Demant nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year award

Ruahei Demant, the captain of the Black Ferns, is a candidate to win World Rugby’s Player of the Year award twice.
The awards ceremony, which will take place at Go Media Stadium Mount Smart following the England-New Zealand match on Saturday to wrap off WXV 1, follows the ones held on Sunday following the men’s Rugby World Cup in Paris.
Should Demant succeed, she would become the first female athlete to accomplish the same accomplishment twice.
Marlie Packer, Abby Dow (England), and Gabrielle Vernier (France) are among her nominations.
Mererangi Paul and Katelyn Vahaakolo, two more Black Ferns, are nominated for the Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year award. Francesca McGhie of Scotland and Carla Arbez of France are the other candidates.
Along with the tries scored by Sofia Stefan (Italy against Ireland), Charlotte Escudero (France v Wales), and Zoe Aldcroft (England v France), Paul’s try against Canada is a contender for the International Rugby Players’ Women’s Try of the Year award.
Maiakawanakaulani Roos took a lineout, which resulted in Paul’s try. The ball was swiftly thrown wide and recycled once, and then Amy du Plessis and Renee Holmes worked together to locate the winger in space on the right for a simple run in.
On Saturday, the 2023 Dream Team of Women’s 15s World Rugby will also be announced.
Sir Bill Beaumont, chairman of World Rugby, stated: “The past year has seen some momentous steps forward for the women’s game with more full-time contracts, record-breaking crowds, the announcement of the first dedicated international release window and the inaugural WXV competition.”