Ardie Savea is the overall winner of the New Zealand Rugby awards tonight, the All Blacks loose forward acknowledged as the best player in the country with three big prizes.
After a season in which he brought up his 100th Test, Savea was named the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year and All Blacks Player of the Year.
His consistent performances and leadership for his new team Moana Pasifika also saw him crowned Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year as well.
Braxton Sorensen-McGee, 19, added two more awards to her outstanding debut year. After being announced as World Rugby’s Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year, she was tonight named as Black Ferns Player of the Year, and New Zealand Age Grade Player of the Year.
Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Ngāpuhi/Ngāti Kahu ki Whaingaroa/Ngāti Porou) also took home multiple awards.
She was recognised as the Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year and, for the first time in her career, the Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year.
It was also a big night for the Black Ferns sevens and their coach Cory Sweeney. The Black Ferns sevens won the New Zealand Team of the Year and Sweeney the Coach of the Year award, 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.
The late Luke Crawford, former Māori All Blacks kaumatua and NZR’s Kaihautū Māori, was honoured as the Steinlager Salver recipient. Crawford, who died in December 2024, was recognised for his service to ensuring te reo and te ao Māori were safely embedded and accurately represented in rugby spaces.
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 semi-final match, Maggie Cogger-Orr was named as New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year for the first time.
Full list of finalists
Winners in bold
Sky TV Fans Try of the Year
Lucas Casey (Otago)
Matt Fleming (Westlake Boys High School)
Damian McKenzie (All Blacks)
DHL Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year
Will Jordan (Crusaders)
Du'Plessis Kirifi (Hurricanes)
Ardie Savea (Moana Pasifika)
Sky 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)
Bunnings Warehouse 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 (Bunnings Warehouse NPC Player of the Year)
Sam Darry (Canterbury)
Folau Fakatava (Hawke’s Bay)
Josh Jacomb (Taranaki)
Fiao’o Faamausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup presented by Bunnings Warehouse Player of the Year)
Taufa Bason (Auckland)
Grace Houpapa-Barrett (Waikato)
Holly Williams (North Harbour)
Ian Kirkpatrick Medal (Bunnings Warehouse 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)
ASB National Men’s Coach of the Year
Marty Bourke (Canterbury)
Mark Brown (Otago)
Rob Penney (Crusaders)
adidas National Men's Team of the Year
Canterbury
Crusaders
Mid-Canterbury
ASB National Women’s Coach of the Year
Matt Direen (Otago)
Reuben Samuel (Waikato)
Willie Walker (Blues)
adidas National Women's Team of the Year
Blues
Otago Spirit
Waikato
ASB New Zealand Coach of the Year
Cory Sweeney
adidas 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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