Sponsored by RUPA’s long-standing partners, BDO, The lunch will be held at the Fullerton Hotel on Thursday December 4th 2025. The Lunch recognises the importance of player development, both on and off the field, and highlights the role that education and career growth play in supporting players throughout and beyond their professional careers.<\/p>\n
It is one of the few occasions where generations of rugby unite to acknowledge excellence, share stories, strengthen connections and honour those who have helped shape the game. This year\u2019s lunch will also host the presentation of the 2025 BDO RUPA Awards, celebrating outstanding contributions across leadership, personal growth and development.<\/p>\n
Finalists for each award listed below:<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s Medal for Excellence<\/p>\n
Presented by: BDO<\/p>\n
Awarded to the player who demonstrates outstanding on-field performance, strong leadership, meaningful off-field contribution, and overall excellence in Australian rugby. <\/p>\n
Finalists:<\/p>\n
Allan AlaalatoaTom HooperLangi GleesonHarry WilsonTriston ReillyFilipo DaugunuTom RobertsonHarry Potter<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s Medal for Excellence<\/p>\n
Presented by: Buildcorp<\/p>\n
\nAwarded to the player who exemplifies leadership, elite performance, professionalism, and meaningful contribution to the growth of the women\u2019s game, on and off the field.<\/p>\n
Finalists:<\/p>\n
Tabua TuinakauvadraFaliki PohivaAnneka StephensSiokapesi PaluTrilleen PomareGeorgina FriedrichsEva KarpaniShalom Sauaso<\/p>\n
Academic Achievement Award<\/p>\n
Presented by: Robert Walters<\/p>\n
\nCelebrates players who demonstrate outstanding commitment to their studies or education while balancing the demands of professional rugby.<\/p>\n
Finalists:<\/p>\n
Nicole LedingtonJosh NasserCorey TooleHugh SinclairTatum BirdNick Champion de CrespignyLiam WrightRory Scott<\/p>\n
Community Service Award<\/p>\n
Presented by: Lion<\/p>\n
\nCelebrates the player who has made a significant positive impact on their community through volunteering, advocacy, charity work or mentorship.<\/p>\n
Finalists:<\/p>\n
Fergus Lee WarnerHarry McLaughlin-PhillipsTom HooperLuke ReimerBrittany MerloJeremy WilliamsOllie SapsfordJack Debreczeni<\/p>\n
Newcomer of the Year Award<\/p>\n
Presented by: Citation Legal<\/p>\n
\nAwarded to the emerging player who has made the most significant on-field impact in their first season, demonstrating strong potential, professionalism and long-term promise.<\/p>\n
Finalists:<\/p>\n
Dre PakehoLachlan ShawMackenzie DavisJamie AdamsonManu\u2019a MolekaSeneti KilisimasiAden EkanayakeAlbert AlcockNgamihi Monk<\/p>\n
Inaugural Vocational Achievement Award<\/p>\n
Presented by: RUPA\u00a0<\/p>\n
The inaugural RUPA Vocational Achievement Award is designed to recognise alternate pathways in career training and development that exist outside of formal tertiary
\neducation. It recognises those who have not come from traditional academic backgrounds and others who have sought opportunities to develop themselves through industry initiatives. It reflects an increasing emphasis for RUPA members to increase
\ntheir career readiness while still playing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finalists:<\/p>\n
Dylan PietschLawson CreightonGabby PetersonTrilleen PomareConnor VestBree-Anna BrownJack Debreczeni<\/p>\n
Inaugural Leadership Award<\/p>\n
Presented by: RUPA<\/p>\n
This award recognises a player who exemplifies exceptional leadership. They are an inspiring figure, consistently demonstrating integrity, mentorship, and a deep commitment to rugby’s values of humility, teamwork, adaptability, and respect. This individual is crucial in fostering team cohesion and contributing to success, leading by example in competition and
\nsupporting their peers off the field, they truly embody the spirit of rugby leadership. <\/p>\n
Finalists:<\/p>\n
Harry WilsonEmily ChancellorJames SlipperDarcy SwainSiokapesi PaluAnneka StephensLori Cramer<\/p>\n
Women\u2019s Rugby Sevens Players\u2019 Player Award<\/p>\n
Presented by: Taylors Wine<\/p>\n
Recognises the player in the national Sevens program who has displayed exceptional performance, consistency, leadership and contribution to the squad. Voted by the players.<\/p>\n
Finalists:<\/p>\n
Maddison LeviMackenzie DavisFaith NathanKahli HenwoodSariah PakiIsabella Nasser<\/p>\n
Men\u2019s Rugby Sevens Players\u2019 Player Award<\/p>\n
Presented by: Gallagher Insurance<\/p>\n
\nAcknowledges the player who has excelled through performance, professionalism, leadership and meaningful contribution to the team environment. Voted by the players.<\/p>\n
Finalists:<\/p>\n
Matthew GonzalezHenry HutchisonAden EkanayakeMaurice LongbottomJames TurnerJayden Blake<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sponsored by RUPA’s long-standing partners, BDO, The lunch will be held at the Fullerton Hotel on Thursday December…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":290287,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,167127,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-290286","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-rugby","11":"tag-ruparugby","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290286","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=290286"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/290286\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/290287"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=290286"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=290286"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=290286"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}