Jack Willis has just outshined everyone in the Top 14, scooping up the Player of the Season award for 2024-25, and dethroning none other than his Toulouse teammate, the legendary Antoine Dupont. The English back-rower, whose career took a detour from the Premiership to France, has been nothing short of spectacular, helping Toulouse clinch their 24th title and stepping up massively when Dupont was sidelined.
In the final that sealed the deal, Willis didn’t just play; he owned the field with two tries, overshadowing even Thomas Ramos, who himself had a stellar 24-point game. The competition was stiff with Bayonne's Sireli Maqala also in the running, but Willis clinched the award at a glitzy do at Paris's L’Olympia theatre.
"I’ve been lucky to win tonight but I think a lot of people in the team could have won it,”
Willis humbly remarked at the ceremony. It’s that team-first attitude that perhaps marks his true value to Toulouse. “I voted for Thomas, but Thomas voted for Matthieu Jalibert,” Willis added, sharing a light moment and showcasing the camaraderie within the squad.
Willis’s journey to Toulouse began in 2022 after financial turmoil hit Wasps back in England. The shift not only relocated him geographically but also put an end to his appearances for England, given the national team's selection criteria. Yet, Willis has no qualms about his move. “It wasn’t easy when I arrived – Wasps had no money, it went quick," he recounted, grateful for the chance Toulouse gave him. "Now three years later, it hasn’t turned out too bad,” he reflected, clearly an understatement given his recent accolade.
Elsewhere, Bordeaux-Begles sensation Louis Bielle-Biarrey took home the France International Player of the Season after a jaw-dropping series of performances in the Six Nations, netting 12 tries in just eight Tests. “I don’t put that much importance on scoring tries and statistics,” Bielle-Biarrey said, emphasizing the broader aspects of his game.
The evening was also a celebration of breakthrough and enduring talents across French rugby, with Toulon’s Gaël Dréan named Breakthrough Player and Montauban's Jérôme Bosviel taking the Pro D2 Player of the Season. The women's game shone brightly too, with Téani Feleu of France Women’s team bagging the Women’s Player of the Season after their impressive World Cup semi-final run. “We’re finally seeing a change,” Feleu noted, hopeful of the positive momentum in women’s rugby.
As the curtains fell on another chapter of French rugby's glittering saga, the night was a testament to the game's growing diversity and the sheer talent percolating through its ranks.
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Jack Willis has just outshined everyone in the Top 14, scooping up the Player of the Season award for 2024-25, and dethroning none other than his Toulouse teammate, the legendary Antoine Dupont. The English back-rower, whose career took a detour from the Premiership to France, has been nothing short of spectacular, helping Toulouse clinch their 24th title and stepping up massively when Dupont was sidelined.
In the final that sealed the deal, Willis didn’t just play; he owned the field with two tries, overshadowing even Thomas Ramos, who himself had a stellar 24-point game. The competition was stiff with Bayonne's Sireli Maqala also in the running, but Willis clinched the award at a glitzy do at Paris's L’Olympia theatre.
"I’ve been lucky to win tonight but I think a lot of people in the team could have won it,”
Willis humbly remarked at the ceremony. It’s that team-first attitude that perhaps marks his true value to Toulouse. “I voted for Thomas, but Thomas voted for Matthieu Jalibert,” Willis added, sharing a light moment and showcasing the camaraderie within the squad.
Willis’s journey to Toulouse began in 2022 after financial turmoil hit Wasps back in England. The shift not only relocated him geographically but also put an end to his appearances for England, given the national team's selection criteria. Yet, Willis has no qualms about his move. “It wasn’t easy when I arrived – Wasps had no money, it went quick," he recounted, grateful for the chance Toulouse gave him. "Now three years later, it hasn’t turned out too bad,” he reflected, clearly an understatement given his recent accolade.
Elsewhere, Bordeaux-Begles sensation Louis Bielle-Biarrey took home the France International Player of the Season after a jaw-dropping series of performances in the Six Nations, netting 12 tries in just eight Tests. “I don’t put that much importance on scoring tries and statistics,” Bielle-Biarrey said, emphasizing the broader aspects of his game.
The evening was also a celebration of breakthrough and enduring talents across French rugby, with Toulon’s Gaël Dréan named Breakthrough Player and Montauban's Jérôme Bosviel taking the Pro D2 Player of the Season. The women's game shone brightly too, with Téani Feleu of France Women’s team bagging the Women’s Player of the Season after their impressive World Cup semi-final run. “We’re finally seeing a change,” Feleu noted, hopeful of the positive momentum in women’s rugby.
As the curtains fell on another chapter of French rugby's glittering saga, the night was a testament to the game's growing diversity and the sheer talent percolating through its ranks.