Series, along with other Sevens tournaments during the year.
From 2004 until 2008 the award was called the IRB International Sevens Player of the Year. From 2009 until 2013, it was the IRB Sevens Player of the Year. Since 2014, following the International Rugby Board becoming World Rugby, the award has been titled the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year.
Antoine Dupont has won the World Rugby Men's Sevens Player of the Year award in 2024 and the World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year in 2021. He is the first and only rugby player ever to have won both the Men’s Sevens and the Men’s 15s World Rugby Player of the Year awards in one's career.
List of winners Year Image Winner Country Other nominees 2004 Simon Amor Ben Gollings Lucio Lopez Fleming 2005 Orene Ai'i Amasio Valence Neumi Nanuku 2006 Uale Mai Stefan Basson Mathew Tait 2007 Afeleke Pelenise DJ Forbes Mikaele Pesamino 2008 DJ Forbes Uale Mai Fabian Juries 2009 Ollie Phillips Collins Injera H. Kayange Renfred Dazel 2010 Lolo Lui Alafoti Fa'osiliva Ben Gollings 2011 Cecil Afrika Tomasi Cama Jr. Tim Mikkelson 2012 Tomasi Cama Frank Halai Mathew Turner 2013 Tim Mikkelson 2014 Samisoni Viriviri Tim Mikkelson Kyle Brown Tom Mitchell 2015 Werner Kok Seabelo Senatla Semi Kunatani 2016 Seabelo Senatla Osea Kolinisau Virimi Vakatawa 2017 Perry Baker Rosko Specman Jerry Tuwai "Perry Baker Wins 7s Player Of The Year", Flo Rugby, Alex Goff, 27 November 2017. 2018 Perry Baker Ben O'Donnell Jerry Tuwai 2019 Jerry Tuwai Stephen Tomasin Folau Niua 2020 No award 2021 Marcos Moneta Napolioni Bolaca Scott Curry Jiuta Wainiqolo 2022 Terry Kennedy Nick Malouf Kaminieli Rasaku Corey Toole 2023 Rodrigo Isgró Leroy Carter Marcos Moneta Akuila Rokolisoa 2024 Antoine Dupont Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang Terry Kennedy 2025 Luciano González Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang Terry Kennedy 2026 Tristan Leyds Henry Hutchison Vuiviawa Naduvalo
Winners with multiple nominations Player Wins Nominations Perry Baker 2 (2017, 2018) 2 (2017, 2018) Jerry Tuwai 1 (2019) 3 (2017, 2018, 2019) Tim Mikkelson 1 (2013) 3 (2011, 2013, 2014) Terry Kennedy 1 (2022) 3 (2022, 2024, 2025) Seabelo Senatla 1 (2016) 2 (2015, 2016) Tomasi Cama Jr. 1 (2012) 2 (2011, 2012) Mikaele Pesamino 1 (2010) 2 (2007, 2010) DJ Forbes 1 (2008) 2 (2007, 2008) Uale Mai 1 (2006) 2 (2006, 2008) Marcos Moneta 1 (2021) 2 (2021, 2023)
Explanatory notes This section provides additional detail to the table above regarding the team and player accomplishments that season that helped the player win the Sevens Player of the Year award.
2010: Samoa won its first ever World Series title 2013: Tim Mikkelson was recognized as the Player of the Tournament at the 2013 Rugby World Cup Sevens. 2014: Samisoni Viriviri led all players in tries scored with 52. 2015: Werner Kok led all players in tackles made. 2016: Seabelo Senatla led all players in tries scored with 66. 2017: Perry Baker led the World Series in several statistical categories — 57 tries, 76 clean breaks, and 285 points. 2018: Baker was the World Series leader in tries with 37 before missing the last three rounds to injury, returning to help the USA to its best-ever finish of sixth at the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens. 2019: Jerry Tuwai was fifth in clean breaks with 34. 2021: Marcos Moneta lead Argentina to their first Rugby Bronze Olympic Medal and he ended being the tryman at that tournament. At the olympics he scored two tries in the memorable match between Argentina and South Africa where Gaston Revol was expelled and Argentina where playing with 6 players. 2022: Terry Kennedy led Ireland to a bronze medal at the Rugby World Cup Sevens.
Other World Rugby Awards
World Rugby Men's 15s Player of the Year World Rugby Team of the Year World Rugby Coach of the Year World Rugby Junior Player of the Year World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year World Rugby Women's Sevens Player of the Year IRB Spirit of Rugby Award Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service World Rugby Referee Award IRB Development Award IRB Chairman's Award
See also
References
External links World Rugby Awards