IRB Player of the Year: Shane Williams (Wales)
Shane Williams on what it feels like to be named IRB Player of the Year:
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"It's quite mad to be honest. It's been a hell of a year and this has just capped it off really. It's the biggest honour you can get as an individual in rugby and it's totally overwhelming.
"It's nice to be recognised and to be recognised alongside the likes of Bryan Habana, Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and I could go on. It's just very humbling indeed."
On being the first Welshman to win the award:
"We all know how much the Welsh love their rugby so hopefully this is a bit of good news for them as well after losing to New Zealand yesterday."
On the highlights of the year:
"Winning the Grand Slam and breaking Gareth Thomas' try-scoring record in the game against France for the Grand Slam was probably one of the highlights, but there were so many, it's just been like a fairytale this year."
IRB Team of the Year: New Zealand
Richie McCaw gives his reaction to New Zealand being named IRB Team of the Year:
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"We had to rebuild the team, but there is still a core group of guys that have been around and played a lot of tests. We perhaps didn't have as many as we did the previous year, but we had a number there and the new fellas coming in brought excitement.
"You just don't accept you are going to have an off year because of that, we want to keep our standards as high as possible. I think after the disappointments of last year, especially for the guys involved, we just wanted to get back out there and show what we can do and I think to some degree this year we have been able to do that."
IRB Coach of the Year: Graham Henry (New Zealand)
Graham Henry reflects on a successful year:
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"It's been very satisfying. There have been 15 or so players who left us after the Rugby World Cup to play in this part of the world so it's great to have a team that's relatively young and inexperienced come through and do the business."
"But there are still a number of players like Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Mils Muliaina, Keven Mealamu Rodney So'oialo, who have been around for quite some time and that's very helpful.
"I think you're always trying to get better every year. The game changes and you have to improve as a team and improve in the way you present ideas to the players."
IRB Sevens Player of the Year: DJ Forbes (New Zealand)
DJ Forbes gives his reaction after being named IRB Sevens Player of the Year:
"Being nominated last year and missing out, to get it this year is definitely a proud moment, but a lot of credit goes to the boys and the accomplishment we got last year was the 47 wins in a row and I think that was a big thing that might have swung the panel my way.
"I think trying to better what we did last year is definitely going to be a hard thing, winning all those tournaments and all those wins in a row is something to be proud of, but we can't rest on that and we will be starting from scratch now."
IRPA Special Merit Award: Agustin Pichot
Agustín Pichot gives his reaction after being awarded the IRPA Special Merit Award:
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"I feel honoured to have this prize because it comes from the players and also from the IRB.
"Nothing will bring you back what you've done on the pitch. Maybe I did something right and to receive this award is very special. It's not just for me, it's for Argentinian rugby and anyone who played with me or against me.
"Rugby has been everything for me. It has been the guidelines to the values of my life. Solidatirty, friendship, giving 100%, being honest. Rugby is my way of life."
IRB Hall of Fame inductees: the 1888 Natives Team of New Zealand and their captain Joe Warbrick, Melrose Club and Ned Haig, British Lions legend Dr Jack Kyle, Argentina great Hugo Porta and France’s record breaker Philippe Sella
Philippe Sella on his feelings at being inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame:
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“For me the emotion is very strong at the moment. I would never have thought that something like this could happen when I started to play rugby.
“For me it was just to play with a rugby ball and to share than rugby ball with team mates, no more.
“After I looked a bit ahead and I saw a few games from my club, and then the national team, I saw some great players and wished I could be like them.
“For me that dream became a reality a few years later, but I always retained the passion from my early days and that was the key.”
