Black Ferns dominate World Rugby awards
The Black Ferns dominated the 2022 World Rugby Awards in Monaco, scooping three major gongs yesterday highlighted by player of the year honours for co-captain Ruahei Demant.
It was a fitting finale to an outstanding season highlighted by their recent stunning World Cup success in Auckland.
Wayne Smith won the coach of the year award, Ruby Tui was named the breakthrough 15s player, and Demant picked up the award for being the best 15s player.
In addition, four Black Ferns made the 15s Dream Team, all coming from the backline – No 10 Demant, second-five Theresa Fitzpatrick, and wings Tui and Portia Woodman.
Just two All Blacks made the men’s Dream Team – lock Sam Whitelock and wing Will Jordan. No 8 Ardie Savea was overlooked once again, with France’s Gregory Alldritt getting that jersey.
To cap off the women’s theme for New Zealand, Dr Farah Palmer, a former Black Ferns captain who won three World Cups and continues to make a huge contribution through administration in her groundbreaking board role with New Zealand Rugby, was presented with the Vernon Pugh Award for distinguished service to the game.
A humble Demant described her award as ‘‘unexpected’’ as she and several of her teammates enjoyed the big occasion.
‘‘Like most of us in our team, and many rugby players in New Zealand, I come from a very, very small place and to put on the black jersey, it was always a dream,’’ Demant, from the tiny settlement of O¯ ma¯io, near the Bay of Plenty-East Coast border, told the glitzy crowd in Monaco.
‘‘I never knew about the Black Ferns growing up as a kid. I guess like most women my age now, women’s rugby was never accessible, was never something that you kind of aspired to be like because you never had role models to look up to.
‘‘That was one of the great things about this World Cup … it was free to air, so everyone
could watch it, but people could turn on the telly or go to the games and see people who looked like them and so many strong women out there doing amazing, incredible things.’’
Demante paid tribute to Smith for transforming the team so quickly after ‘‘coming up here 12 months ago and getting wasted’’ by England and France on their northern tour.
Smith summed up his experience and the philosophy of the team that was built around building an attack, a trait needed to better the staunch games of France and England in the semifinals and final.
‘‘We started eight months ago together and at the start it was a wee bit like taking your granddaughter and all her friends to Disneyland.
‘‘They were excited, joyful, noisy, and then they all found the courage to hop on the rollercoaster,’’ Smith, who also won two men’s World Cup, as an assistant coach of the All Blacks, said in accepting his award.
‘‘That rollercoaster was our attacking game, our all-out attack. The girls turned into warriors and were magnificent.’’
Ireland flanker Josh van der Flier was named the men’s player of the year, admitting his highlight came with the historic 2-1 test series victory in New Zealand against the All Blacks in July.