Rugby Australia has confirmed the nominees for the major award winners ahead of Wednesday’s RA Awards in Sydney.
The awards celebrate the past 12 months of Rugby in Australia, returning to an awards night after previously being held online.
Wallabies Angus Bell, Marika Koroibete, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Will Skelton and Rob Valetini are the nominees for the John Eales Medal.
Bell is looking to become the first prop to win the award after a dominant World Cup campaign as Koroibete attempts to go back-to-back for his third Medal.
Nawaqanitawase continued his brilliant international season in 2023 with four tries as Skelton’s impressive form was recognised with captaincy for the World Cup.
Valetini rounds out the list, having finished second in 2022 behind Koroibete, emerging as a dominant and reliable figure in the back row.
Emily Chancellor, Georgina Friedrichs, Eva Karpani, Ash Marsters and Maya Stewart are the five nominated for the Wallaroos Player of the Year.
The Wallaroos excelled in 2023, headlined by a maiden win over France along with victories over Wales, Fijiana and the USA.
Friedrichs is the defending winner from 2022, whilst Karpani was electric across WXV and took out Player of the Match in their upset win over the French.
Marsters was awarded the RUPA Medal of Excellence in 2023 after her brilliant campaign, with Chancellor and Stewart consistently dominating their opposition across the Pac Four and WXV campaigns.
Charlotte Caslick, Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea and Maddison Levi are the women’s nominees for the Shaun McKay Medal.
Levi was nominated for World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, having broken the record for most tries in a World Series, with Caslick and Lefau-Fakaosilea equally as influential in their title wins in Dubai and Cape Town.
Nathan Lawson, Henry Paterson and Dietrich Roache have been nominated for the Men’s Shaun McKay Award.
Paterson was named in the 2022-23 World Series Dream Team, with Lawson and Roache amongst the top try scoresr and point scorers for the Australians across the past 12 months.
RUGBY AUSTRALIA AWARDS NOMINEES
John Eales Medal
Angus Bell
Marika Koroibete
Mark Nawaqanitawase
Will Skelton
Rob Valetini
Wallaroos Player of the Year
Emily Chancellor
Georgina Friedrichs
Eva Karpani
Ash Marsters
Maya Stewart
Shaun McKay Medals
Men’s Player of the Year
Nathan Lawson
Henry Paterson
Dietrich Roache
Women’s Player of the Year
Charlotte Caslick
Alysia Lefau-Fakaosilea
Maddison Levi…PACNEWS
SOURCE: RUGBY.COM.AU/PACNEWS
