All Black and Black Fern forwards dominate award finalists

Three All Black forwards and three Black Ferns forwards are up for the top honours at the New Zealand Rugby Awards.

Prop Tyrel Lomax, lock Tupou Vaa'i and loose forward Wallace Sititi are the finalists for All Blacks Player of the Year and front rower Georgia Ponsonby, loosie Alana Bremner and number eight

Kaipo Olsen-Baker are the finalists for Black Ferns Player of the Year.

Lomax is also in the running for the Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year, while Olsen-Baker is also up for Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year.

Sititi was this week named World Rugby's Breakthrough Player of the Year.

Three members of the Olympic gold medal winning Black Ferns Sevens side, Jorja Miller, Risi Pouri-Lane and Michaela Blyde are contenders for women's Sevens Player of the Year.

The Blues men and women are both recognised after their success in 2024 with Hoskins Sotutu, Harry Plummer and Katelyn Vahaakolo in contention.

The Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year will be awarded to one of the winners of the major Player of the Year categories.

The Coach of the Year and Team of the Year will be announced on the night, with all teams in black and their respective coaches eligible.

The awards evening is on 12 December.

Rugby award nominees are:

New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year

Ben O'Keeffe

Maggie Cogger-Orr

James Doleman

Super Rugby Pacific Player of the Year

Hoskins Sotutu (Blues)

Damian McKenzie (Chiefs)

Harry Plummer (Blues)

Billy Proctor (Hurricanes)

Super Rugby Aupiki Player of the Year

Katelyn Vahaakolo (Blues)

Layla Sae (Hurricanes Poua)

Kaipo Olsen-Baker (Matatū)

Kennedy Tukuafu (Chiefs Manawa)

Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year

Risi Pouri-Lane (Ngāti Kuia, Ngāti Koata, Ngāi Tahu)

Tamaiti Williams (Ngāpuhi)

Tyrel Lomax (Ngai Tuhoe, Muaupoko)

Katelyn Vahaakolo (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Maniapoto)

Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year

Fehi Fineanganofo

Tepaea Cook-Savage

Dylan Collier

Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year

Jorja Miller

Risi Pouri-Lane

Michaela Blyde

Black Ferns Player of the Year

Georgia Ponsonby

Alana Bremner

Kaipo Olsen-Baker

All Blacks Player of the Year

Tyrel Lomax

Tupou Vaa'i

Wallace Sititi