Antoine Dupont named World Rugby Player of the Year

Planet Rugby 10 Dec 2021 9:58 PM

France and Toulouse scrum-half Antoine Dupont capped an outstanding season after being named the men’s World Rugby Player of Year.

As scrum-half and latterly captain, Dupont has been at the heart of the French revival in 2021 that culminated in the final Test of the Autumn Nations Series being an historic 40-25 victory over New Zealand.

Les Bleus’ first win over the All Blacks since 2009 came at the end of a year when Dupont lit up the Six Nations with his attacking play while also helping club side Toulouse to the Champions Cup and French Top 14 double.

I was able to have fun

“I think I’ve been lucky enough to play in teams that have had good results, whether it is with Toulouse with whom we had an extraordinary season last year with the double, and with the French team, even if I couldn’t make the summer tour (to Australia),” he said.

“We had a good Six Nations tournament, where we finished second again, and this tour in November and the victory against the All Blacks.

“That win will stay with me for a long time because it was the All Blacks, because the Stade de France was sold out, and because we had our families and friends in the stands and we had not been able to see them at the Stade de France for a long time.

“It’s all positive, and in the middle of it, I was able to have a lot of fun.”

The 25-year-old got the public vote by a landslide majority and becomes only the third Frenchman to win the award after his head coach Fabien Galthié (2002) and Thierry Dusautoir a decade ago.

Dupont admitted that seeing his name next to “legends” of the sport was hard to comprehend.

“I am very happy and proud to have been elected Player of the Year 2021, it is quite hard to take it in,” he said. “I have lots of feelings and emotions mixed together.

“We think about all the steps we’ve taken, how we started when we were four or five years old in the field to get to this point. Even if it is not an end in itself, it is still a great reward.”

Zoe Aldcroft takes the women’s award

England forward Zoe Aldcroft has been named World Rugby’s Player of the Year for 2021.

The 25-year-old Gloucester-Hartpury second-row beat England team-mate Poppy Cleall and French duo Caroline Boujard and Laure Sansus to the award, which was determined by a poll of fans.

It completes a notable England double after Red Roses boss Simon Middleton was named coach of the year.

Named England captain for the first time on her 25th birthday, Aldcroft led her team to an 89-0 victory over the USA and marked the occasion with a try.

She started all eight of England’s matches in 2021 as the Red Roses extended their unbeaten run to 18 Tests and won a third successive Women’s Six Nations title.

“It is absolutely amazing, I cannot put into words how this feels,” she said.

“It’s something I never thought would happen and to be alongside all those names who have won it before is amazing. I have looked up to them myself as role models.

“This is the proudest moment of my career so far.”