New Zealand's best player revealed

NEWS: The Olympic Gold medal-winning Black Ferns Sevens have swept the New Zealand Rugby Awards in 2024, claiming Team of the Year, Cory Sweeney the New Zealand Coach of the Year and Jorja Miller receiving the prestigious Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year title.

Miller is the second-youngest recipient of the Player of the Year gong in its 30-year history (behind Jonah Lomu), another piece of history for the Timaru native, after becoming New Zealand’s youngest female gold medallist at the Paris Olympics earlier this year.

Sweeney’s nod for New Zealand Coach of the Year is his fifth time claiming the title, equalling the record held by Steve Hansen.

The Blues almost made a clean sweep of the awards they were nominated for, picking up both National Men’s and Women’s Team of the Year, Hoskins Sotutu and Katelyn Vahaakolo winning the Super Rugby Pacific and Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year awards and Vern Cotter taking home the National Men’s Coach of the Year.

Weeks after receiving the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award, Wallace Sititi was recognised as the All Blacks Player of the Year, while fellow All Blacks forward Tyrel Lomax (Ngāi Tuhoe, Muaupoko) took out the hotly contested Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year.

All Blacks Sevens captain Dylan Collier rounded out 2024 with the Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year award.

A bulldozing season in black for Kaipo Olsen-Baker saw her acknowledged with the Black Ferns Player of the Year, while her provincial teammate Hollyrae Mete received the Fiao’o Fa’amausili Medal for her outstanding Farah Palmer Cup campaign for the Matawatū Cyclones.

Other domestic winners were Tasman’s Timoci Tavatavanawai and Whanganui’s Alekesio Vakarorogo winning the Duane Monkley Medal and Ian Kirkpatrick Medal (Heartland Championship) respectively. Waikato FPC coach James Semple was recognised for his premiership-winning efforts with the National Women’s Coach of the Year, while Auckland midfielder Xavi Taele received the New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year.

After becoming New Zealand’s most-capped international match official, Ben O’Keeffe won the New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year for the fourth year in a row.

The New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association Kirk Award was awarded to Dan Carter, while Ian Kirkpatrick was recognised for his outstanding service to the game with the Salver.

“Congratulations to all the winners and nominees this year,” said NZR CEO Mark Robinson.

“There is no doubt the gold medal at the Olympics for the Black Ferns Sevens at the Olympics was a real highlight, so the recognition for Jorja, Cory and the team is thoroughly deserved this [Thursday] evening.

“We had a great year in the community game, with growth across the board in registrations. Seeing the stories of some of our game’s unsung heroes tonight really highlights the heart of rugby.”

New Zealand Rugby Award finalists and winners (in bold)

Fans Try of the Year
Latrell Smiler-Ah Kiong (King Country)
Katelyn Vahaakolo (Black Ferns)
Jed Melvin (North Harbour )

New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year
Ben O’Keeffe
Maggie Cogger-Orr
James Doleman

Charles Monro Rugby Volunteer of the Year
Steve and Lisa Wild (Thames Valley)
Dave Webb (Auckland)
Conor Croke (Waikato)

Club of the Year
Foxton Rugby Club (Horowhenua Kapiti)
Green Island Rugby Football Club (Otago)
Ponsonby Rugby Club (Auckland)

Te Hāpai New Zealand Rugby Community Impact Award
James Legatt (Tamai Rugby Project)
Lisa Kingi-Bon (New Zealand Rugby Foundation)
Erin Rayner (Sense Rugby NZ)

New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year
Xavi Taele (Auckland)
Vernon Bason (Manawatū)
Oli Mathis (Waikato)
Elinor-Plum King (Manawatū)

NZRPA Kirk Award
Dan Carter

Outstanding contribution to New Zealand Rugby
Ian Kirkpatrick

Ian Kirkpatrick Medal (Heartland Championship Player of the Year)
Siu Kakala (South Canterbury)
Declan McCormack (Mid Canterbury)
Alekesio Vakarorogo (Whanganui)

Duane Monkley Medal (NPC Player of the Year)
Timoci Tavatavanawai (Tasman)
Folau Fakatava (Hawke’s Bay)
Josh Jacomb (Taranaki)

Fiao’o Fa’amausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup presented by Player of the Year)
Chelsea Semple (Waikato)
Hollyrae Merekara Mete (Manawatū)
Mia Anderson (Waikato)

National Men’s Coach of the Year
Vern Cotter (Blues)
Clark Laidlaw (Hurricanes)
Alando Soakai (Wellington)
Richard Watt (Bay of Plenty)

National Women’s Coach of the Year
Willie Walker (Blues)
James Semple (Waikato)
Campbell McNeill (Manawatū)

New Zealand Coach of the Year
Cory Sweeney (Black Ferns Sevens)

Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year
Hoskins Sotutu (Blues)
Damian McKenzie (Chiefs)
Harry Plummer (Blues)
Billy Proctor (Hurricanes)

Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year
Katelyn Vahaakolo (Blues)
Layla Sae (Hurricanes Poua)
Kaipo Olsen-Baker (Matatū)
Kennedy Tukuafu (Chiefs Manawa)

Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year
Risi Pouri-Lane (Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Koata, Ngāi Tahu)
Tamaiti Williams (Ngāpuhi)
Tyrel Lomax (Ngāi Tuhoe, Muaupoko)
Katelyn Vahaakolo (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Maniapoto)

Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year
Fehi Fineanganofo
Tepaea Cook-Savage
Dylan Collier

Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year
Jorja Miller
Risi Pouri-Lane
Michaela Blyde

Black Ferns Player of the Year
Georgia Ponsonby
Alana Bremner
Kaipo Olsen-Baker

All Blacks Player of the Year
Tyrel Lomax
Tupou Vaa’i
Wallace Sititi

National Men’s Team of the Year
Blues
Wellington Lions
Thames Valley Swamp Foxes

National Women’s Team of the Year
Blues
Waikato
Manawatū Cyclones

New Zealand Team of the Year
Black Ferns Sevens

Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year
Jorja Miller

Youngest winners of the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year
1995 Jonah Lomu (20 years old)
2024 Jorja Miller (20 years old)
2004 Dan Carter (22 years old)
2003 Richie McCaw (22 years old)