Israel Folau has won the 2014 John Eales Medal announced at the annual awards held at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney last night.
Israel’s ongoing ability on the field no doubt impressed his Wallaby teammates this season, who vote for the John Eales Medal following each Test by awarding points to the players they felt performed the best on a 3-2-1 basis. See Israel Folau’s top moments.
Tallied from the previous year’s Spring Tour until the final match of The Rugby Championship this year, Israel won after accumulating total of 314 points, 82 ahead of Wallaby Captain, Waratahs teammate and last year’s John Eales Medallist, Michael Hooper on 232. James Slipper came in at third position with 208 points, followed by Tevita Kuridrani on 202, while Stephen Moore rounded out the top five on 98.
Winning the title of Wallabies’ Player’s Player all but confirms the 25-year-old’s status as one of the best in the game following his second impressive season in the code, which this year included a Super Rugby Championship win with the NSW Waratahs.
Israel is the first back to win the John Eales Medal since Kurtley Beale in 2011. This is the second honour in as many years for Israel at rugby’s night of nights after taking home Wallabies Rookie of the Year last year following his first full season in rugby.
In his rugby union career to date he has 24 Wallabies caps, scored 15 tries (75 points) and starred in every single Wallabies Test across 2013 and 2014. He has 27 NSW Waratahs caps and scored 20 tries (100 points) for NSW.
Israel burst onto the rugby union scene just two years ago after signing with the NSW Waratahs in December 2012. His first taste of rugby came during the 2013 Super Rugby competition when he debuted for NSW against the Queensland Reds. It took just 14 matches in the sky blue jersey before he became Wallaby number 867, running on to make his international debut in the opening British & Irish Lions Test at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.
In his first game in the Gold jersey he scored two tries, including the opening five-pointer of the game. The fullback’s try-scoring habit has etched his name into the record books for both the NSW Waratahs and the Wallabies.
As well as the double in his opening Test, Israel scored a hat trick in Rosario against Argentina during his first Rugby Championship series in 2013. By the end of the year Israel had equalled the Wallabies’ try-scoring record of 10 in a calendar year, set by Lote Tuquiri in 2004.
He recorded another double for the Men in Gold this year in the final match against the French during the Wallabies successful three-Test series.
Israel smashed records for the Waratahs too, breaking Peter Hewat’s try-scoring figure of 10 set back in 2005, during the side’s historic victory over the Waikato Chiefs in New Zealand this year.
During their stellar 2014 Super Rugby Championship season, Israel scored 12 tries in 13 matches for his provincial side.
At the conclusion of Round 19 of the 2014 Super Rugby competition, Israel Folau became the first player ever to top both the NRL and Super 15 regular season try scorers list.
Israel’s try-scoring ability extends back to his rugby league playing days. It was here too that he broke the record for the most tries by a rookie in their debut season (21) as a 17-year-old for the Melbourne Storm. He was awarded Rookie of the Year before later becoming the youngest to represent the Australian Rugby League team and Queensland in the State of Origin. Israel also played at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup and for the Brisbane Broncos before switching to AFL with the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
Born in Minto, NSW and a product of Westfield Sports High, Israel is one of six siblings who was brought up in Castle Hill in Sydney’s north-west before his family moved to Brisbane.
Israel was also recognised at tonight’s John Eales Medal as Super Rugby Player of the Year tied with his NSW Waratahs teammate and Captain, Michael Hooper. Their Coach, Michael Cheika, recently announced as the Wallabies’ new Head Coach, was rewarded as Super Rugby Coach of the Year, while the whole team was acknowledged as the Super Rugby Team of the Year.
Last year’s John Eales Medallist, Michael Hooper also won Australia’s Choice Qantas Wallaby of the Year, as voted by fans.
Other players awarded included Brumbies lock Sam Carter who won Wallabies’ Rookie of the Year and Scott Higginbotham for the Super Rugby Try of the Year, while Rob Horne was recognised with the Wallabies’ Try of the Year.
The Melbourne Rebels’ and Rising star Sean McMahon received three accolades, named Under 20s Player of the Year, Super Rugby Rookie of the Year and Buildcorp NRC Player of the Series. Emilee Cherry took home two awards, the Shawn Mackay Sevens Player of the Year and Women’s Player of the Year, while Cameron Clark beat a talented list of nominees to win Qantas Men’s Sevens Player of the Year.
Classic Wallabies Wylie Breckenridge, Greg Davis and Simon Poidevin were inducted into the 2014 Hall of Fame.
Israel Folau joins a list of prominent Australian Rugby players who have been presented with the coveted John Eales Medal since is inauguration in 2002. Nathan Sharpe and George Smith remain the only two Wallabies to have won the award twice.
Winners of the John Eales Medal:
2014 – Israel Folau
2013 – Michael Hooper
2012 – Nathan Sharpe
2011 – Kurtley Beale
2010 – David Pocock
2009 – Matt Giteau
2008 – George Smith
2007 – Nathan Sharpe
2006 – Chris Latham
2005 – Jeremy Paul
2004 – David Lyons
2003 – Phil Waugh
2002 – George Smith
