Kennedy Crowned World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player Of The Year

Ireland’s Terry Kennedy has been crowned the World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year, in partnership with HSBC, following an outstanding 2022 season.

Kennedy played a central role in a memorable campaign for the Ireland Men’s Sevens squad, as they recorded their highest ever finish of fifth on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, and then claimed a historic bronze medal at the Rugby World Cup Sevens in Cape Town in September.

The 26-year-old, who was the World Series top try scorer in 2022, was announced as the Men’s Sevens Player of the Year at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco this evening, capping a superb twelve months for the Ireland Sevens programme.

“We’ve a relatively new programme, starting in 2015. The growth has been incredible over the years, starting at the bottom in Division C in Europe,” he explained, speaking after receiving his award from HSH Princess Charlene of Monaco.

“Getting up to Tokyo qualification last year and third place in the World Cup Cape Town in September. So, I think it’s incredible what we’ve done in the last few years and hopefully it can continue into the next few years.”

Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe was also nominated for the Women’s Sevens Player of the Year award.

Kennedy scored a remarkable 50 World Series tries in just 52 games across the 2021/22 season, as James Topping’s men established themselves as a real force on the circuit, winning their first World Series medal as runners-up in Toulouse last May.

From there, they finished the season by scaling new heights at the Rugby World Cup Sevens, beating Australia to win a magical bronze in Cape Town, with Kennedy in talismanic form.

The fleet-footed Dubliner saw off stiff competition from Australian duo Nick Malouf and Corey Toole and Fiji’s Kaminieli Rasaku to claim the award, becoming the first Ireland Sevens player to be named World Player of the Year.