[Photo: IRISHRUGBY.IE]

Terry Kennedy of the Ireland 7s team is the first from his country to receive the World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year award.

Kennedy scored 50 tries in the Series and earned a place in the Dream Teams for both the Series and Rugby World Cup Sevens 2022.

Former Fiji 7s rover Kaminieli Rasaku missed out on the award, alongside Australia’s Nick Malouf and Corey Toole.

Australia women’s 7s star Charlotte Caslick was given World Rugby’s Women’s Sevens Player of the Year award.

Ireland’s Josh van der Flier and New Zealand’s Ruahei Demant have been named World Rugby Men’s and Women’s 15s Player of the Year .

Van der Flier is the third Irish men to win the World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year.

Keith Wood won it in 2001 and Johnny Sexton in 2018.

New Zealand co-captain Demant was at the heart of the Black Ferns journey to Rugby World Cup 2021 winners on home soil.

Teammate Ruby Tui was awarded the Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year, winning it ahead of Maud Muir of England, Fiji’s Vitalina Naikore and Maiakawanakaulani Roos of New Zealand.