Canada captain Sophie de Goede is a nominee for World Rugby’s Women’s 15s Player of the Year award.
The 23-year-old from Victoria is up against New Zealand’s Ruahei Demant and Portia Woodman, England’s Alex Matthews and France’s Laure Sansus.
De Goede led Canada to fourth place at the recent Rugby World Cup in New Zealand where the Canadian women pushed top-ranked England to the limit before falling 26-19 in the semifinals. The Canadians then lost 36-0 to France in the third-place match.
De Goede, a powerful No. 8, led the tournament with 101 runs and ranked fifth in tackles with 65. She also served as Canada’s place-kicker, tying for fourth with nine conversions.
De Goede’s parents, Hans de Goede and Stephanie White, also captained Canada in rugby.
Woodman, who scored seven tries in New Zealand to up her all-time tournament tally to a record 20, won the award in 2017.
Canada’s Magali Harvey won in 2014.
The World Rugby Awards are scheduled for Sunday at Monaco’s Salle des Etoiles.
World Rugby Awards Nominees
World Rugby Women’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year
- Maud Muir, England; Vitalina Naikore, Fiji; Maiakawanakaulani Roos, New Zealand; Ruby Tui, New Zealand.
World Rugby Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year
- Henry Arundell, England; Ange Capuozzo, Italy; Mack Hansen, Ireland; Dan Sheehan, Ireland.
World Rugby Coach of the Year
- Andy Farrell, Ireland (men’s 15s); Fabien Galthie, France (men’s 15s); Simon Middleton, England (women’s 15s); Wayne Smith New Zealand (women’s 15s).
International Rugby Players Women’s Try of the Year
- Sylvia Brunt, New Zealand vs. Wales on Oct. 16; Emily Chancellor, Australia vs. England on Oct. 30; Abby Dow, England vs. Canada on Nov. 5; Linda Djougang, Ireland vs. Wales on March 26; Nomawethu Mabenge, South Africa vs. Spain on Aug. 12.
International Rugby Players Men’s Try of the Year
- Rodrigo Fernandez, Chile vs. U.S. on July 9; Lalakai Foketi, Australia vs. France on Nov. 5; Chris Harris, Scotland vs. Italy on March 12; Edoardo Padovani, Italy vs. Wales on March 19; Louis Rees-Zammit, Wales vs. South Africa on July 2.
World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year
- Charlotte Caslick, Australia; Maddison Levi, Australia; Amee Leigh Murphy Crowe, Ireland; Faith Nathan, Australia.
World Rugby Men’s Sevens Player of the Year
- Terry Kennedy, Ireland; Nick Malouf, Australia; Kaminieli Rasaku, Fiji; Corey Toole, Australia.
World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year
- Lukhanyo Am, South Africa; Antoine Dupont, France; Johnny Sexton, Ireland; Josh van der Flier, Ireland.
World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year
- Sophie de Goede, Canada; Ruahei Demant, New Zealand; Alex Matthews, England; Laure Sansus, France; Portia Woodman, New Zealand.
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The Canadian Press
