FOLAU CLAIMS THIRD JOHN EALES MEDAL AT RUGBY AUSTRALIA AWARDS, DALTON AND STANNARD CLAIM SEVENS HONOURS
Israel Folau has won the John Eales Medal for an historic third time at the Rugby Australia Awards at Randwick Racecourse on Thursday evening.
Folau became the first player to win the coveted prize for a third time in its 16 years, surpassing Michael Hooper, Nathan Sharpe and George Smith who have all won the award twice.
Amassing 260 votes from his Wallabies teammates since the start of the 2016 Spring Tour, Folau’s standout season for the Qantas Wallabies featured a record 12 Test tries including four doubles.
Taking out the Player of the Year gongs for the Aussie Sevens were Chloe Dalton OAM and James Stannard, who collected the awards named in honour of the late Shawn MacKay.
Chloe Dalton was a standout for the Aussie Women’s Sevens team scoring 168 points across the season, making her the fourth-highest points scorer in the HSBC World Sevens Series and the top Australian as the Aussies finished the season in second position.
Evergreen James Stannard has gone from strength to strength in the past year, the 34-year-old Sevens veteran notching 248 points to place him seventh in the Series as he led a relatively inexperienced but talented men’s squad to a sixth place finish.
The Buildcorp Wallaroos Player of the Year went to Hilisha Samoa. The front-rower was a dominant force throughout the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup in Ireland, earning Player of the Match in Australia’s stirring victory over the host nation.
ARU CEO Bill Pulver congratulated Folau on his record-breaking year: “Israel’s form this year has been electric and once again he proved what an incredible asset he is to this Wallabies team.
“To have a third John Eales Medal around his neck after only five years in professional Rugby is an extraordinary achievement and at just 28, he’s got plenty left to achieve in Rugby.”
Pulver also praised the Aussie Sevens and Wallaroos winners on their accolades: “Chloe Dalton is a wonderful all-round talent on the Rugby field and she has grown significantly as a leader of our Women’s Sevens team over the past twelve months.
“At a time of generational change in our Aussie Sevens squads following the 2016 Olympic Games, James Stannard is another one who continues to lead by example. He is an ageless wonder, to think that he is 34 and has just produced arguably his best season with the team.
“We are also very proud of our Wallaroos’ World Cup campaign this year, where the team fell just short of the semi-finals after producing some of their best Rugby. Hilisha Samoa is a worthy recipient of the top honour for the Wallaroos with the way she led from the front and proved that being a mother of two is no barrier to becoming one of the best Rugby players in the country.”
Qantas Wallabies Captain Michael Hooper won ‘Australia’s Choice: Qantas Wallaby of the Year Award’ for the fifth consecutive year, highlighting the skipper’s popularity amongst fans.
Two new inductees to the Wallabies Hall of Fame were announced on the night, with Wallaby #364 David Brockhoff and Wallaby #575 Greg Cornelsen joining Australian Rugby’s most revered company.
Amanaki Mafi from the Melbourne Rebels claimed Super Rugby Player of the Year honours, a standout for the club in a difficult year.
The HSBC Volunteer of the Year title was awarded to Peter Kurtz from Biloela Rugby Club in Central Queensland. Thanks to the generosity of HSBC, Peter’s club will receive $10,000.00 to spend on equipment for the upcoming season.
The Rugby community was saddened with the passing of Lachlan Ward from the Warringah club earlier this season, but the great spirit of Rugby was seen in the hours, days, weeks, and months that followed as the Warringah Rats rallied around the Ward family, making both Warringah and the Ward family worthy recipients of the Nick Farr-Jones Spirit of Rugby Award.
In a year when Australia’s refereeing depth continues to rise, Angus Gardner was rewarded for his consistent performances at Test, Super Rugby, and NRC level with the TNT Referee of the Year Award. Two of Australian Rugby’s rising stars in the XVs format of the game, Qantas Wallaby Ned Hanigan was named the Rookie of the Year and young Queenslander, Liam Wright took out the Australia U20s Player of the Year.
2017 Rugby Australia Awards
Wallabies Hall of Fame inductees: David Brockhoff & Greg Cornelsen
HSBC Volunteer of the Year: Peter Kurtz
Roger Vanderfield Award TNT Referee of the Year: Angus Gardner
Nick Farr-Jones Spirit of Rugby: Warringah Rugby Club/The Ward Family
Australia U20s Player of the Year: Liam Wright
Joe French Award: Kevin Crowe OAM
Geoff “Bunter” Shaw Community Coach of the Year: Alana Thomas
Rugby Australia Rookie of the Year: Ned Hanigan
Rugby Australia Try of the Year: Joe Powell (Brumbies) v Hurricanes (Round 9)
Vodafone Super Rugby Player of the Year: Amanaki Mafi, Melbourne Rebels
Australia’s Choice – Qantas Wallaby of the Year: Michael Hooper
Women’s XV Player of the Year: Hilisha Samoa
The Shawn Mackay Award Qantas Men’s Sevens Player of the Year: James Stannard
The Shawn Mackay Award Qantas Women’s Sevens Player of the Year: Chloe Dalton OAM
John Eales Medal: Israel Folau
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