World Player of the Year 2021

[blockhead]

Nominees:
Antoine Dupont (France)
Michael Hooper (Australia)
Maro Itoje (England/British and Irish Lions)
Samu Kerevi (Australia)

Seems like a very average bunch
Maro Itoje for example.....
9 internationals in 2021 so far, only 4 wins which include wins v Italy and Tonga.
Part of a losing Lions tour.
England finished 5th in the Six Nations
His club team played in the English Championship and had no game in Europe
I don't get it.

[riocard911]

Nominees:
Antoine Dupont (France)
Michael Hooper (Australia)
Maro Itoje (England/British and Irish Lions)
Samu Kerevi (Australia)

Seems like a very average bunch
Maro Itoje for example.....
9 internationals in 2021 so far, only 4 wins which include wins v Italy and Tonga.
Part of a losing Lions tour.
England finished 5th in the Six Nations
His club team played in the English Championship and had no game in Europe
I don't get it.

Keeps the Nigels pacified - simples, innit?

[Laighin Break]

Similarly Australia won about half of their games this year, including two narrow wins against France's 2nd/3rd string.
Though surely Dupont will win it no matter who is up against him.

[blockhead]

Antoine Dupont
6 games for France, lost to England (who finished 5th in the 6N) and Scotland
1 international game since the 6N.
Won the Heino and Top14 I suppose, but club rugby dosen't really count, so they say, when it comes to the WPOTY.
No Kiwis or Saffas is very odd.
Again, its not who you think is the best player, its what they acheived during the year, 2021.

[riocard911]

Saffers understandably unhappy with none of their players making the list and ready to go bonkers, if World Rugby throw the book at Rassie for his public video criticisms of the officiating for the first Lions Test:

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/ ... ie-erasmus

[fourthirtythree]

Right now for me SA are worth representation on that list.


No interest in what the waterboy has to say about it. I can't recall the water boy's ideas being sought in the past. He should concentrate on upping his water carrying game. One stale half empty 300ml bottle he had last weekend.

[ronk]

First French nominee since 2012, seems strange.

I'd have had Henshaw on the list but maybe be was injured too much.

[Flash Gordon]

Need to remember it's a player nomination, a player in a poor team who performs exceptionally still qualifies. I'd probably have had Siya Kolisi in there too but these things are very subjective. As Ronk said, Robbie was the standout Irish candidate.

[Dexter]

Right now for me SA are worth representation on that list.


No interest in what the waterboy has to say about it. I can't recall the water boy's ideas being sought in the past. He should concentrate on upping his water carrying game. One stale half empty 300ml bottle he had last weekend.

There should be World Water Carrier of the Year award. For me John Fogarty gets it, he's in a different league to to that Rassie amateur.

[blockhead]

No Mick's (or Marys) on the World Rugby Magazine's top 20 for 2021

Antoine Dupont
Ardie Savea
Maro Itoje
Michael Hooper
Taniela Tupou
Aaron Smith
Lukhanyo Am
Cheslin Kolbe
Tom Curry
Sam Whitelock
Abby Dow
Brodie Retallick
Rose Bernadou
Beauden Barrett
Richie Mo’unga
Jerry Tuwai
Eben Etzebeth
Hamish Watson
Courtney Lawes
Josh Adams

[CiaranIrl]

No Mick's (or Marys) on the World Rugby Magazine's top 20 for 2021

Antoine Dupont
Ardie Savea
Maro Itoje
Michael Hooper
Taniela Tupou
Aaron Smith
Lukhanyo Am
Cheslin Kolbe
Tom Curry
Sam Whitelock
Abby Dow
Brodie Retallick
Rose Bernadou
Beauden Barrett
Richie Mo’unga
Jerry Tuwai
Eben Etzebeth
Hamish Watson
Courtney Lawes
Josh Adams

Rugby world magazine is a nonsense fluff magazine full of waffle written by a bunch of has been English journalists, eg Stephen Jones. Very different thing to world rugby magazine, which sounds like it would be an official thing, if it existed.