Solomon Alaimalo's try for Northland against Otago is up for the 2017 Sky TV Fans Try of the Year award. Photo / Getty Images
Solomon Alaimalo's try for Northland against Otago is up for the 2017 Sky TV Fans Try of the Year award. Photo / Getty Images
Portia Woodman is in line to cap off a spectacular 2017 season with a World Rugby Player of the Year award.
The Kaikohe winger has been nominated for both the women's player of the year and try of the year awards after a strong 2017 campaign which included a Women'sRugby World Cup title.
Woodman played every minute of the World Cup where she scored 13 tries and was the focal point of a polished Black Ferns backline, finishing the tournament the top try and point scorer.
Black Ferns teammate Kelly Brazier is also nominated for the award and, given New Zealand won the World Cup, both should be well in the reckoning to take it home.
The other women's finalists are the French pair of Romane Menager and Safi N'Diaye and England's Lydia Thompson.
Woodman's try scoring exploits were also noticed by the judging panel as one of her four tries against the USA made the final cut as a nominee for Try of the Year.
Woodman scored a scarcely believable eight tries in the Black Fern's 121-0 romp over Hong Kong but it was her solo effort in the semi-final against USA that set the world alight.
Vote for your IRPA Try of the Year 2017! ➡️ Watch the video ➡️ Choose your option below ➡️ Tweet to vote https://t.co/hX7wHgPa6B
Woodman bumped off the first five, shrugged off the right wing and trampled the second five before putting on a perfect sidestep to beat the fullback and cross under the posts.
She comes up against Argentina's Joaquin Tuculet, British and Irish Lions flanker Sean O'Brien and Georgia's Gela Aprasidze. Woodman is the only women's player in the running for the award.
The voting for the IRPA Try of the Year is done via public vote on Twitter on World Rugby's profile.
Meanwhile Woodman's effort is joined by Solomon Alaimalo's try against Otago on the ballot for the 2017 Sky TV Fans Try of the Year.
Solomon Alaimalo of Northland heads in for a try during the round seven Mitre 10 Cup match between Northland and Otago. Photo / Getty Images
The two tries make up one fifth of the final nominees for the top five pointer of the New Zealand rugby season and both make equally compelling arguments as being the premier effort.
Alaimalo's effort was set up by some brilliance from new All Black Jack Goodhue during Northland's 31-22 Mitre 10 Cup win over Otago.
Otago's Jona Nareki made a scything break down the middle before a pass from halfback Josh Renton was picked off by a retreating Goodhue.
Goodhue proceeded to do a 180 and sprint back down the middle of the field before offloading to first five Peter Breen.
Breen found Alaimalo flying on his outside and duly handed the ball off for the fullback, who beat two defenders in a 35 metre sprint to the tryline.
Like the IRPA Try of the Year, the Sky TV Fans Try of the Year is decided by the public. They can cast their vote on the All Blacks website.
