Monday 21 September 2020 17:47, UK
World Rugby confirmed the winners of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 Awards, as Ireland's Jordan Conroy made the Dream Team as top try scorer and England's Dan Norton was awarded a mark of excellence for breaking 350 tries...
The awards recognise and celebrate the players and teams who have performed at the highest level across the Sevens season, with the award panel comprising of former international sevens players and series commentators, including Sky Sports Rugby's Rupert Cox.
The votes have been casted and fans have had their say to determine this year's nominees and winners across the six men's and women's award categories.
HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 Award Winners
Men's HSBC Dream Team:
Women's HSBC Dream Team:
UL Mark of Excellence: The Awards panel, together with UL Executive Mike Galeski, selected a shortlist of nominees from the list of UL Mark of Excellence Award tournament winners on the 2020 series. Fans had the final say in determining the moment from the men's and women's shortlists which stands out as the best of the 2020 series.
Men's winner:
Women's winner:
Cigna Pressure Play Award: The Awards panel selected a shortlist of three men's and three women's players with sevens fans having the final say in voting for their favourite pressure play moment of the men's and women's series.
Men's winner:
Women's winner:
Capgemini Momentum Tracker: A stats-based award using Capgemini's unique tool, the Momentum Tracker, which analyses teams' performances at individual tournaments and across the series to assess their capacity to improve throughout the season. The award goes to the team which recorded the highest momentum score on the tracker as a result of quantified performance and evolution scores.
Gilbert Top Try Scorer: An award for the top try scorer on the men's and women's series.
DHL Impact Player: A stats-based award which statistically analyses individual players' all round performances measured against four key criteria - offloads, carries, line-breaks and tackles.
World Rugby Chairman Sir Bill Beaumont said: "On behalf of World Rugby I would like to congratulate all 24 women's and men's HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 award winners.
"Although the series this year was forced to conclude early there was no shortage of speed, skill and spectacular tries on display from players and teams, combined with unpredictable and awe-inspiring moments that embody the values of the game and remind us that rugby sevens is a truly unique and thrilling sport that will once again showcase itself to the worldwide audience at the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year."
Ireland's Dream Team member and Top Try Scorer, Jordan Conroy, said: "I'm really proud of the achievement as it was our first year on the World Series as a core team. For us a group to receive three awards, and in particular be recognised as a team, is testament to the work everyone has put in behind the scenes, from the players to all of the staff.
"To be named as the top try scorer and on the World Series Dream Team is an honour but again it is down to the hard work of everyone in the Ireland Sevens programme to enable us as players to go out and perform to the best of our ability.
"These awards only give us more hunger as players and as a group to better ourselves and improve on our performances from this season. A big goal for us as a team is to achieve Olympic qualification and that vision remains undiminished. We are working hard to put ourselves in the best position to have a good season in 2021."
New Zealand's Stacey Fluhler said: "It's such a massive honour to receive these awards, and I do so on behalf of my team - I wouldn't be able to be out there scoring tries if they weren't working hard in the middle of the field! While we were gutted the season ended the way it did there were lots of highlights, like playing in South Africa for the first time and hosting all the teams in Hamilton."
