World Rugby awarded its annual awards on Sunday the day after the World Cup final.
A silver medal and a great individual award. New Zealander Ardie Savea was named world player of the year 2023 during the World Rugby Awards ceremony, organized on Sunday October 29 in Paris, the day after the World Cup final won by South Africa against the All Blacks (12-11).
The 30-year-old third row center was in the running against South African second row Eben Etzebeth, Irish center Bundee Aki and French scrum half Antoine Dupont, who won this distinction in 2021.
Essential in New Zealand’s journey to the final of the 2023 World Cup and its victory in the Rugby Championship, Ardie Savea, chosen by a jury of experts composed of former international players, succeeds another on the list of winners third row, Irishman Josh van der Flier. “I really appreciated his development and his impact on the team this last season. They were in difficulty and he embodied, in addition to Sam Cane, the leadership of the All Blacks through his influence on the group and on the field “explained former Blues captain Thierry Dusautoir to several media including AFP.
Five French people in the XV of the year
He is the sixth All Black to become World Player of the Year after Richie McCaw (2006, 2009, 2010), Dan Carter (2005, 2012, 2015), Kieran Read (2013), Brodie Retallick (2014) and Beauden Barrett (2016, 2017). Another New Zealander was distinguished in the prestigious setting of the Opéra Garnier: winger Mark Tele’a, voted world revelation of the year. Author of three tries during the World Cup, he was preferred, at 26, to French winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey (20).
France, eliminated in the quarter-finals of “its” World Cup and second in the Six Nations Tournament behind Ireland, is the most represented nation, tied with Ireland, in the typical team of the year , with five players: left pillar Cyril Baille, third row Charles Ollivon, scrum half Antoine Dupont, winger Damian Penaud and full-back Thomas Ramos.
Only one South African world champion appears there: second row Eben Etzebeth. Even the title of coach of the year eludes Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber, ahead of Andy Farrell, who led Ireland to the Grand Slam in the Tournament.