Rugby Union · Players' Player
Rugby Union Players' Player Award
The rugby union players' player award is the one most players quietly want. It is chosen by the squad, not the coaches, so it reflects who the team trusted on a wet Saturday away from home. Getting the vote right matters as much as the award itself, so this page looks at how to run the ballot, who should take part and how to word the finished piece.
A few ways to make it yours
The designer
Design yours
Upload your club crest, type up to four lines and see it on the glass.
Simple pricing
End of season award prices: £8.99 small · £13.99 large
Mix sizes and designs freely. One delivery charge per order.
Minimum 5 awards. Delivery £10.00 per order.
Rugby union end of season awards: why the squad's vote carries weight
Coaches see a lot, but players see more. They know who turned up to every training session in January, who made the tackle that never showed on the scoreboard, and who held the changing room together during a losing run.
That is why the players' player is so often the highest honour on a team's list, and many winners value it above the coaches' player of the season. Treat it as the headline team award and present it last.
Running a fair ballot
Decide who can vote. Many clubs limit it to players who made a set number of appearances, so a one-off call-up does not swing the result. Players usually cannot vote for themselves, and some clubs ask for a first, second and third choice with points attached.
Paper slips at the last training session still work well, collected by the captain or team secretary. A private message to the team manager does the same job for squads that are hard to get together. Keep the count with one trusted person and do not reveal the margin.
For junior sides, a coach usually supervises the count, and it helps to remind players beforehand that the vote is about the whole season, not just the last match they remember.
Wording the players' player award
The full title, PLAYERS' PLAYER OF THE SEASON, is long for a single line. Most clubs print PLAYERS' PLAYER on line one and put the season, such as 2025/26, on line four. That keeps the text large enough to read across a room.
Mind the apostrophe: players' player, with it after the s, because the award comes from all the players. For junior sides, add the age group on line four, for example U16 2025/26, so the award still makes sense when it sits on a shelf at home years later.
Choosing the size and ordering
Because it is usually the top award for each team, many clubs choose the Large portrait block at £13.99 for the 1st XV players' player and Small at £8.99 for the other sides. Others keep every team's players' player the same size so no side feels second best.
Either approach works in one order. Upload the crest once, then add each team's winner using the same crest. Minimum order is five, which a club with two or three teams reaches easily once the other end-of-season awards are included.
Good to know
Questions
Can players vote for themselves?
That is up to your club, but most say no. Asking for a first, second and third choice, scored three, two and one, spreads the vote and stops a tight result being decided by one ballot. Agree the rules before the slips go out.
Is it players' player or player's player?
Players' player, with the apostrophe after the s, because the award is chosen by all the players. That is how we suggest printing it, and it is how the title appears in our quick-fill list for line one.
What if two players tie in the vote?
Some clubs use the captain's casting vote and others simply give two awards. As every line is your own text, ordering a second award with the same title and a different name is straightforward, and the crest does not need uploading again.
How much does delivery cost?
Delivery is a flat £10.00 per order, whatever the quantity. Awards are £8.99 for Small and £13.99 for Large, with a minimum of five, and you pay by card at checkout.
Keep exploring
Related awards
Club secretaries
Ordering for the whole club?
Finish one design, then reuse the same crest with a new name. Or paste a list of names and add every award in one go. Whatever the number of awards, there is one delivery charge per order.
Ordering for a club