All Blacks flyhalf Dan Carter has been voted the 2015 World Rugby Player of the Year.

Carter, who was pivotal in New Zealand’s 34-17 win over the Wallabies in the World Cup final on Saturday, scooped up the award for the third time in his career, having previously won it in 2005 and 2012.

The 33-year-old edged out teammate Julian Savea, Wallabies duo David Pocock and Michael Hooper, Scotland captain and scrumhalf Greig Laidlaw and Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones.

The All Blacks were voted World Rugby Team of the Year for the ninth time, while Nehe Milner-Skudder claimed the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award and Julian Savea the Try of the Year accolade for his second try against France in the quarter-final.

Michael Cheika of the Wallabies received the World Rugby Coach of the Year award and Wales' Nigel Owens was named Referee of the Year. Japan won the award for Best Match Moment for their match-winning try against the Springboks.

In the sevens division, Blitzbok Werner Kok was named World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year.

All awards were selected by an independent panel of judges, chaired by Australia's 1999 World Cup-winning captain John Eales and comprising former players Will Greenwood, Gavin Hastings, Raphaël Ibanez, Francois Pienaar, Agustín Pichot, Scott Quinnell, Tana Umaga and Paul Wallace as well as journalists Pierre Galy (AFP), Stephen Jones (Sunday Times), Georgina Robinson (Sydney Morning Herald), Jim Kayes (TV3) and Sergio Stuart (Ole, Argentina).

They deliberated on every major Test played in 2015 from the Six Nations through to the Rugby Championship, Pacific Nations Cup and the World Cup.

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