On Sunday, Ardie Savea, a loose forward from New Zealand, was awarded the title of World Rugby men’s 15s player of the year. This came even though his team lost in the Rugby World Cup final on Saturday.

Savea was selected instead of Aki, the center from Ireland, Etzebeth, the lock from South Africa, and Dupont, the captain of France who previously received the award two years ago.

Reworded: Savea became the 11th recipient of the award given to All Blacks, which was initially established in 2001. He was also a contender for the award in 2019.

He received recognition for his exceptional performance during the season, where he played a crucial role in leading New Zealand to victory in the Rugby Championship and securing a spot in the World Cup final. Unfortunately, they were defeated 12-11 by the Springboks on Saturday.

Andy Farrell from Ireland was selected as the World Rugby coach of the year, while Mark Tele’a, a winger for the All Blacks, received the breakthrough player of the year award.

Source: theguardian.com