SORENSEN-McGEE NOMINATED FOR WORLD RUGBY AWARD
Braxton Sorensen-McGee, who has lit up the international stage in her debut season, has been nominated for 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year.
Fellow Kiwi Jorja Miller has also been nominated for 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year, as well as 15s Player of the Year.
The winners will be crowned during the trophy presentation ceremony at the Women’s Rugby World Cup Final at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham, in front of what is set to be a record-breaking, sold-out crowd.
They will be honoured on the biggest stage of the women’s game, before a global audience on what promises to be a historic sporting occasion for women’s sport.
Since their inception in 2001, the World Rugby Awards have recognised and celebrated the achievements of those performing at the very highest level of the game, while also acknowledging excellence and dedication across development and administration, celebrating individuals who embody the true values of rugby.
Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year 2025
This award celebrates players who have made an outstanding impact in their debut international season and are set to shape the future of the game. Last year’s Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year was Erin King (Ireland) who made an immediate impact in the 15s game following her transition from sevens after the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
2025 NOMINEES
Braxton Sorensen-McGee (New Zealand)
The 18-year-old announced her arrival on the test stage with a bang, scoring twice in the New Zealand’s Pacific Four Series opener against Australia in May and hasn’t let up since with 12 tries in eight tests, including nine at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 comprising two hat-tricks. Described as “elusive” and “instinctive” by Black Ferns Director of Performance Allan Bunting, she’s comfortable at wing and full-back in a back three blessed with attacking prowess.
Jorja Miller (New Zealand)
Crowned Women’s SVNS Player of the Year in partnership with HSBC in May after another impressive season with the Black Ferns Sevens, Miller has made the switch to flanker in 15s with ease with five tries in six tests, including two doubles at RWC 2025. An explosive game-breaker and regarded by some as a “once in a generation talent”, she credits her highland dancing background for her agility and footwork.
Josifini Neihamu (Fiji)
Not the first member of her family to grace a Rugby World Cup – her brother Jone Naikabula played for Japan in 2023 – but Neihamu has left her own mark with two early tries in Fijiana’s historic victory over Wales in Exeter, the most by a player in a single tournament. The 21-year-old centre, often seen bursting through a defensive line, has seven tries in six tests, including a hat-trick on debut against Tonga in June