World Rugby Dream XV: Springboks dominate as All Blacks star is overlooked with four Ireland players included
Springboks prop Ox Nche All-Blacks fly-half Damian McKenzie and Cheslin Kolbe.
Springboks forward Pieter-Steph du Toit and Red Roses star Ellie Kildunne were the big winners at the World Rugby Awards evening on Sunday, claiming the respective Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year awards.
The prestigious event in Monaco also saw World Rugby reveal the two 2024 Dream Team XVs, with the Springboks dominating the men’s and England the women’s.
South Africa dominates World Rugby 15s Dream Team of the Year
After being snubbed for a nomination for the World Rugby Player of the Year, Springboks prop Ox Nche does take a place in the Dream Team and is selected alongside teammate Malcolm Marx and the ever-consistent All Blacks tighthead Tyrel Lomax.
Player of the Year nominee Eben Etzebeth seals a place in the second-row alongside Ireland’s Tadhg Beirne, while Pablo Matera is the only Argentine to make the list featuring at number six – this despite Los Pumas enjoying their best-ever finish in the Rugby Championship. Matera also grabs a place ahead of World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Wallace Sititi.
Newly crowned World Rugby Player of the Year Du Toit is the fourth and final Springbok in the Dream Team pack and the back-row is completed by Ireland’s Caelan Doris, who missed out on the top individual gong.
Into the backs and Ireland’s Jamison Gibson-Park is selected at scrum-half with All Blacks pivot Damian McKenzie at 10 while South Africa’s most capped centre combination is picked in the midfield – Damian de Allende and Jesse Kriel.
Full list of past winners and nominees for the World Rugby Player of the Year
James Lowe makes it four Ireland players in the XV as he is joined in the back three by Player of the Year nominee Cheslin Kolbe and All Blacks star Will Jordan, who surpassed Jonah Lomu’s try-scoring tally against Italy.
Meanwhile, England dominated the Women’s Dream Team with six players, namely Player of the Year and full-back Kildunne, winger Abby Dow, fly-half Holly Aitchison, number eight Alex Matthews, lock Zoe Aldcroft and prop Maud Muir.
Three Black Ferns players get the nod in centre Sylvia Brunt, winger Katelyn Vahaakolo and hooker Georgia Ponsonby while Canada also claimed three spots with centre Alex Tessier, back-rower Sophie de Goede and lock Laetitia Royer.
The team is completed by France scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus, Ireland flanker Aoife Wafer and USA prop Hope Rogers.
World Rugby Men’s 15s Dream Team of the Year
15 Will Jordan (New Zealand), 14 Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa), 13 Jesse Kriel (South Africa), 12 Damian de Allende (South Africa), 11 James Lowe (Ireland), 10 Damian McKenzie (New Zealand), 9 Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), 8 Caelan Doris (Ireland), 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa), 6 Pablo Matera (Argentina), 5 Tadhg Beirne (Ireland), 4 Eben Etzebeth (South Africa), 3 Tyrel Lomax (New Zealand), 2 Malcolm Marx (South Africa), 1 Ox Nche (South Africa)
World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year
15 Ellie Kildunne (England), 14 Abby Dow (England), 13 Sylvia Brunt (New Zealand), 12 Alex Tessier (Canada), 11 Katelyn Vahaakolo (New Zealand), 10 Holly Aitchison (England), 9 Pauline Bourdon Sansus (France), 8 Alex Matthews (England), 7 Sophie de Goede (Canada), 6 Aoife Wafer (Ireland), 5 Laetitia Royer (Canada), 4 Zoe Aldcroft (England), 3 Maud Muir (England), 2 Georgia Ponsonby (New Zealand), 1 Hope Rogers (USA)
