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Breakthrough player of year award for Sititi

Wallace Sititi All Blacks rugby

All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi has capped his stellar debut season in test rugby by being named World Rugby's XVs Breakthrough Player of the Year at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco.


After just one Super Rugby Pacific season, Sititi was perhaps a surprising inclusion in Scott Robertson's squad over Hoskins Sotutu but went on to play in nine of the All Blacks' 14 test matches, seven as a starter.


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"Heading into 2024, Sititi was yet to make his Super Rugby Pacific debut for the Chiefs, but he has become an almost automatic pick in the All Blacks back row," World Rugby's citation stated.


"The 22-year-old came of age during a narrow defeat by South Africa in Cape Town, which he went toe-to-toe with a strong Springbok pack, and he has been a near ever-present since that day."


Sititi, the son of former Manu Samoa captain Semo Sititi, headed off Springbok Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, England's Immanuel Feyi-Wabsos and Ireland's Jamie Osborne for the honour.



Despite the award, Sititi missed out on World Rugby's XVs Team of the Year, with Argentina's Pablo Matera, South Africa's Pieter-Steph du Toit, the XVs Player of the Year, and Ireland's Caelan Doris the loose forwards chosen.


Three All Blacks did make the cut, with tighthead prop Tyrel Lomax, fullback Will Jordan and first-five Damian McKenzie, despite being usurped by Beauden Barrett as New Zealand's starting No 10, selected.


Two other New Zealand-born players were also named, halfback Jamison Gibson-Park and wing James Lowe, who both play for Ireland.



Despite a down year for the team, a trio of Black Ferns - hooker Georgia Ponsonby, centre Sylvia Brunt and wing Katelyn Vahaakolo - were also selected to World Rugby's Women's XVs Team of the Year.


Paris Olympics gold medallist Black Ferns Sevens stars Michaela Blyde and Jorja Miller made the cut for World Rugby's Women's Sevens Team of the Year.


Australia's Maddison Levi denied Blyde and Miller for the World Rugby Women's Sevens Player of the Year. France's Antoine Dupont collected the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year accolade.



Steph-du Toit became just the fourth man, following All Blacks Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Barrett, to be named World Rugby's XVs Player of the Year for a second time, while England's Ellie Kildunne was World Rugby's Women's XVs Player of the Year.


During the awards night on Sunday (Monday NZ Time), former All Blacks halfback Chris Laidlaw and former All Blacks Sevens captain DJ Forbes were inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.

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