Pieter-Steph du Toit and Ellie Kildunne named world rugby’s best players

South Africa’s Pieter-Steph du Toit

And England’s Ellie Kildunne

South Africa flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit and England fullback Ellie Kildunne were named World Rugby’s players of the year yesterday [Macau time].

Antoine Dupont was the best men’s sevens player after helping France win the Olympic gold medal.

Du Toit, also the 2019 winner, became only the fourth men’s player to win the award at least twice, after New Zealanders Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Beauden Barrett.

Despite the Springboks’ policy of rotation, Du Toit showed his immense value by appearing in 10 of their 13 tests, and played the full game in eight of them. The double World Cup winner helped the Springboks win their first Rugby Championship since 2019 and achieve a first unbeaten autumn tour of Europe in 11 years.

He missed Saturday’s tour-ending win against Wales in Cardiff because of a shoulder issue.

Du Toit was crowned ahead of teammates Eben Etzebeth and Cheslin Kolbe, and Ireland captain Caelan Doris.

Kildunne’s award capped an impressive year in which she was also the Women’s Six Nations best player.

In an unbeaten year with England, she won a Six Nations Grand Slam, retained the WXV1 title and scored 14 tries in 10 tests. She also had time to help Britain in the Paris Olympics sevens.

Also nominated were teammate and No. 8 Alex Matthews, France scrumhalf Pauline Bourdon Sansus and Canada flyhalf Alex Tessier.

Kildunne was the fourth England winner in the last five awards.

Erin King became the first Irishwoman to win an individual award when she was chosen the women’s breakthrough player of the year.

King also went to the Olympics, and made her 15s debut only in September, when the back-rower helped Ireland finish second in the WXV1 after an historic win over world champion New Zealand.

All Blacks flanker Wallace Sititi was the men’s breakthrough player. Sititi, the son of former Samoa captain Semo Sititi, debuted off the bench against Fiji in July, and made a huge impression in his first test start against South Africa in Cape Town in September, on his 22nd birthday. He was undroppable from then on; starting all seven remaining tests. He was the only All Black to start all five on their tour of Japan and Europe.

The coach of the year was Jerome Daret, for guiding the France men’s sevens team to a first Olympic gold medal and first world series title. The France men, thanks to the injection of Dupont, had never previously medaled in the Olympics — didn’t even qualify for the 2021 Tokyo Games — and its best previous finish in world series history was fourth.

Dupont skipped the Six Nations to prepare for the Olympic sevens, and lived up to his billing. He scored two tries in the final against defending champion Fiji.

Australia’s Maddison Levi was the best women’s sevens player. She scored 69 tries in the world series and another 14 at the Olympics. MDT/AP