Rugby
Blyde and Douglas named 2017-18 DHL Impact Player Award winners
Key Takeaways
- DHL awarded 16 winners from 9 different nations
- Top try scorer Blyde made 20 offloads and 58 tackles
- Douglas racked up a huge score of 386 and made the top 10 in every category
Wrapping up a fantastic 2017-18 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series comprising 5 women’s and 10 men’s tournaments, Canada’s Justin Douglas and New Zealand’s Michaela Blyde were crowned DHL Impact Player Award winners at the Series Awards in Paris.
The DHL Impact Player award recognises the individual efforts players make to support their team with carries, tackles, line breaks and offloads. It’s not just the try scorers, but the try makers that are celebrated.
Winning her second IPA award in succession, Blyde not only finished the season as the top try scorer on the women’s series but also made 20 offloads, and 58 tackles.
This year, DHL awarded 16 winners from 9 different nations in one of the most hotly contested awards to date.
Blyde back on top
Winning her second IPA award in succession, Blyde not only finished the season as the top try scorer on the women’s series but also made 20 offloads, and 58 tackles. And, as if that were not enough, also managed to pull off 107 carries – 44 of which resulted in line breaks and an astonishing 41% line break success rate.
Blyde’s achievement, which saw her amass 229 points over the five tournaments, is even more impressive considering she didn’t win a single IPA award during the Series.
A go-to carrier for her side, Nakamura scored 101 carries and with 41 was among the leading contenders for offloads.
Despite leading the table for much of the series, Japan’s Chiharu Nakamura finished 2nd overall on 221 points. A go-to carrier for her side, Nakamura scored 101 carries and with 41 was among the leading contenders for offloads.
Elsewhere in the top ten were Camile Grassineau (3rd) who won in Langford and Alena Mikhaltsova (5th) who won Dubai and Kitakyushu.
Ferocious in attack and defence and very fast on his feet, Douglas made 192 carries, 108 tackles, 31 offloads and 55 breaks.
Douglas scores big
An incredible all-rounder who played in every tournament, Douglas racked up a huge score of 386 and made the top 10 in every category – an outstanding achievement by any measure. Much of this was down to his outstanding work rate in all sectors of the award. Ferocious in attack and defence and very fast on his feet, Douglas made 192 carries, 108 tackles, 31 offloads and 55 breaks.
Just a few points off Douglas was Australia’s Ben O’Donnell who finished 2nd on a total of 380 points. The Aussie star made his Series debut this season. Impressive from the start, BOD as he’s affectionately known burst onto the scene, winning two IPA Awards and coming out top carrier on 200 points – not to mention his 48 breaks and 27 offloads.
Also high on the points table were Amenoni Nasilasila, who topped the tackle count with 150, and USA playmaker Martin Losefo who bagged the biggest offload score with 50 points.
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