World Rugby this week confirmed the winners of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 Awards. The awards recognise and celebrate the players and teams who have performed at the highest level across the season.
The World Rugby Sevens Series Awards panel, comprising former international sevens players and series commentators, have cast their votes and the fans have had their say to determine this year’s nominees and winners across the six men’s and women’s award categories.
A week-long celebration of sevens kicks off with the trophy presentation to HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 champions New Zealand, who were awarded both the women’s and men’s titles.
Exclusive interviews with award winners will be broadcast across World Rugby digital channels as part of the dedicated HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series Awards week.
NEW ZEALAND AWARDED TITLES AS HSBC WORLD RUGBY SEVENS SERIES 2020 CONCLUDED >>
HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 Award Winners
HSBC Dream Team: The best of the best. The Awards panel, including special guest panellists, HSBC Ambassadors Danielle Waterman and Bryan Habana, have determined the best seven men’s and women’s players to make up the HSBC Dream Teams.
Men’s HSBC Dream Team:
- Scott Curry (New Zealand)
- Tavite Veredamu (France)
- JC Pretorius (South Africa)
- Napolioni Bolaca (Fiji)
- Jordan Conroy (Ireland)
- Aminiasi Tuimaba (Fiji)
- Selvyn Davids (South Africa)
Women’s HSBC Dream Team:
- Brittany Benn (Canada)
- Sharni Williams (Australia)
- Ruby Tui (New Zealand)
- Stacey Fluhler (New Zealand)
- Ghislaine Landry (Canada)
- Tyla Nathan-Wong (New Zealand)
- Kristi Kirshe (USA)
UL Mark of Excellence: The Awards panel, together with by UL Executive Mike Galeski, selected a shortlist of nominees from the list of UL Mark of Excellence Award tournament winners on the 2020 series. Fans had the final say in determining the moment from the men’s and women’s shortlists which stands out as the best of the 2020 series.
Men’s winner:
- Dan Norton (England): Dan Norton’s achievement of becoming the first sevens player to score 350 tries on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series at the HSBC Sydney Sevens
Women’s winner:
- Tyla Nathan-Wong (New Zealand): Tyla Nathan-Wong for becoming the first Black Ferns Sevens player – and second overall – to reach 1,000 series points at the HSBC Sydney Sevens
Cigna Pressure Play Award: The Awards panel selected a shortlist of three men’s and three women’s players with sevens fans having the final say in voting for their favourite pressure play moment of the men’s and women’s series.
Men’s winner:
- Napolioni Bolaca (Fiji): HSBC Sydney Sevens – Cup final try against South Africa
Women’s winner:
- Lina Guerin (France): HSBC Sydney Sevens – Semi-final try against New Zealand
Capgemini Momentum Tracker: A stats-based award using Capgemini’s unique tool, the Momentum Tracker, which analyses teams’ performances at individual tournaments and across the series to assess their capacity to improve throughout the season. The award goes to the team which recorded the highest momentum score on the tracker as a result of quantified performance and evolution scores.
- Men’s winner: Ireland
- Women’s winner: Fiji
Gilbert Top Try Scorer: An award for the top try scorer on the men’s and women’s series.
- Men’s winner: Jordan Conroy (Ireland)
- Women’s winner: Stacey Fluhler (New Zealand)
DHL Impact Player: A stats-based award which statistically analyses individual players’ all round performances measured against four key criteria – offloads, carries, line-breaks and tackles.
- Men’s winner: Tavite Veredamu (France)
- Women’s winner: Stacey Fluhler (New Zealand)
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: “On behalf of World Rugby I would like to congratulate all 24 women’s and men’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 award winners.
Although the series this year was forced to conclude early there was no shortage of speed, skill and spectacular tries on display from players and teams, combined with unpredictable and awe-inspiring moments that embody the values of the game and remind us that rugby sevens is a truly unique and thrilling sport that will once again showcase itself to the worldwide audience at the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year.”
Ireland’s HSBC Dream Team member and Gilbert Top Try Scorer Jordan Conroy said: “I’m really proud of the achievement as it was our first year on the World Series as a core team.
For us a group to receive three awards, and in particular be recognised as a team, is testament to the work everyone has put in behind the scenes, from the players to all of the staff.
“To be named as the top try scorer and on the World Series Dream Team is an honour but again it is down to the hard work of everyone in the Ireland Sevens programme to enable us as players to go out and perform to the best of our ability.
“These awards only give us more hunger as players and as a group to better ourselves and improve on our performances from this season.
A big goal for us as a team is to achieve Olympic qualification and that vision remains undiminished. We are working hard to put ourselves in the best position to have a good season in 2021.”
New Zealand’s Stacey Fluhler said: “It’s such a massive honour to receive these awards, and I do so on behalf of my team – I wouldn’t be able to be out there scoring tries if they weren’t working hard in the middle of the field!
While we were gutted the season ended the way it did there were lots of highlights, like playing in South Africa for the first time and hosting all the teams in Hamilton.”