IRELAND CENTRE BUNDEE Aki has been nominated for World Rugby menโs 15s player of the year award, taking his place on the shortlist alongside Ardie Savea of New Zealand, Eben Etzebeth of South Africa, and Antoine Dupont of France.
The winner will be named at a World Rugby ceremony in Paris on Sunday, with Aki having earned his spot with his superb form at the World Cup.
Aki is only the eighth Irish player to have been nominated for this award. Josh van der Flier, Johnny Sexton, and Keith Wood won the award, while Jamie Heaslip, Brian OโDriscoll, Paul OโConnell, and Gordon DโArcy were previously nominated.
Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has been nominated for World Rugby coach of the year along with South Africaโs Jacques Nienaber, New Zealandโs Ian Foster, and Fijiโs Simon Raiwalui.
Farrell led Ireland to a Grand Slam earlier this year before they lost narrowly to New Zealand in their recent World Cup quarter-final.
Meanwhile, Ireland fullback Hugo Keenanโs score against France in this yearโs Six Nations has been included on the shortlist for World Rugby try of the year.
The slick Irish try saw Keenan breaking off a clever inside pass from Finlay Bealham after Ireland had received a goal-line drop-out.
Keenanโs try is up against efforts from Scotlandโs Duhan van der Merwe, Franceโs Damian Penaud, and Fijiโs Vinaya Habosi.
With WXV still ongoing, a further four womenโs categories will be announced and celebrated separately, confirmed World Rugby.
World Rugby Awards 2023 nominees:
Menโs 15s player of the year:
- Bundee Aki (Ireland)
- Antoine Dupont (France)
- Eben Etzebeth (South Africa)
- Ardie Savea (New Zealand)
Coach of the year:
- Andy Farrell (Ireland)
- Ian Foster (New Zealand)
- Simon Raiwalui (Fiji)
- Jacques Nienaber (South Africa)
Menโs 15s breakthrough player of the year:
- Louis Bielle-Biarrey (France)
- Manie Libbok (South Africa)
- Mark Teleโa (New Zealand)
- Tamaiti Williams (New Zealand)
Menโs try of the year:
- Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland, v England on 4 February)
- Damian Penaud (France, v Ireland on 11 February)
- Hugo Keenan (Ireland, France on 11 February)
- Vinaya Habosi (Fiji, v Georgia on 1 October)
Menโs 7s player of the year:
- Leroy Carter (New Zealand)
- Rodrigo Isgro (Argentina)
- Marcos Moneta (Argentina)
- Akuila Rokolisoa (New Zealand)
Womenโs 7s player of the year:
- Michaela Blyde (New Zealand)
- Maddison Levi (Australia)
- Tyla Nathan-Wong (New Zealand)
- Reapi Ulunisau (Fiji)
Brilliant for Aki but what list of the 4 nominees. World class all four.
@David: and bundees the best of them
Hope he gets the award,heโs been awesome.
Eztibeth if SA win , Savea if New Zealand win.
And if you were to listen to our idiotic tv pundits or the off the ball lads before the tournament and for the last 6 years they would still claim Henshaw is are best 12โฆโฆ..
@Tim: he is the best Irish 12.
@frank r: donโt be such a Trolo
@Tim: yes, but give a few months and they same pundits, will be back to their usual bias, it was a big mistake to take Robbie to the world cup,(I am sorry to say this but Robbie is too injury prone now)should have brought a extra player instead.
@Tim: Eh well henshaw was our best 12 for years, he was one of the top centres in the world a couple years ago when he started for the Lions. Aki has been phenomenal for the last 6-12 months though and is currently clearly the best 12.
@Tim: Yes, theyโre entitled to their opinions. You donโt have to agree with them. But if they think Henshaw is a better 12, theyโre allowed to think that way. Theyโre just pundits. They donโt pick the team.
@Tim: henshaw world class has being for years
@Cian O: since bundee started his Irish career, Henshaw has started 4 six nations games at 12 winning only 2. Thatโs 4 games in 7 years at inside centre.
Ringrose porter ryan sheehan kennan hansen must off being close
@frank r: donโt be such a Troll
2 kiwis, a saffa and a Frenchman.
@frank r: tool
@frank r: oh yeah because ireland are the only team in world rugby that use the residency rule? In fact, new Zealand are the worst with their constant pillaging of pacific islanders.
No need to troll here. Many posters here have far more intelligence than you.
@David: 1. He didnโt say Ireland are the only team. 2. NZ are the biggest exporter of rugby talent. 3. NZ are not โconstantly pillagingโ the PIs. Maybe you should look up how many foreign born players have represented the ABs. It is less than 40. Just because every player doesnโt look like Sam Cane doesnโt mean theyโre not born there. Unless, of course, you think anyone with dark skin canโt be from NZ?
@Andrew Martin Farrell: jeez relax there AMF. I obviously know NZ Maori culture and that everyone doesnโt look like Sam Cane. If you want to back the nonsense that frank the troll wrote, then youโre as big a troll. He meant one thing and one thing only.
Back to youโฆ.. you say around 40? Has ireland had 40 players in on the residency ruleโฆ.doubt it. In fact name a country with more than 40? Multiple articles on NZ being the biggest culprits of pillaging.
@Andrew Martin Farrell: An article in the NZ Herald by Dylan Cleaver states that 83 foreign born players have played for the All Blacks. By far the most of any other country.
@David: I didnโt mention โresidency rule,โ I said foreign-born. Do I think Ireland have had more than 40 foreign-born players? Absolutely. Way more. Finlay Christe was born in Scotland. He moved to NZ aged 7. Was he poached? Tuสปungafasi aged 14. Poached? Faingaโanuku must have been amazing to have been poached aged 5 when he moved to NZ. Isnโt it highly possible a large number of their PI born players moved to NZ as a kid as the family sought a better life? Those players were then allowed to represent the kiwis. This doesnโt mean they havenโt selected plenty of guys with virtually F-all links to NZ. But they absolutely arenโt the worst offenders.
@Andrew Martin Farrell: funny thing is, I mentioned residency rule in my first post, you changed the goalposts by changing it to foreign born players?
Would love to know who are the worst offenders then. Please post?
Savea for me, hes been phenomenal in the knock out stages for the All Blacks, dont see how Ezenbeth is there as he hasnt been great this tournament and has been hauled off in the big games โ Ox Nche, Bongi, Kwagga and De Toit have been better