World Rugby has announced the shortlists for the prestigious Women’s 15s Player of the Year awards for 2019, which will be presented at the World Rugby Awards at The Prince Park Tower in Tokyo, Japan, on 3 November.
Following a stellar year for international rugby culminating in a very special Rugby World Cup 2019, the shortlists for the ultimate accolade feature players who have excited and inspired fans around the world with their feats during the year.
The nominees for World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year in association with Mastercard are: Sarah Bern (England), Pauline Bourdon (France), Kendra Cocksedge (New Zealand), Katy Daley-Mclean (England) and Emily Scarratt (England).
The shortlists were selected by the star-studded World Rugby Awards panels.
The panel features Rugby World Cup winners Melodie Robinson and Danielle Waterman alongside World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Liza Burgess, Lynne Cantwell, Fiona Coghlan, Gaëlle Mignot, Jillion Potter, Karl Te Nana and journalist Stephen Jones.
International players have also had the opportunity to vote to determine the nominees of the prestigious awards.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “The World Rugby Men’s and Women’s 15s Player of the Year awards are the ultimate accolade for test players and this year there have been an exceptional number of outstanding candidates. I would like to congratulate all 11 players who, deservingly, have been nominated for this year’s award.”
WORLD RUGBY WOMEN’S 15S PLAYER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES:
Wales Women vs England Women
Wales’ Siwan Lillicrap and Sarah Bern of England (Photo: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne)
SARAH BERN (ENGLAND)
The epitome of modern props, the 22-year-old is certainly not defined by the number on her back, possessing a turn of pace, quick feet and power – a hangover perhaps from her days as a back-row before converting to tight-head. Bern has started eight of England’s nine matches in 2019, including every match in a Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam winning campaign in which she scored five tries, second only to Red Roses winger Jess Breach.
PAULINE BOURDON (FRANCE)
Nominated for the second year running, Bourdon is a player in the modern mould of French half-backs who are equally happy at nine or 10 as she showed during Les Bleues’ Women’s Six Nations campaign, scoring three tries from scrum-half – including a brace against England – before moving to fly-half for the final two matches. Blessed with quick feet and an impressive step, Bourdon has started eight of France’s nine matches in 2019, including the Super Series win over New Zealand.
KENDRA COCKSEDGE (NEW ZEALAND)
An inspirational figure on and off the pitch with her infectious passion for the game and drive for success, Cocksedge has already received this accolade once, back in 2015. The scrum-half started all six of New Zealand’s matches this year, winning five of them – the only exception the loss to France in the Women’s Rugby Super Series when she captained her country on the occasion of becoming the second Black Ferns player to reach 50 tests.
KATY DALEY-MCLEAN (ENGLAND)
The oldest of the nominees at 33 and a test centurion, Daley-Mclean is both a talisman and playmaker for the Red Roses. She was the top point scorer in the Women’s Six Nations in 2019 with 53 points as England won a second Grand Slam in three years. The fly-half passed 500 test points during the Championship – a figure bettered only by Jonny Wilkinson and Owen Farrell for England – but missed the Women’s Rugby Super Series in San Diego due to injury.
Emily Scarratt scores a try despite the efforts of Chloe Rollie of Scotland (Photo: ©INPHO/James Crombie
EMILY SCARRATT (ENGLAND)
The centre slipped back into 15s rugby in 2019 as if she had never been away playing sevens since Rugby World Cup 2017, starting four matches in a Women’s Six Nations Grand Slam winning campaign, and scoring a try against Scotland. The 29-year-old always seems to have more time on the ball, gliding through gaps or releasing team-mates into space. She was at her most dangerous in the Women’s Rugby Super Series, scoring four tries in her three starts and 43 points in total.
These awards are two of 12 categories of awards, including the World Rugby Team of the Year, World Rugby Coach of the Year, World Rugby Men’s and Women’s Sevens Players of the Year in association with HSBC and World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year in association with Tudor.
For more information on the World Rugby Awards, visit www.world.rugby/awards.
Previous World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year Award winners
2018 – Jessy Trémoulière (France)
2017 – Portia Woodman (New Zealand)
2016 – Sarah Hunter (England)
2015 – Kendra Cocksedge (New Zealand)
2014 – Magali Harvey (Canada)
2012 – Michaela Staniford (England)
2011 – Ruth Mitchell
2010 – Carla Hohepa (New Zealand)
2009 – Debby Hodgkinson (Australia)
2008 – Carol Isherwood (England)
2007 – Sarah Corrigan (Australia)
2006 – Maggie Alphonsi (England)
2005 – Farah Palmer (New Zealand)
2004 – Donna Kennedy (Scotland)
2003 – Kathy Flores (USA)
2002 – Monique Hirovanaa (New Zealand)
2001 – Shelley Rae (England)
Courtesy of World Rugby
