Kaipo Olsen-Baker named World Rugby Women's Player of the Year

New Zealand number eight Kaipo Olsen-Baker has been named World Rugby's Women's 15s Player of the Year for 2026. Her team-mate, flanker Elinor-Plum King, won the Breakthrough Player of the Year award. World Rugby announced both winners on 30 October.

Olsen-Baker is 24. A number eight plays at the back of the scrum, the tight block of forwards who contest for the ball. Her job is to pick it up and charge into contact. The Associated Press reported that she was cited for her powerful ball-carrying, her athleticism and her relentless work-rate, meaning the effort she puts in across the whole match.

She beat three other finalists: Canada's DaLeaka Menin, and England's Megan Jones and Zoe Harrison.

King is 22. A flanker is a loose forward who works out wide and near the breakdown, the contest for the ball on the ground after a tackle. She scored three Test tries, which are tries in international matches, in her first season wearing the black jersey of the Black Ferns. That was enough to earn the breakthrough prize, which goes to a player who has made a big impact for the first time.

The Black Ferns, New Zealand's women's team, had a strong year under head coach Whitney Hansen. They lost only one match, a 26-19 defeat to England in September. That was the one result that did not go their way.

The award has a recent history of winners from different teams. Canada lock Sophie de Goede won the previous year's prize, and England full-back Ellie Kildunne was the winner in 2024.

World Rugby said the pair were recognised for their outstanding performances across the 2026 international season. For Olsen-Baker, it adds to a year in which her name stood out in a competitive field. For King, it marks the start of what could be a long career with the national side.