Jac Morgan and Sisilia Tuipulotu have been handed Wales player-of-the-year awards by the Welsh Rugby Writers’ Association (WRWA).
Flanker Morgan, 23, battled back into the Wales side and was captain for the opening World Cup warm-up win against England.
Prop Tuipulotu, 19, was included on the Six Nations player of the year shortlist after helping Wales finish third.
The awards covered the 2022-23 season.
The men’s award is named after Lloyd Lewis and previous winners include Sir Gareth Edwards, Barry John, JPR Williams, Mervyn Davies, Phil Bennett, Terry Holmes, Jonathan Davies, Scott Gibbs, Ieuan Evans, Neil Jenkins, Rob Howley, Scott Quinnell, Gareth Thomas, Martyn Williams, Gethin Jenkins, Shane Williams, Sam Warburton, Leigh Halfpenny and Alun Wyn Jones. Lock Will Rowlands was last year’s winner.
The women’s award is named after former Wales captain Liza Burgess, with flanker Alisha Butchers winning the 2021-22 accolade.
Captain Morgan
Morgan made his debut against Scotland in February 2022 but was left out of the summer tour to South Africa later that season with then Wales coach Wayne Pivac stating he needed to work on his physicality.
The Ospreys flanker returned and was one of the leading lights in a struggling Wales side in the 2022-23 campaign, during which he scored two tries in both autumn international defeats against Georgia and Australia.
Morgan has scored four tries in 10 internationals and was handed the captaincy by Warren Gatland for the 20-9 win against England on Saturday.
He responded with a player-of-the-match performance and is the favourite to lead Wales into the World Cup in France next month.
“It’s a nice honour to have, I’m pretty chuffed with it,” said Morgan.
“It’s an illustrious group of past and current players who have won the award. It means a lot to have it.
“I’ve enjoyed the last season. Hopefully we can kick on from this into this season with everything that’s coming up.”
Teenage sensation
Tuipulotu was converted from lock to tighthead prop last year and made her Wales debut in Canada in August 2022.
The Gloucester-Hartpury forward has played 12 internationals for Wales, including the World Cup in New Zealand last year.
She starred for Ioan Cunningham’s side in the 2023 Six Nations tournament with big carries and strong scrummaging.
Tuipulotu scored four tries to help Wales to third place in the Six Nations with wins against Ireland, Scotland and Italy, with their exploits resulting in a rise to sixth in the world rankings.
“It means the world,” said Tuipulotu.
“This year has been a good one for me, especially in the rugby scene. I’ve transitioned to being a prop. It’s been a good one.
“A lot has happened but I’m grateful for everything that has so far.”
Wales’ rise in the world rankings means they have qualified for the top tier of World Rugby’s inaugural WXV tournament which starts in New Zealand in October and includes the leading six sides in the world.
“We’re going up against the best teams in the world, so it’s going to be a good one for us to know where we stand,” said Tuipulotu.
“Hopefully it will show where we need to improve.”