Finish-of-season rugby union awards: finest video games, gamers and extra | Rugby union

Highs and lows of the 2025-26 European season

Best video games attended
1) 14 March, France 48-46 England. Thirteen tries – together with 4 for Louis Bielle-Biarrey – and a last-gasp successful penalty from Thomas Ramos. Truly magnifique.

2) 12 June, Northampton 45-31 Leicester. Cracking Prem semi-final ambiance and a belting recreation.

3) 10 April, Bath 43-41 Northampton. Saints began brilliantly however nonetheless couldn’t deny Bath a spot within the Champions Cup semi-finals.

Teams of the 12 months
1) Bordeaux-Bègles (within the Champions Cup, not the Top 14!).
2) England’s World Cup-winning Red Roses.
3) Northampton Saints.

Champagne moments
1) Rhys Carré’s solo attempt for Wales in opposition to Ireland.
2) Finn Russell’s quick-thinking kick-off that led to a attempt for Darcy Graham and saved Scotland’s bacon in Cardiff.
3) Christ Tshiunza’s sidestepping attempt for Exeter Chiefs of their semi-final win in opposition to Bath. Wooaah!

Top teaching brains
1) Phil Dowson and Sam Vesty (Northampton).
2) Rob Baxter (Exeter Chiefs).
3=) John Mitchell (England ladies) and Noel McNamara (Bordeaux assault coach).

Men’s gamers of the season
1) Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
2) Maxime Lucu.
3=) Tom and Jack Willis, Matthieu Jalibert.

Most constant Prem gamers
1) Tom Willis.
2) Henry Slade.
3=) Alex Coles and Tommy Freeman.

Women’s gamers of the season
1) Meg Jones.
2) Ellie Kildunne.
3) Sophie de Goode.

Best matchday expertise
1) France v England, Paris. The pre-match son et lumière was virtually pretty much as good as the sport.
2) Champions Cup semi-final – Bordeaux-Bègles v Bath. Bordeaux is more and more a must-visit European membership rugby vacation spot.
3) Champions Cup ultimate – Bordeaux-Bègles v Leinster, Bilbao. Head to the Basque Country for the rugby and keep for the cheesecake and tortillas.
4) Women’s World Cup ultimate, London. A high-water mark for girls’s rugby.

Best media operation
Northampton Saints.

Best interviewee
Joe Heyes (Leicester and England). What a high man.

Good to see …
1) The return of inventive operating fly-halves. For some time there we thought we’d misplaced them.
2) Smiling faces again at Exeter Chiefs, each on the sector and on the stage …
3) More effort to advertise England’s second-tier Champ. There are some fantastic golf equipment and rugby folks outdoors the Prem.

Could do higher …
1) Sending love and hugs to all on the Stade de France however being denied entry to the bottom on the opening night time of the Six Nations wasn’t ideally suited.
2) At some stage the Rugby Football Union must acknowledge that not choosing a participant or two based mostly in France, particularly in a World Cup 12 months, is an enormous personal objective.
3) World Rugby is about to trial a distant “TMO hub”, based mostly in Basingstoke, to “improve” decision-making on this summer season’s second-tier Nations Cup and World U20 match. The “robot ref” period attracts ever nearer.

Most inspirational rugby folks
1=) Lewis Moody, Ed Slater, Matt Hampson.

Gone however not forgotten …
Warren Abrahams, Shane Christie, John Doubleday, Matt Gallagher, Scott Hastings, Fred Howard, Brian Jones, Arthur Lewis, Ian McCrae, Matt Salter, Fergus Slattery, M J Okay “Mike” Smith, Roger Spurrell, Peter Squires, Mike “Spike” Watkins, Alex Wyllie.

Most wanting ahead to in 2026-27?
1) Everyone in Welsh rugby lastly agreeing on one of the best collective manner ahead.
2) Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry, AKA the upcoming full tour of South Africa by New Zealand.
3) Northampton Saints drawing both Toulouse or Bordeaux at residence within the Champions Cup pool levels.
4) Where Shaun Edwards – seven Six Nations titles and counting – goes subsequent.

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