World Rugby Awards

The World Rugby Awards are given out annually by World Rugby, the worldwide governing body for rugby union, for major achievements in the sport. The idea of rewarding excellence in rugby was disclosed in 2001 following the Annual Meeting of the International Rugby Board Council in Copenhagen, and the first ceremony was first awarded later that year. The International Rugby Players' Association also gives out awards, for Try of the Year, and Special Merit Award|Special Merit], as a part of the programme. As of 2021, they now present Women's Try of the Year.
In 2020, World Rugby decided to "look back on a decade of international rugby" instead of presenting the usual awards. Six of the categories were decided by fan votes and two by a selected panel. The 'Special Edition Awards' focused on "...members of the rugby family who had showcased solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting their communities and getting involved in relief efforts."
World Rugby reintroduced the normal awards in 2021 with a few new additions. Unlike previous years where a majority of the awards were selected by an independent panel, half of the categories will now be selected by public voting.

2001

IRB Player of the Year: Keith Wood
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Rod Macqueen
IRB International Young Player of the Year: Gavin Henson
IRB International Women's Player of the Year: Shelley Rae
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Ed Morrison England
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Tim Grandadge
IRB Distinguished Service Award: Tom Kiernan
IRB Development Award: Jorge Brasceras
IRB Chairman's Awards: Kath McLean, Sir Terry McLean, Albert Ferrasse, John Eales

2002

IRB Player of the Year: Fabien Galthié
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Bernard Laporte
IRB International U19 Player of the Year: Luke McAlister
IRB International U21 Player of the Year: Pat Barnard
IRB International Sevens Team of the Year:
IRB International Women's Player of the Year: Monique Hirovanaa
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Colin Hawke New Zealand
IRB Distinguished Services Award: Allan Hosie
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Old Christians Club
IRB Development Award: John Broadfoot
IRB Chairman's Awards: Bill Mclaren, George Pippos

2003

IRB International Player of the Year: Jonny Wilkinson
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Sir Clive Woodward
IRB International U19 Player of the Year: Jean Baptiste Payras
IRB International U21 Player of the Year: Ben Atiga
IRB International Sevens Team of the Year:
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Michael & Linda Collinson
IRB Award for Distinguished Service: Bob Stuart
IRB Referee Distinguished Service Award: Derek Bevan
IRB International Women's Personality of the Year: Kathy Flores
IRB Development Award: Tan Theany & Philippe Monnin
IRB Chairman's Award: Vernon Pugh

2004

IRB International Player of the Year: Schalk Burger
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Jake White
IRB International U19 Player of the Year: Jeremy Thrush
IRB International U21 Player of the Year: Jerome Kaino
IRB International Sevens Team of the Year:
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Simon Amor
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Jarrod Cunningham
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Ronnie Dawson
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Jim Fleming Scotland
IRB International Women's Personality of the Year: Donna Kennedy
IRB Development Award: Guedel Ndiaye
IRB Chairman's Award: Marcel Martin

2005

IRB International Player of the Year: Daniel Carter
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Graham Henry
IRB International U19 Player of the Year: Isaia Toeava
IRB International U21 Player of the Year: Tatafu Polota-Nau
IRB International Sevens Team of the Year:
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Orene Ai’i
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Jean Pierre Rives
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Peter Crittle
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Paddy O'Brien New Zealand
IRB International Women's Personality of the Year: Farah Palmer
IRB Development Award: Robert Antonin
IRB Chairman's Award: Sir Tasker Watkins V.C., G.B.E, D.L

2006

IRB International Player of the Year: Richie McCaw,
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Graham Henry,
IRB International U19 Player of the Year: Josh Holmes
IRB International U21 Player of the Year: Lionel Beauxis
IRB International Sevens Team of the Year:
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Uale Mai
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Polly Miller
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Brian Lochore
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Peter Marshall Australia
IRB International Women's Personality of the Year: Margaret Alphonsi
IRB Development Award: Mike Luke
IRB Hall of Fame inductees: William Webb Ellis and Rugby School

