Rugby Sevens: The Impact Players

The 2016-17 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series is just weeks away and the Rugby world is bursting with excitement. As we prepare to celebrate another season of the DHL Impact Player Award, let’s take a look back at our 2015-16 heroes.

Ten rounds of thrilling action made for the 2015-16 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series the most impactful and unforgettable yet. Nine individual players won Impact Player honors, with France’s Virimi Vakatawa, Fiji’s Kitione Taliga and New Zealand’s Rieko Ioane each with double the bragging rights (two players split the award in Singapore and London). Fiji’s Jasa Veremalua was crowned the overall DHL Impact Player of the Series.  

In the run up to the 2016-17 Series, we're taking a look back - round by round - at the Impact Players of the 2015-16 Series. Here you go:

Dubai: Virimi Vakatawa

France's Virimi Vakatawa returned to the French Sevens side at the HSBC Dubai Sevens in fine form and with immediate impact. With 7 offloads, 10 tackles, 19 carries, and 5 line breaks, the powerful Frenchman had a hand in all things good in the French game as he and his team lifted the Bowl on day two of the opening round of the 2015-16 Series. That performance won him the first-ever DHL Impact Player Award.

Cape Town: Lee Jones

Scotland’s Lee Jones played some sensational rugby at the HSBC Cape Town Sevens to become DHL’s second Impact Player. Known for his pace, instinct and strength in the contact, Jones demonstrated all of these qualities in Cape Town. With 15 tackles, 7 line breaks, 4 offloads and 15 carries, the Scottish winger led his team to a dominating 19-0 win over England to take the Bowl victory.

Wellington: Rosko Specman

South Africa’s Rosko Specman packed a powerful performance to win the DHL Impact Player Award of the HSBC Wellington Sevens. A truly world-class sevens player, Specman’s speed and natural talent played an integral part in helping his team reach the final. Over the two-day Tournament, he tallied up 17 tackles, 7 line breaks, 6 offloads and 27 carries on the way to South Africa’s second Cup final appearance. The Blitzboks nearly raised the Cup in that last-minute thriller.

Sydney: Rieko Ioane

New Zealand’s Rieko Ioane was named DHL Impact Player of the HSBC Sydney Sevens after notching up one of the best performances of his young international career. Looking like a veteran, the 18-year-old made 21 tackles, 9 line breaks, 4 offloads and 20 carries for 54 total points. Though considered better in attack, it was his defensive prowess that shined – his titanic tackle total was second only to South Africa's Seabelo Senatla. The icing on his performance cake was seven tries, including the winning score against Australia in the final.

Vancouver: Kitione Taliga

Fiji's youngster and rising star Kitione Taliga ran wild at the HSBC Canada Sevens to win the DHL Impact Player. The 22-year-old prison officer made 13 tackles, 9 line breaks, 5 offloads and 26 carries to top the DHL Performance Tracker in Vancouver. Those were impressive numbers for the relative newcomer, who had donned his nation’s jersey for the first time less than a year before. Since that debut, Taliga has certainly made a mark on Fiji sevens rugby.

Hong Kong: Semi Kunatani

Another flying Fijian star fired off impressive stats at the HSBC Hong Kong Sevens to win the DHL Impact Player of the tournament. Forward, Semi Kunatani’s stats were the best of any player, with 10 tackles, 7 line breaks, 11 offloads and 22 carries. He also went over for 5 tries, showing us all his proficiency in the attack. That impressive performance helped lift his team to an extraordinary and memorable victory in Hong Kong that once again showed the world that Fiji sevens was setting new standards in the game.

Singapore: Oscar Ayodi & Kitione Taliga

Kenya’s Oscar Ayodi and Fiji’s Kitione Taliga split the DHL Impact Player for the first time on the 2015-16 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series as the two stars clocked up some huge stats in Singapore. Two peak performances scored them each 40 points. Ayodi had 10 tackles, 4 line breaks, 3 offloads and 23 carries, while Taliga scored 7 tackles, 6 line breaks, 8 offloads and 19 carries. In a fitting end to the sensational weekend, the two faced off in the Cup Final after remarkable semi-final victories.

Paris: Virimi Vakatawa

France's Virimi Vakatawa picked up his second DHL Impact Player award after a showcase performance at the HSBC Paris Sevens. In front of a vocal home crowd, Vakatawa put on a display of his textbook stepping and offloading game, causing defenses all kinds of problems and leading to six tries. The Frenchman’s stats reinforce the offensive powerhouse we see time and again on the pitch. With 8 tackles, 7 line breaks and 10 offloads, his 28 carries were proof he was France’s most potent attacking weapon.

London: Rieko Ioane & Damien Hoyland

For the second time in the 2015-16 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, the DHL Impact Player was shared as New Zealand's Rieko Ioane and Scotland's Damien Hoyland both split the spoils at the HSBC London Sevens. Iaone had been an offensive threat all season, and his carrying game was key to topping the DHL Performance Tracker, with 24 carries in total alongside 10 tackles, 14 line breaks, and 3 offloads. Scotland secured a historic Cup win after beating South Africa 27-26 and Damien Hoyland was key to that victory. The 22-year-old made 11 tackles, 5 line breaks, 9 offloads and 26 carries to ensured his side raised the Cup for the first time ever.

2015-16 DHL Impact Player: Jasa Veremalua

Fiji’s Jasa Veremalua was crowned the DHL Impact Player of the Series at the final tournament in London. The 27-year-old was a key player for Fiji all season, racking up some huge statistics and contributing significantly to their overall series win. Out of the top seven players, Veremalua had the most offloads by far, with 69 in total. In addition, he also made 135 carries, 116 tackles and 40 line breaks, showing his true class as an all-round sevens player.

Though by far not the only players whose performances impact a match or even tournament – and certainly not a Series – the DHL Impact Players certainly make great things happen on the pitch. They are a joy to watch and a pleasure to honor.

Keep following the Impact Player story: #DHLImpactPlayer, @DHLRugby and Facebook.

Five things you need to know about the DHL Impact Player Award

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