Following Dan Carter’s decision to retire from international rugby, the World Rugby Player of the Year trophy will be handed over to a new player in 2016. 

With Carter and fellow retiree Richie McCaw both three-time recipients of the highest individual accolade in the game, and fellow All Blacks Kieran Reid and Brodie Retallick among recent winners, world champions New Zealand have dominated the award in the last decade.

Wales’ record try-scorer Shane Williams (2008) and France legend Thierry Dusautoir (2011) are the only northern hemisphere players to have been voted the world’s best since Jonny Wilkinson took the crown in 2003 after helping England lift the Webb Ellis Cup in Australia.

However, Europe’s finest get an early chance to impress the World Rugby Player of the Year panel, convened by former Rugby World Cup-winning captain John Eales, as they bid to break the southern hemisphere stranglehold, when the RBS 6 Nations gets underway this weekend.

Wales’ imposing second-row Alun Wyn Jones and Greig Laidlaw of Scotland earned Player of the Year nominations in 2015, and are likely to be in the thick of the action again, while their team-mates and players from England, France, Ireland and Italy will be equally determined to impress.

“The Six Nations sets the theme for international rugby each year. It’s our first chance to judge the form of the teams and importantly the players,” said Eales.

“Scotland and Wales’ narrow losses to Australia and South Africa in the World Cup quarter-finals showed there is very little difference between the top teams in world rugby and everyone is keen to see the impact that Eddie Jones has on England. 

“It seems an age since the All Blacks defended their crown, I am very excited at the prospect of what the next four years might unveil.” 

Past World Rugby Player of the Year winners:

2015 Daniel Carter (New Zealand)
2014 Brodie Retallick (New Zealand)
2013 Kieran Read (New Zealand)
2012 Daniel Carter (New Zealand)
2011Thierry Dusautoir (France)
2010 Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
2009 Richie McCaw (New Zealand)
2008 Shane Williams (Wales) 
2007 Bryan Habana (South Africa) 
2006 Richie McCaw (New Zealand) 
2005 Daniel Carter (New Zealand)
2004 Schalk Burger (South Africa)
2003 Jonny Wilkinson (England)
2002 Fabien Galthié (France) 
2001 Keith Wood (Ireland)
 
Voting procedures

Two panel members are assigned to vote on every international match in 2016, awarding three points for the person who played the best in their eyes and then two points and one point. Points are collated and the panel convene to determine a shortlist based on points and form and then vote to determine a winner. 

The panel combines Rugby World Cup winners such as Eales, Francois Pienaar and Will Greenwood alongside other former players in Scott Quinnell, Paul Wallace, Raphaël Ibañez, Chris Paterson, Tana Umaga and Agustin Pichot and media representatives from both the northern and southern hemispheres.