France full-back Jessy Tremouliere has been crowned World Rugby’s Player of the Decade, after topping a worldwide vote for her numerous classy performances for Les Bleues.
The ASV Romagnat star has been a standout performer for her country thanks to her boundless energy and tenacious attitude on the field, and the 28-year-old was duly rewarded for her performances at Monday’s World Rugby Awards Special Edition.
Tremouliere saw off fierce competition to take the coveted prize, with New Zealand’s Portia Woodman and England fly-half Emily Scarratt also in the running, as she added to her 2018 World Rugby Women’s 15s Player of the Year award.
The full-back has been influential for France since bursting on the scene earlier at the start of the decade and had helped her country to successive third-placed finishes at the 2014 and 2017 Women’s World Cups.
Her performances in the Women’s Six Nations have always been a joy to behold, and after featuring in France’s Grand Slam victory of 2014, she took centre stage when they repeated the feat four years later in 2018.
With five tries to her name in that tournament, Tremouliere finished top scorer with 64 points in the five matches, including a brace in an 18-17 victory over reigning champions England in Grenoble.
It hasn’t been all plain sailing for the French star this decade though.In 2016 she suffered a leg break, followed by the fracture of a bone in her pelvis in 2017, and finally a torn knee ligament in late 2018, but time and time again she keeps coming back to cause havoc with defences across Europe.
Her quality was on display once again this year at the Women’s Six Nations, as she was as accurate as ever with the boot, finishing with 32 points to her name, the second-highest of anybody in the competition.
France head coach Annick Hayraud took to Twitter to congratulate her full-back, as well as No.8 Safi N’Diaye who was named in the Women’s Team of the Decade.
Hayraud said: ‘A big thumbs up @JessTremouliere for this trophy which rewards her magnificent career, but which also highlights all the French women’s rugby! Congratulations too @safizizir named in the XV of the decade! We are proud !
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