Seven All Blacks have been named by their peers in the inaugural International Rugby Players Association (IRPA) World XV for 2013.
New Zealand No.8 Kieran Read was named Player of the Year, adding to the equivalent International Rugby Board honour bestowed on him this week, while Wallabies fullback Israel Folau was named Newcomer of the Year.
“There’s no greater honour than to be recognised by the people you play against,” Read said. “Rugby’s a tough game. On the field there’s no quarter given or expected. So for your opponents to single you out for this sort of attention means an awful lot.”
Ben Smith, Conrad Smith, Aaron Cruden, Aaron Smith, Liam Messam and Sam Whitelock were the other All Blacks players included in the team.
Four players from Six Nations champions Wales were selected, along with two South Africans and one player each from France and England.
IRPA Award Winners
Player of the Year: Kieran Read (NZ)
Newcomer of the Year: Israel Folau (Australia)
Team of the Year: New Zealand
World XV: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales); Ben Smith (NZ), Conrad Smith (NZ), Wesley Fofana (France), George North (Wales); Aaron Cruden (NZ), Aaron Smith (NZ); Kieran Read (NZ), Sam Warburton (Wales), Liam Messam (NZ); Sam Whitelock (NZ), Eben Etzebeth (South Africa); Adam Jones (Wales), Bismarck de Plessis (South Africa), Alex Corbisiero (England)
