Scrumqueens 2013 Awards: Part 1

We bring you the first part of our 2013 Women's Rugby Awards!

Published by Alison Donnelly, December 26th, 2013

6 minute read

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Scrumqueens 2013 Awards: Part 1

They're back!

This year is the third year of our  annual Women's Rugby Awards and take it from us, they get tougher every year.

This year, as well as the views of national coaches and officials, we were also helped in our task by nominations from hundreds of ScrumQueens.com readers from around the world, putting forward for consideration not only the well-known players and teams, but also lesser-known players, teams and officials such as Javiera Cabera from Chile, or Finland’s Virpi Sironen, described as a “a very important player for Finnish 7s; as both captain and assistant coach, she trains hard and plays hard with a fantastic attitude to the game”.

In the end, however, there was remarkable unity when it came to many of the major awards – though in some cases the final selections only came after long discussion and debate!

Today we bring you the first half of our awards. Enjoy!

YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEARSponsored byAPTOELLA

Tiana Penitani (Australia)Sevens in a young woman’s game, and there were several names from the short form of the game nominated,  but Penitani stands out as not only did she burst onto the scene at the start of the year, but she remained at the top throughout, taking on the best in the world, and becoming a key member of the Australian team. She is not just a young player with potential, she is already world class.Runner-up: Jess Neilson. Canada’s leading scorer in the U20 Nations Cup is clearly a player of huge potential and had many supporters. A player to watch.

TEAM OF THE YEARSponsored byOPRO

IrelandDespite the brilliance of the New Zealand Sevens side, Ireland deserve this accolade. Regularly cannon fodder for the likes of England and France less than a decade ago, Ireland’s rise to the top of the 6 Nations is a story you cannot but admire. A team who play right on the edge of their emotions, but who match that with top notch ability, they find themselves in the unfamiliar position of being targets for the teams who used to target them just to pass the 50-point mark. A remarkable journey of guts and determination.Runners-up: As well as New Zealand's Sevens team, Canada's U20s (unbeaten Nations Cup winners) were also in consideration - as were Switzerland, who have shown that test rugby can have a future in any nation at any level, regardless of resources, given determination, careful planning, a love for the game - and officials that listen to the players. The revival of women’s test rugby in central Europe that they are leading, is one of the great developments of 2013.

COACH OF THE YEARSponsored byRaging BullPhilip Doyle (Ireland)Led Ireland to their first Grand Slam this season after many years in charge. Ireland will be real contenders now for a top four spot at the World Cup, despite the tricky pool they’ve ended up in - a far cry from the team he started out with all those years ago.

SEVENS COACH OF THE YEARSponsored byRaging BullSean Horan (New Zealand)A tactical blip in the final in Dubai this month cannot take away from Horan’s remarkable first season in charge of the New Zealand Sevens team. World Champions and World Series winners, New Zealand, at their best, are playing at a different level to everyone else. Horan has mixed and matched his squads very effectively all year and his side are the team to beat.

Also in contention - with a number of nominations - Jon Skurr, who took his inexperienced Irish team from no-where to the core of the Women's Sevens Series in barely a year; Pavel Baronovsky, whose team has changed the way women's sevens has been played in recent years and remains the most passionate of all coaches on the sidelines; and John Tait for turning round the fortunes of a Canadian team that last year seemed to have peaked too early, taking then back to the top

CLUB OF THE YEARGwernyfed (Wales)Theonly women's club in Wales to have a sustainable player pathway for girls under one roof, Gwernyfedhave U15s/U18s and senior women's teams. This is made possible because the club has fully integrated the sides to its committee. The women's team has the same representation as the men's sides when it comes to the support of the club.At the heart of the side are the Snape family with Mother and sisters all playing in the sides that are being coached by their brother and father. This real family affair is at the heart of why this club is so successful. Last season Gordan Snape collected the WRU Volnteer/Coach Recognition award at the WRU Womens Awards Night. Well done to all.

Tune in tomorrow to find out who's won the Player of the Year, Sevens Player of the Year and who has made our test teams and Sevens teams of the Year.

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