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All Black stalwart crowned New Zealand's best player

By @rugby365com
Thursday 11 Dec 2025

NEWS: An All Black stalwart dominated the New Zealand Rugby Awards on Thursday.

Ardie Savea’s performances across the rugby season have been reflected, with the 32-year-old acknowledged as the best player in the country in 2025.

In the season where he brought up his 100th Test, Savea has been named as the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year and All Blacks Player of the Year. His commanding performances and inspiring leadership for his new team Moana Pasifika saw him crowned Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year as well.

Youngster Braxton Sorensen-McGee added two more awards to her outstanding debut year. After being announced as World Rugby’s Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year, the 19-year-old was named as Black Ferns Player of the Year, and New Zealand Age Grade Player of the Year.

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe also took home multiple awards; recognised as the Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year and, for the first time in her storied career, named as the Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year, acknowledging her on-field performance as well as being a role model for Māori within rugby.

It was also a big night for the Black Ferns Sevens and their coach Cory Sweeney, taking out the New Zealand Team of the Year and Coach of the Year awards, having also won those categories in 2024. Sweeney becomes the most successful coach in this category, having now been named the top coach in the country six times.

Jorja Miller adds Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year to her World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year title, while new All Blacks Sevens captain Tone Ng Shiu was acknowledged as Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year.

Rob Penney and Willie Walker were acknowledged as National Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year respectively, while their championship-winning teams, Crusaders and Blues, took home the titles of National Men’s and National Women’s Team of the Year.

After taking control of a Rugby World Cup semifinal match, Maggie Cogger-Orr was named as New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year for the first time.

Top provincial performers were recognised for their domestic competition seasons: Josh Jacomb of Taranaki received the Duane Monkley Medal (NPC Player of the Year); Auckland’s Taufa Bason took home the Fiao’o Faamausili Medal (Player of the Year in the Farah Palmer Cup) and the Heartland Championship’s Ian Kirkpatrick Medal went to Keanu Taumata (Poverty Bay).

Former international players Samuel Whitelock and Les Elder were honoured with the NZRPA Kirk Award, acknowledging their service to their fellow players through their long tenures on the NZRPA Board.

Matt Fleming (Westlake Boys High School) was the runaway winner of the Fans’ Try of the Year.

NZR CEO Mark Robinson said: “Congratulations to the winners and all finalists this year, being nominated in these awards is a big honour.

“Ardie has a level of consistency that is unmatched, and his three awards tonight demonstrate that. He keeps raising the bar for what’s possible on an individual level, and brings his inspirational leadership to every environment. He is massively respected domestically and internationally.

“What’s great about the New Zealand Rugby Awards is being able to celebrate every level of the game – elite players, emerging stars, referees, amateurs and our grassroots game. To see community rugby volunteers and clubs acknowledged right alongside our professional players shows how special rugby is right around the country.”

The full list of finalists, with winners in bold:

Fans Try of the Year

Lucas Casey (Otago)
Matt Fleming (Westlake Boys High School)
Damian McKenzie (All Blacks)

Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year

Will Jordan (Crusaders)
Du’Plessis Kirifi (Hurricanes)
Ardie Savea (Moana Pasifika)

Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year

Amy du Plessis (Matatū)
Braxton Sorensen-McGee (Blues)
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Blues)

Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year

Dylan Collier
Tone Ng Shiu
Frank Vaenuku

Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year

Michaela Brake
Jorja Miller
Risi Pouri-Lane

New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year

Oli Mathis (Waikato)
Dylan Pledger (Otago)
Braxton Sorensen-McGee (Auckland)

Rugby Club of the Year

Hunterville Rugby Football Club (Whanganui)
Rangataua Sports and Cultural Club (Bay of Plenty)
Waimate Rugby Football Club (South Canterbury)

Charles Monro Volunteer of the Year

Glen Devenie (Auckland Rugby Referee Association, Auckland)
Stacey Kobus (Cambridge Junior Rugby and Community Sports Club, Waikato)
Jodi Taylor (Strath Taieri Rugby Club, Otago)

Te Hāpai Community Impact Award

Cian Byrne-Hansen (Counties Manukau)
Peter Hastings (Bay of Plenty)
Sosoli Talawadua (Whanganui)

Duane Monkley Medal (NPC Player of the Year)

Sam Darry (Canterbury)
Folau Fakatava (Hawke’s Bay)
Josh Jacomb (Taranaki)

Fiao’o Faamausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year)

Taufa Bason (Auckland)
Grace Houpapa-Barrett (Waikato)
Holly Williams (North Harbour)

Ian Kirkpatrick Medal (Heartland Championship Player of the Year)

Declan McCormack (Mid Canterbury)
Keanu Taumata (Poverty Bay)
Sam Walton-Sexton (Wairarapa Bush)

New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year

Maggie Cogger-Orr (Auckland)
James Doleman (Otago)
Ben O’Keeffe (North Harbour)

National Men’s Coach of the Year

Marty Bourke (Canterbury)
Mark Brown (Otago)
Rob Penney (Crusaders)

National Men’s Team of the Year

Canterbury
Crusaders
Mid-Canterbury

National Women’s Coach of the Year

Matt Direen (Otago)
Reuben Samuel (Waikato)
Willie Walker (Blues)

National Women’s Team of the Year

Blues
Otago Spirit
Waikato

New Zealand Coach of the Year

Cory Sweeney

New Zealand Team of the Year

Black Ferns Sevens

Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year

Kurt Eklund (Ngāti Kahu)
Quinn Tupaea (Ngaati Tiipa, Ngaati Amaru)
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Kahu ki Whaingaroa/Ngāti Porou)

All Blacks Player of the Year

Fabian Holland
Cameron Roigard
Ardie Savea
Quinn Tupaea

Black Ferns Player of the Year

Jorja Miller
Kaipo Olsen-Baker
Georgia Ponsonby
Braxton Sorensen-McGee

Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year

Ardie Savea

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