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IRL Golden Boot Award

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The IRL Golden Boot Award (previously Open Rugby Golden Boot Award and Rugby League World Golden Boot Award)[1] is an annual rugby league award, presented by the International Rugby League (IRL), awarded to the best player of the calendar year. There are categories for men's, women's, and wheelchair players.

The IRL purchased the rights to the award from League Publications Ltd. in 2017, who in turn purchased it from its original awarders Open Rugby in 1998 who started the award in 1984.[1]

Upon purchase IRL introduced a women's category starting in 2018,[2] with the wheelchair category coming a year later.

History

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The award was founded in early 1985 by the British magazine Open Rugby. It was first awarded to Wally Lewis for his performances throughout 1984.

No award was made between 1990 and 1998 due to organisational difficulties.

League Publications Ltd bought the rights to the award in 1999 and began awarding the Golden Boot on the same year it was assessed.

Andrew Johns collected the award in 1999 and again in 2001, becoming the first player to win it twice. Darren Lockyer repeated that feat, winning in 2003 and 2006 becoming the first player to win twice while playing in different positions.

In 2011, Rugby League World magazine began to award retrospective Golden Boots to fill in "the missing years" of 1990 to 1998, starting with Garry Schofield who was adjudged to have won the 1990 Golden Boot.

No further Golden Boots were retrospectively awarded as sponsors Adidas withdrew their backing.

The International Rugby League purchased the rights to award the Golden Boot in 2017.[1]

Winners - Men

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Year Nat. Player Club(s) Position Ref.
Open Rugby Golden Boot
1984 Australia Wally Lewis Wynnum-Manly Seagulls
Wakefield Trinity		 Five-eighth/Stand-off
1985 Australia Brett Kenny Parramatta Eels Five-eighth
1986 Australia Garry Jack Balmain Tigers Fullback
1987[i] New Zealand Hugh McGahan Eastern Suburbs Roosters Second-row
Australia Peter Sterling Parramatta Eels Halfback
1988 England Ellery Hanley Wigan
Balmain Tigers		 Five-eighth/Stand-off
1989 Australia Mal Meninga Canberra Raiders Centre
1990[ii] England Garry Schofield Leeds Five-eighth/Stand-off
1991–98 No award given
Rugby League World Golden Boot
1999 Australia Andrew Johns Newcastle Knights Halfback
2000 Australia Brad Fittler Sydney Roosters Five-eighth
2001 Australia Andrew Johns (2) Newcastle Knights Halfback
2002 New Zealand Stacey Jones New Zealand Warriors Halfback
2003 Australia Darren Lockyer Brisbane Broncos Fullback
2004 England Andy Farrell Wigan Warriors Loose forward
2005 Australia Anthony Minichiello Sydney Roosters Fullback
2006 Australia Darren Lockyer (2) Brisbane Broncos Five-eighth
2007 Australia Cameron Smith Melbourne Storm Hooker
2008 Australia Billy Slater Melbourne Storm Fullback
2009 Australia Greg Inglis Melbourne Storm Centre
2010 New Zealand Benji Marshall Wests Tigers Five-eighth
2011 Australia Johnathan Thurston North Queensland Cowboys Halfback
2012 England Kevin Sinfield Leeds Rhinos Five-eighth
2013 Australia Johnathan Thurston (2) North Queensland Cowboys Five-eighth
2014 New Zealand Shaun Johnson New Zealand Warriors Halfback
2015 Australia Johnathan Thurston (3) North Queensland Cowboys Halfback
2016 Australia Cooper Cronk Melbourne Storm Halfback
2017 Australia Cameron Smith (2) Melbourne Storm Hooker
IRL Golden Boot
2018 England Tommy Makinson St Helens Wing [3]
2019 New Zealand Roger Tuivasa-Sheck New Zealand Warriors Fullback [4][5]
2020–21 No award given due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022 New Zealand Joseph Manu Sydney Roosters Fullback [6]
2023 New Zealand James Fisher-Harris Penrith Panthers Prop [7][8][9]
Additional references:[1]
Notes:
  1. ^ The 1987 Golden Boot was shared by two winners
  2. ^ Retrospective award made in 2011

