England rugby supporters are left scratching their heads after Henry Pollock was overlooked for the World Rugby Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year award, which instead went to New Zealand’s Fabian Holland.
The omission has sparked a wave of surprise and frustration among fans, who had hailed Pollock as one of the most exciting young talents in world rugby this year.
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Pollock, who has been a standout in England’s pack with dominant performances throughout the season, had been widely tipped to feature prominently in the awards.
His dynamic play, consistent impact in crucial games, and ability to change matches from the second row had made him a favorite among supporters and pundits alike.
Fan Reactions
Social media quickly filled with reactions:
“How on earth has Pollock been overlooked?”
“Fabian Holland is class, but Pollock is a generational talent,”
“Every big game Pollock played, he delivered. What more does he need to do to be recognised?”
“Classic — an English player getting ignored despite standout performances. Pollock should’ve been a guaranteed winner.”
The Full List of Winners
While Pollock missed out, the awards saw a strong lineup of talent recognized across the men’s and women’s games:
World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year: Malcolm Marx (South Africa)
World Rugby Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year: Fabian Holland (New Zealand)
International Rugby Players Association Men’s 15s Try of the Year: Santiago Pedrero (Chile v Samoa, RWC 2027 qualifier)
World Rugby Coach of the Year: John Mitchell
On the women’s side:
International Rugby Players Association Women’s 15s Try of the Year: Maia Joseph (New Zealand v Ireland, RWC 2025 pool match)
World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year 2025: Sophie de Goede (Canada)
World Rugby Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year 2025: Braxton Sorensen-McGee (New Zealand)
World Rugby Women’s 15s Dream Team of the Year:
EDITORS PICKS:
ENGLAND PLAYER RATINGS VS ARGENTINA
15 Freddie Steward — 7
As per usual, was imperious in the air and offered a fair bit more elsewhere than is usually the case. Definitely a necessary selection given how much Argentina kicked it and justified his inclusion.
14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso — 8
Showed the best of himself in the first half when he made the most of every time that he touched the ball, making up 138 metres with the ball in hand in the first 40 alone. Used his pace to cross the try line after receiving a cross kick from Ojomoh that was well weighted.
13 Henry Slade — 7.5
Made a very good tackle to stop an almost certain Pumas try after an attacker found a great line around 10 metres out. Not too involved beyond that until his 67th minute try that relieved a lot of England pressure after they found themselves only one point in front.
12 Max Ojomoh — 8
Had a very good first half, however he faltered a little bit in the second, like many of his teammates. Ran over for the first try of the match after latching onto a loose ball and sprinting over, before assisting the second with a perfectly weighted kick out to Feyi-Waboso. Assisted the third as well with a very well improvised offload while he was falling to the floor. Will be happy with his performance after being a late inclusion due to Fraser Dingwall’s injury.
11 Elliot Daly — 6
Didn’t manage to get his hands on the ball as much as he might have liked in his first match since the Lions tour injury. Only real highlight was a pretty simple catch that was dropped. Not at his best.
10 George Ford — 8.5
Showed his incredible game intelligence throughout the match with some unbelievable kicking that helped to open up the Argentina defence on a number of occasions. Was heavily involved in the Feyi-Waboso try with an intelligent switch pass to Ojomoh, for him to kick it over to the eventual try scorer. A missed penalty and drop goal were his only two real blemishes.
9 Ben Spencer — 7.5
Acquitted himself well in terms of box kicking, which was clearly the strategy going into the game. A few involvements defensively adds to what was a solid but slightly unremarkable showing.
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