The shortlist for the renowned Player of the Year 2015 award in association with MasterCard has been announced by World Rugby. The prize will be awarded at the World Rugby Award in London on Sunday.
The Rugby World Cup has shown off new players and shown us what some old players still have, this has most likely influenced a lot of opinions on some players.
This year’s shortlist features a line-up of legendary players who have impressed and surprised us this year, with the winner to receive the accolade at Battersea Evolution.
World Cup finalists the All Blacks and the Wallabies both have two nominees whereas Scotland and Wales both have one each.
The 2015 nominees:
Dan Carter – New Zealand
Julian Savea – New Zealand
Michael Hooper – Australia
David Pocock – Australia
Alun Wyn Jones – Wales
Greig Laidlaw – Scotland
Bernard Lapasset, World Rugby Chairman, said ‘The World Rugby Player of the Year Award, in association with MasterCard is the most prestigious award in the men’s game and there were several players in the frame for the shortlist, reflecting not just a great year for rugby, but the most compelling and competitive Rugby World Cup to date.’
The nominees were selected by an independent World Rugby Awards panel. The panel is chaired by Australia’s Rugby World Cup 1999-winning captain John Eales and the panel consists of some former players, such as Will Greenwood and Francois Pienaar.
The World Rugby Player of the Year 2015 in association with MasterCard nominees were selected by an independent World Rugby Awards panel, chaired by Australia’s Rugby World Cup 1999-winning captain John Eales.
Journalists such as Sergio Stuart will have also contributed, along with the twenty nations that participated.
Last year New Zealander Brodie Retallick won the award.
