English Rugby unites for Inaugural Rugby Awards 2025: Full list of Nominees announced

In an unprecedented collaboration, Premiership Rugby, the Rugby Players Association (RPA), Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) will come together on Tuesday, June 3, to celebrate the best of English rugby at the first-ever Rugby Awards, presented by Gallagher.

The black-tie event will be held at The Brewery in London and marks a significant step toward unified recognition across the sport’s men’s and women’s divisions. The event will see top players, coaches, and community leaders acknowledged for their achievements during the 2024/25 season. season.

Gallagher Player of the Season Nominees

The shortlist for the Gallagher Player of the Season includes some of the standout performers of the year:

Thomas du Toit (Bath Rugby)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Finn Russell (Bath Rugby)
Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby)
Tom Willis (Saracens)

The winner will be determined through a player vote.

Breakthrough Player of the Season (Presented by Defender)

Rising stars nominated for the Breakthrough award include:

Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester Rugby)
Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks)
Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints)
Joseph Woodward (Leicester Tigers)

Director of Rugby of the Season (Presented by London Pride)

Recognising the top tacticians of the game:

Michael Cheika (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Sanderson (Sale Sharks)
George Skivington (Gloucester Rugby)
Johann van Graan (Bath Rugby)

Community Player of the Season (Presented by Funding Circle)

Acknowledging outstanding contributions off the pitch:

Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Olly Hartley (Saracens)
Lewis Ludlow (Gloucester Rugby)
Will Muir (Bath Rugby)

England Player of the Season

Men's (Presented by Avanta Wealth):

Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Will Stuart (Bath Rugby)

Women's (Presented by LexisNexis Risk Solutions):

Zoe Aldcroft (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Abby Dow (Trailfinders Women)
Meg Jones (Leicester Tigers Women)
Maud Muir (Gloucester-Hartpury)

RPA and Special Awards

Vodafone Business RPA Gainline Award:

Josh Bassett (Leicester Tigers)
Josh Caulfield (Bristol Bears)
Harry Glover (Great Britain 7s)
Harry Thacker & Jake Woolmore (Bristol Bears)

RPA Blyth Spirit Award: Recipient to be revealed on the night.

Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) Awards

PWR Player of the Season (Presented by Clinique):

Sarah Bern (Bristol Bears Women)
Ellie Kildunne (Harlequins Women)
Meg Jones (Leicester Tigers Women)
Hope Rogers (Exeter Chiefs Women)
Emma Sing (Gloucester-Hartpury)

PWR Breakthrough Player of the Season (Presented by Defender):

Lilli Ives Campion (Loughborough Lightning)
Millie David (Bristol Bears Women)
Clàudia Peña (Harlequins Women)
Niamh Swailes (Sale Sharks Women)

PWR Director of Rugby of the Season (Presented by Asahi):

Ross Chisholm (Harlequins Women)
Sean Lynn (Gloucester-Hartpury)
Nathan Smith (Loughborough Lightning)
Dave Ward (Bristol Bears Women)

PWR Top Try Scorer (Presented by Christopher Ward):

May Campbell (Saracens Women) – 16 tries
Millie David (Bristol Bears Women) – 16 tries

Premiership Rugby Top Try Scorer

This award will be determined after the final round (Round 18) of the Gallagher Premiership Rugby