LONDON - Fly-half Beauden Barrett led a hat-trick of titles for world champions New Zealand at the World Rugby awards on Sunday as he collected Player of the Year. New Zealand's Beauden Barrett, pictured scoring on Oct 8, 2016, is named World Rugby's Player of the Year. Australia's success in the women's sevens tournament at the Olympics -- after the sport made an eye-catching return to the quadrennial sporting extravaganza -- earned reward for Charlotte Caslick, who was named World Rugby Women's Sevens Player of the Year. World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont -- who replaced Frenchman Beranrd Lapasset after the Frenchman retired from the post this year -- said it had been a memorable year for the sport. "I would like to congratulate all our winners and nominees this evening and look forward to what promises to be a very special 2017 with the Women's Rugby World Cup, the men's and women's sevens series and the British & Irish Lions tour."

Source: Bangkok Post November 13, 2016 23:46 UTC