After a special edition in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the prestigious World Rugby Awards will return in December to recognise the teams and individuals who have inspired players and fans around the world.
Placed at the end of the November international window, the biggest accolades in rugby union will be virtually handed to their recipients from 6-10 December, with winners unveiled each day.
The 12 categories will be unveiled on World Rugby social media channels including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube (@WorldRugby).
Six of these categories will be decided by an online public vote. From 15-21 November, rugby fans will be able to select their deserving winner for World Rugby Men’s and Women’s, 15s and Sevens Player of the Year as well as Men’s and Women’s Try of the Year on the awards’ voting website.
The remaining six categories will be voted by the World Rugby Awards panel, a team of rugby greats including former Springbok captain John Smit and wing Bryan Habana. The panel will have the hard task of selecting winners for the World Rugby Breakthrough, Coach and Referee awards as well as the newly created Men’s and Women’s 15s Dream Teams of 2021.
The nominations will be unveiled on Monday, 15 November, opening the voting process for rugby fans around the world.
“We are excited to host our World Rugby Awards in an innovative format this year, putting the fans at the heart of rugby’s biggest accolades,” chairman Bill Beaumont said.
“During a whole week, we will honour teams and individuals, men and women, who have showcased tremendous talent on the field of play in the last calendar year. Rugby fans around the world will be able to engage and be part of the World Rugby Awards like never before: they will decide the fate in some of the most prestigious categories and discover the winners with first-class digital content designed for them.
“I am looking forward to seeing who rugby fans around the world will decide to honour.”
World Rugby Awards 2021
Award (voted by) – date
- World Rugby Referee Award (panel) – 6 Dec
- International Rugby Players Men’s Try of the Year (fan) – 6 Dec
- International Rugby Players Women’s Try of the Year (fan) – 6 Dec
- World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year (panel) – 7 Dec
- World Rugby Coach of the Year (panel) – 7 Dec
- World Rugby Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service – 7 Dec
- World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team of the Year (panel) – 8 Dec
- World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year (panel) – 8 Dec
- World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year (fan) – 9 Dec
- World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year (fan) – 9 Dec
- World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year (fan) – 10 Dec
- World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year (fan) – 10 Dec