2007

IRB International Player of the Year: Bryan Habana,
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Jake White,
IRB Under-19 Player of the Year: Robert Fruean,
IRB Sevens Player of the Year: Afeleke Pelenise,
IRB Sevens Team of the Year:
IRB Women's Personality of the Year: Sarah Corrigan, referee, Australia
:In 2007, she became the first woman ever to referee in an IRB 15-man tournament outside of the Women's Rugby World Cup when she took charge of the match between and in the 2007 Under 19 Rugby World Championship.
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Dick Byres, retired, Australia
:After refereeing 14 Tests, he was a charter member of the IRB Referee Selector panel when it was formed in 1997, and was the longest-serving member of the panel when he retired in 2007.
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: José María Epalza,
:After a playing career that saw him earn 38 caps for, and coaching the Spanish national team from 1986 to 1990, he went on to a distinguished career in rugby administration, serving in several key posts in the Spanish Rugby Federation and FIRA–AER.
Spirit of Rugby Award: Nicolas Pueta,
:Pueta regularly plays club rugby despite having a congenital femoral deficiency that meant that his left leg never grew to the same size as his right one.
IRPA Try of the Year: Takudzwa Ngwenya,
IRPA Special Merit Award: Fabien Pelous,
:Pelous is the list of [rugby union Test caps leaders|most-capped] player in France history, and also the most-capped lock ever.
IRB Development Award: Jacob Thompson, Jamaica
:Ever since returning home to Jamaica from England in the 1970s, Thompson has tirelessly worked to promote the sport in his homeland. He has been president of the Jamaica Rugby Union since 1999.
IRB Hall of Fame inductees:
*Pierre de Coubertin,
*Wilson Whineray,
*Danie Craven, South Africa
*Gareth Edwards,
*John Eales,

2008

IRB Player of the Year: Shane Williams,
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Graham Henry,
IRB Junior Player of the Year: Luke Braid,
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: DJ Forbes,
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Roelien Muller and Patrick Cotter
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Andre Watson South Africa
IRB International Women's Personality of the Year: Carol Isherwood
IRPA Special Merit Award: Agustín Pichot
IRB Development Award: TAG Rugby Development Trust and Martin Hansford
IRPA Try of the Year: Brian O'Driscoll

2009

IRB Player of the Year: Richie McCaw
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Declan Kidney
IRB Junior Player of the Year: Aaron Cruden
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Ollie Phillips
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: L'Aquila Rugby
:The town of L'Aquila, with long rugby traditions, 2009 [L'Aquila earthquake|was hit on 6 April 2009 by an earthquake] which left 307 people dead and tens of thousands homeless. Amongst the victims was promising young prop Lorenzo Sebastiani, who had played in the last IRB Junior World Championship in Wales. L'Aquila Rugby Club provided shelter, refuge and comfort to people in the town. L'Aquila's Rugby were in the front line of the rescue effort, and helped evacuate victims from damaged buildings.
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: to be awarded
IRB International Women's Personality of the Year: Debby Hodgkinson
IRPA Special Merit Award: Kevin Mac Clancy
IRB Development Award: 林嘉生 Lin, Chia-Sheng
:Mr Lin was the first person from Asian countries to receive this award, for his decades of dedication to promote rugby sport in Taiwan, and also his selfless contribution to the world rugby society.
IRPA Try of the Year: Jaque Fourie

2010

IRB Player of the Year: Richie McCaw
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Graham Henry
IRB Junior Player of the Year: Julian Savea
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Mikaele Pesamino
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Jean-Claude Baqué
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Virreyes RC
IRB Women's Personality of the Year: Carla Hohepa
IRB Development Award winner: Brian O'Shea
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Colin High
IRPA Try of the Year: Chris Ashton

2011

IRB Player of the Year: Thierry Dusautoir
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Graham Henry
IRB Junior Player of the Year: George Ford
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Cecil Afrika
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Jock Hobbs
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Wooden Spoon Society United Kingdom
IRB Women's Personality of the Year: Ruth Mitchell
IRB Development Award winner: Rookie Rugby USA
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Keith Lawrence New Zealand
IRPA Special Merit Award: George Smith
IRPA Try of the Year: Radike Samo
IRB Hall of Fame inductees:
*Roger Vanderfield
*Richard Littlejohn
*Nicholas Shehadie
*John Kendall-Carpenter
*David Kirk
*Nick Farr-Jones
*Francois Pienaar
*Martin Johnson
*John Smit
*Brian Lochore
*Bob Dwyer
*Kitch Christie
*Rod Macqueen
*Clive Woodward
*Jake White
*Gareth Rees
*Agustín Pichot
*Brian Lima
*Jonah Lomu

2012

IRB Player of the Year: Dan Carter
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Steve Hansen
IRB International Sevens Player of the Year: Tomasi Cama
IRB Development Award: South African Rugby Union
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Paul Dobson
IRB Junior Player of the Year: Jan Serfontein
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Viorel Morariu
IRB Spirit of Rugby Award: Lindsay Hilton
IRPA Try of the Year: Bryan Habana
IRB Hall of Fame inductees:
IRB Women’s Player of the Year: Michaela Staniford

2013

IRB Player of the Year: Kieran Read
IRB International Team of the Year:
IRB International Coach of the Year: Steve Hansen
IRB Sevens Player of the Year: Tim Mikkelson
IRB Women's Sevens Player of the Year: Kayla McAlister
IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Michel Lamoulie France
IRPA Try of the Year: Beauden Barrett

2014

Note: Some of the awards for this year were presented before 19 November, when the International Rugby Board changed its name to the current World Rugby.