The Premiership Rugby Young Player of the Season, also known as the Breakthrough Player of the Season, is an annual rugby union award presented to players in England, which recognises the most outstanding young player in the Premiership each season.
Rugby union turned professional in 1995, and 1996–97 marked the first professional Premiership Rugby season. However, the Young Player of the Season award was only first bestowed during the 1998–99 season. The first Young Player of the Season award was given to Newcastle Falcons player Jonny Wilkinson.
Iain Balshaw is the only player to have won the award more than once, winning back-to-back in the 1999–2000 and 2000–01 seasons.
The nominees of the award must be 23 or younger at the start of the season. The award is presented by the Rugby Players' Association (RPA), and is voted on by the players themselves. The trophy is named after Nick Duncombe, a Harlequins and England scrum-half who tragically died in 2003 from a rare form of blood poisoning at just 21 years old.
The current holder of the award is Saracens' Noah Caluori.
Winners +KeyPlayer Name of the player and number of times they had won the award at that point (if more than one)Indicates player also scored the most points in the same seasonIndicates player also scored the most tries in the same season§Denotes the club were Premiership Rugby champions in the same season
+Premiership Rugby Young Player of the Season winnersSeasonPlayerPositionNationalityClubRef(s)1998–99Fly-halfNewcastle Falcons1999–2000 WingBath2000–01 WingBath2001–02FlankerLeicester Tigers2002–03Number 8Gloucester2003–04Fly-halfBath2004–05CentreLeicester Tigers2005–06WingLeicester Tigers2006–07FlankerWasps2007–08Fly-halfWasps2008–09CentreHarlequins2009–10Scrum halfLeicester Tigers2010–11CentreLeicester Tigers2011–12Fly-halfSaracens2012–13LockWasps2013–14Number 8Saracens2014–15CentreExeter Chiefs2015–16LockSaracens2016–17PropLeicester Tigers2017–18Number 8Exeter Chiefs2018–19FlankerSale Sharks2019–20FlankerWasps2020–21Fly-halfBristol Bears2021–22WingLondon Irish2022–23FlankerLondon Irish2023–24WingExeter Chiefs2024–25FlankerNorthampton Saints2025–26WingSaracens
Multiple awards won by players The following table lists the number of awards won by players who have won at least two Player of the Season awards.
Players in bold are still active in the Premiership Rugby.
AwardsPlayerCountrySeasons21999–2000, 2000–01
Awards won by nationality Country Players Total
Awards won by position Position Players TotalFlankerFly-halfWingCentreNumber 8LockScrum halfProp
Awards won by club Club Players TotalLeicester TigersWaspsSaracensExeter ChiefsBathLondon IrishNewcastle FalconsGloucesterHarlequinsBristol BearsSale SharksNorthampton Saints
See also Premiership Rugby Player of the Season Premiership Rugby top scorers Premiership Rugby Team of the Season Premiership Rugby Director of Rugby of the Season
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