By nationality

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Wins Nationality
19 Australia Australia
7 New Zealand New Zealand
5 England England

By position

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Wins Position
9 Five-eighth/Stand-off
8 Halfback/Scrum-half
5 Fullback
2 Centre
Hooker
1 Lock/Loose forward
Prop
Second-row
Wing

By club

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NOTE: Clubs shared the award in 1984, 1985 and 1988

Wins Club Years
5 Australia Melbourne Storm 2007, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017
4 Australia Sydney Roosters 1987, 2000, 2005, 2022
3 New Zealand New Zealand Warriors 2002, 2014, 2019
Australia North Queensland Cowboys 2011, 2013, 2015
England Wigan Warriors 1985, 1988, 2004
2 Australia Balmain Tigers 1986, 1988
Australia Brisbane Broncos 2003, 2006
England Leeds Rhinos 1990, 2012
Australia Newcastle Knights 1999, 2001
Australia Parramatta Eels 1985, 1987
1 Australia Canberra Raiders 1989
Australia Penrith Panthers 2023
England St Helens 2018
England Wakefield Trinity 1984
Australia Wests Tigers 2010
Australia Wynnum Manly Seagulls 1984

Multiple winners

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Number Player Years Nationality
3 Johnathan Thurston 2011, 2013, 2015 Australia
2 Andrew Johns 1999, 2001 Australia
Darren Lockyer 2003, 2006 Australia
Cameron Smith 2007, 2017 Australia

Winners - Women

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Year Nat. Player Club(s) Position Ref.
2018 Australia Isabelle Kelly Sydney Roosters Centre [3]
2019 Australia Jessica Sergis St. George Illawarra Dragons Centre [4][5]
2020–21 No award given due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022 New Zealand Raecene McGregor Sydney Roosters Halfback [6]
2023 New Zealand Georgia Hale Gold Coast Titans Lock [7][8]
Additional references:[1][9]

By nationality

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Wins Nationality
2 Australia Australia
New Zealand New Zealand

By position

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Wins Position
2 Centre
1 Halfback
Lock

By club

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Wins Club Years
2 Australia Sydney Roosters 2018, 2022
1 Australia Gold Coast Titans 2023
Australia St. George Illawarra Dragons 2019

Winners - Wheelchair

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Year Nat. Player Club(s) Ref.
2019 England Jack Brown Halifax [4][5]
2020–21 No award given due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022 England Seb Bechara Catalans Dragons [6]
2023 France Jérémy Bourson Catalans Dragons [7][8]
Additional references:[1][9]

By nationality

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Wins Nationality
2 England England
1 France France

By club

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Wins Club Years
2 France Catalans Dragons 2022, 2023
1 England Halifax 2019

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "International Rugby League Golden Boot Awards". Rugby League International Federation. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
  2. ^ "RLIF to present 2018 Golden Boot for both male and female players". RLIF. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 22 October 2018.
  3. ^ a b "England's Makinson wins Golden Boot". 7 November 2018.
  4. ^ a b c "Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Jessica Sergis win 2019 Golden Boot". 17 November 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Tuivasa-Sheck wins 2019 Golden Boot". 17 November 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "Seb Bechara and Jack Brown have been shortlisted for the 2022 IRL Golden Boot award".
  7. ^ a b c "Golden Boot: England internationals Harry Smith and Lewis King make men's and wheelchair shortlists".
  8. ^ a b c "2023 IRL Golden Boot winners announced".
  9. ^ a b c "Fisher-Harris, Hale and Bourson named 2023 Golden Boot winners". National Rugby League. 6 December 2023.
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