Saracens and Northampton Saints dominate Rugby Awards as governance and performance recognised
Tom Willis and Phil Dowson secure top honours, while Lewis Moody accepts the RPA Blyth Spirit Award amid health challenges.
Saracens and Northampton Saints have emerged as the primary beneficiaries of the recent Rugby Awards, securing significant recognition across both men’s and women’s competitions. The ceremony highlighted the intersection of individual statistical performance and institutional governance, with Saracens completing a double in the men’s individual categories despite missing out on the Premiership play-offs.
Tom Willis, the Saracens No 8, was voted Gallagher Premiership Player of the Season by his peers. The 27-year-old’s selection was underpinned by his statistical dominance, having beaten more defenders than any other player in the top-flight during the campaign. Willis is set to return to Bordeaux Begles in the Top 14 this summer, a move that will render him ineligible for England national team selection following his absence from the squad this year.
In the same ceremony, Saracens’ Noah Caluori was named Breakthrough Player of the Season. Caluori’s recognition followed a prolific campaign in which he scored 18 tries, including two instances of scoring five tries in a single match against Sale Sharks. His performance contributed to the club’s strong individual showing, which stood in contrast to their broader league outcome.
Northampton Saints’ success was framed through the lens of institutional leadership, with director of rugby Phil Dowson receiving the Director of Rugby of the Year award. Dowson’s accolade was directly linked to his team’s structural achievement of finishing at the top of the Premiership table, underscoring the value placed on managerial oversight in the competition.
The awards also extended to the Premiership Women’s Rugby, where Saracens scrum-half Olivia Apps was named Player of the Season. Apps, a Canadian international who joined the club as injury cover, became an influential figure for Alex Austerberry’s side. Additionally, Loughborough forward Haineala Lutui was named Breakthrough Player after making her England Women’s debut during the Six Nations.
Other notable recognitions included England Players of the Year prizes for Leicester prop Joe Heyes and Saracens fly-half Zoe Harrison. The event concluded with the presentation of the Rugby Players Association Blyth Spirit Award, accepted by Lewis Moody, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease last year and will undertake a charity cycling challenge ahead of the Premiership final.
