Napolioni Bolaca receives 2020 Cigna pressure Play Award

Napolioni Bolaca has been awarded the 2020 Cigna Pressure Play Award and was also named in the Men’s HSBC Dream Team alongside teammate Aminiasi Tuimaba, which was announced by World Rugby earlier today.   

 More than 2,000 fans voted to determine UL Mark of Excellence and Cigna Pressure Play award winners and majority of these Fans opted for the swift Fijian 7s half-back Napolioni Bolaca.  

 The Cigna pressure play award was voted online by seven’s fans around the globe and is an indication of how rugby fans are recognizing Fijian 7s dominance and talents on the field.  

 “Winning this award means so much to me, it shows how rugby fans all over the world are recognizing our talent out there in the field, which is really great to celebrate.”  

 If it wasn’t for my teammates, I wouldn’t have got this award, this just shows what we can achieve working as a team, and I want to thank my teammates for that.”  

 “I also want to thank the fans who nominated me for this award, it means a lot to me.”  

 Our Fijiana 7s also received the Capgemini Women’s Momentum Tracker Award, which is awarded to the team which recorded the highest momentum score on the tracker as a result of quantified performance and evolution scores throughout the series. 

Men’s HSBC Dream Team: 

 Scott Curry (New Zealand) 

Tavite Veredamu (France) 

JC Pretorius (South Africa) 

Napolioni Bolaca (Fiji) 

Jordan Conroy (Ireland) 

Aminiasi Tuimaba (Fiji) 

Selvyn Davids (South Africa) 

 Women’s HSBC Dream Team: 

 Brittany Benn (Canada) 

Sharni Williams (Australia) 

Ruby Tui (New Zealand) 

Stacey Fluhler (New Zealand) 

Ghislaine Landry (Canada) 

Tyla Nathan-Wong (New Zealand) 

Kristi Kirshe (USA) 

 

UL Mark of Excellence: The Awards panel, together with by UL Executive Mike Galeski, selected a shortlist of nominees from the list of UL Mark of Excellence Award tournament winners on the 2020 series. Fans had the final say in determining the moment from the men’s and women’s shortlists which stands out as the best of the 2020 series. 

 Men’s winner: 

 Dan Norton (England): Dan Norton’s achievement of becoming the first sevens player to score 350 tries on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series at the HSBC Sydney Sevens 

Women’s winner: 

 Tyla Nathan-Wong (New Zealand): Tyla Nathan-Wong for becoming the first Black Ferns Sevens player – and second overall – to reach 1,000 series points at the HSBC Sydney Sevens 

 

Cigna Pressure Play Award: The Awards panel selected a shortlist of three men’s and three women’s players with sevens fans having the final say in voting for their favourite pressure play moment of the men’s and women’s series. 

 Men’s winner: 

 Napolioni Bolaca (Fiji): HSBC Sydney Sevens – Cup final try against South Africa 

Women’s winner: 

 Lina Guerin (France): HSBC Sydney Sevens – Semi-final try against New Zealand 

 

Capgemini Momentum Tracker: A stats-based award using Capgemini’s unique tool, the Momentum Tracker, which analyses teams’ performances at individual tournaments and across the series to assess their capacity to improve throughout the season.  

 Men’s winner: Ireland 

Women’s winner: Fiji 

 

Gilbert Top Try Scorer: An award for the top try scorer on the men’s and women’s series. 

 Men’s winner: Jordan Conroy (Ireland) 

Women’s winner: Stacey Fluhler (New Zealand) 

 DHL Impact Player: A stats-based award which statistically analyses individual players’ all round performances measured against four key criteria – offloads, carries, line-breaks and tackles. 

 Men’s winner: Tavite Veredamu (France) 

Women’s winner: Stacey Fluhler (New Zealand)