Best of the best.

World Rugby has announced the shortlists for the prestigious Men’s and Women’s 15s Player of the Year awards for 2019, which will be presented at the World Rugby Awards at The Prince Park Tower in Tokyo, Japan, on 3 November.

The nominees for World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year ar as follows: Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa), Tom Curry (England), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales), Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa), Ardie Savea (New Zealand) and Joe Taufete’e (USA).

The nominees for World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year are: Sarah Bern (England), Pauline Bourdon (France), Kendra Cocksedge (New Zealand), Katy Daley-Mclean (England) and Emily Scarratt (England).

The shortlists were selected by the star-studded World Rugby Awards panels.

The men’s panel comprises Rugby World Cup winners Richie McCaw, John Smit, George Gregan, Maggie Alphonsi and Melodie Robinson, alongside Fiona Coghlan, Brian O’Driscoll, Fabien Galthié, Agustín Pichot and Seilala Mapusua.

The women’s panel features Rugby World Cup winners Melodie Robinson and Danielle Waterman alongside World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Liza Burgess, Lynne Cantwell, Fiona Coghlan, Gaëlle Mignot, Jillion Potter, Karl Te Nana and journalist Stephen Jones.

International players have also had the opportunity to vote to determine the nominees of the prestigious awards