Wallace Sititi named All Blacks Player of the Year while snubbed forward also wins major award

Wallace Sitit has been named All Blacks Player of the Year
World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year winner Wallace Sitit has added another accolade to his collection as he has copped the All Blacks Player of the Year award.
The Chiefs back-rower has been a major cog in Scott Roberson’s side this year, with 10 caps to his name through the 2024 Test season.
Wallace Sititi wins All Blacks Player of the Year award
Despite only making his Test debut against Fiji back in July, Sititi put in some mammoth performances in both the Rugby Championship and the Autumn Nations Series and quickly became a standout player in the All Blacks side.
He also beat out fellow forward Tyrel Lomax and Tupou Vaa’i to the mantel. Tighthead Lomax, however, didn’t end the night empty-handed as he won the Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year award.
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Another forward to receive an award was All Blacks snub Hoskins Sotutu, who was named Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year. The number eight was influential in helping the Blues lift the title, however, he found himself omitted from Razor’s squad in favour of Sititi.
He was later drafted into the All Blacks XV squad but pulled out before the tour. Sotutu also qualifies for England and has also attracted interest from a host of Premiership clubs.
Sotutu also beat All Blacks trio Damian McKenzie, Harry Plummer and Billy Proctor to the award.
Jorja Miller headlines New Zealand Rugby awards night with top gong
Olympic Gold Medalist Jorja Miller has become the second-youngest recipient of the prestigious Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year title, after playing a pivotal role in her side’s success in Paris.
The Black Ferns Sevens dominated much of the awards night too. They won New Zealand Team of the Year and head coach Cory Sweeney also claimed the New Zealand Coach of the Year award too.
Elsewhere, the Blues also won a host of trophies. As well as Sotutu’s award, both the men’s and women’s side won their respective National Team of the Year awards, Vern Cotter was named National Men’s Coach of the Year and Katelyn Vahaakolo was named Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year.
Ben O’Keefe was also named New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year.
Commenting on the awards, New Zealand Rugby CEO, Mark Robinson, said: “Congratulations to all the winners and nominees this year.
“There is no doubt the gold medal at the Olympics for the Black Ferns Sevens at the Olympics was a real highlight, so the recognition for Jorja, Cory and the team is thoroughly deserved this evening.
“We had a great year in the community game, with growth across the board in registrations. Seeing the stories of some of our game’s unsung heroes tonight really highlights the heart of rugby.”