Antoine Dupont and Zoe Aldcroft win World Rugby Player of the Year awards

France scrum-half Antoine Dupont has been named the Men's World Rugby Player of the Year for his stellar performances in 2021.

Dupont guided the Les Bleus to wins in the all the three games of their Autumn series campaign that included a 40-25 victory over New Zealand. He was also instrumental for France in the Six Nations campaign earlier in the year and was amongst the nominees for the player of the tournament after topping the most try assists and offloads.

In the process he also became the third player from France to win the award after Fabien Galthié (their current head coach) and Thierry Dusautoir.

He was also pivotal in helping his club Toulouse to the Champions Cup and French Top 14 double.

“I think I’ve been lucky enough to play in teams that have had good results, whether it is with Toulouse with whom we had an extraordinary season last year with the double, and with the French team, even if I couldn’t make the summer tour (to Australia),” he said.

“We had a good Six Nations tournament, where we finished second again, and this tour in November and the victory against the All Blacks.

“That win will stay with me for a long time because it was the All Blacks, because the Stade de France was sold out, and because we had our families and friends in the stands and we had not been able to see them at the Stade de France for a long time.

“It’s all positive, and in the middle of it, I was able to have a lot of fun.”

Meanwhile, England's Zoe Aldcroft has been named the Women's World Rugby’s Player of the Year for 2021.

Aldcroft had to overcome challenge from her England team-mate Poppy Cleal and France's Caroline Boujard and Laure Sansus to claim the award.

The 25-year-old also went on to lead the red rose team for the first time during the autumn international clash against the USA and started in all eight Tests this year as England went on to stretch their winning streak to 18 games.

In the process she became the fourth England Women's player to claim the award after Michaela Staniford, Sarah Hunter and Emily Scarratt.

“It is absolutely amazing, I cannot put into words how this feels,” she said.

“It’s something I never thought would happen and to be alongside all those names who have won it before is amazing. I have looked up to them myself as role models.

“This is the proudest moment of my career so far.”