The Breakdown awards: best rugby matches, players and quotes of 2024
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The best and worst of the last 12 months and hopes for 2025 in our review of the year in rugby union. 1 Antoine Dupont (France, Toulouse, France sevens). 2 Eben Etzebeth (South Africa). 3 Pieter-Steph du Toit (SA), Ox Nché (SA), Wallace Sititi (New Zealand), Ellie Kildunne (England).
![[Robert Kitson]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2017/10/09/Robert-Kitson,-L.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
1 Rassie Erasmus (South Africa). 2 Joe Schmidt (Australia). 3 Franco Smith (Glasgow Warriors). 1 England 37-42 Australia – Twickenham (sorry, Allianz Stadium). 2 Bordeaux 41-42 Harlequins – Stade Chaban-Delmas. 3 Leinster 22-31 Toulouse – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; Bath 26-36 Bristol – Recreation Ground.
![[England’s Ellie Kildunne carries a rugby ball.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/530dbcec0129fa6a50c398017f236dc879491681/0_0_4726_3195/master/4726.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
1 Toulouse. 2 Bristol. 3 England women. 1 Ilona Maher (US). 2 Antoine Dupont. 3 Jack Willis (Toulouse). 1 Rugby Football Union. 2 Stuart Hogg. 3 Exeter Chiefs. The eight-year-old Stevie Mulrooney stole the show before Ireland’s 36-0 win over Italy in February with a splendid rendition of Ireland’s Call.
![[Matthis Lebel scores for Toulouse in their 2024 Champions Cup final win over Leinster.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/538c238d88448eba389cd884830f171447abb9cc/0_103_4247_2547/master/4247.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Rugby Journal. Ronan O’Gara (Irish Examiner). Tom Willis (Saracens), Cameron Hanekom (Bulls), Guy Pepper (Bath), Henry Pollock (Northampton), Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester), Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks). Sam Prendergast (Ireland), Tom Jordan (Scotland), Tom Rogers (Wales), Theo Dan (England).
![[England skills coach Andrew Strawbridge in training.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/c9992b5bc2399245e0c8c990f0d2a284cd8509ea/0_109_4966_2980/master/4966.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
Toulouse to win the Champions Cup, British & Irish Lions to beat Australia, England women to win the Rugby World Cup. Saracens. Gloucester-Hartpury. Sign up to The Breakdown. The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed. after newsletter promotion.
Leinster. Stephen Bale (rugby writer), Kevin Bowring (Wales), Alun Carter (Wales), Peter Crittle (Australia), Ronnie Dawson (Ireland), Connor Garden-Bachop (New Zealand), Sid Going (New Zealand), Derrick Grant (Scotland), Norm Hewitt (New Zealand), Barry John (Wales), Lewis Jones (Wales), Ken Macaulay (Scotland), Courtenay Meredith (Wales), Lucien Mias (France), Derek Morgan (England), Peter Morgan (Wales), Medhi Narjissi, (France U18), Tony O’Reilly (Ireland), John O’Shea (Wales), Shayne Philpott (New Zealand), Malcolm Price (Wales), Jack Rowell (Bath/England coach), Donald Scott (Scotland), Andrew Titheridge (commentator), Chris Wardlow (England), JPR Williams (Wales), Tom Voyce (England).
