The IRB Junior Player of the Year is an accolade awarded annually by the International Rugby Board

International Rugby Board

The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...

. It is awarded to the player of the tournament in that year's Under 20 World Cup

IRB Junior World Championship

The IRB Junior World Championship is an international rugby union competition. The event is organised by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board , and is contested by 12 men's junior national teams , with an under-20 age requirement. The inaugural tournament was held in June 2008,...

. It replaces the now defunct U21 Player of the Year

IRB International U21 Player of the Year

The IRB International U21 Player of the Year is awarded by the International Rugby Board in the autumn each year.-List of winners:* 2001: Gavin Henson * 2002: Pat Barnard * 2003: Ben Atiga * 2004: Jerome Kaino * 2005: Tatafu Polota-Nau...

 and the U19 Player of the Year

IRB International U19 Player of the Year

The IRB International U19 Player of the Year is awarded by the International Rugby Board in the autumn each year. It was first awarded in 2002.-List of winners:* 2002: Luke McAlister * 2003: Jean-Baptiste Peyras-Loustalet * 2004: Jeremy Thrush...

. Three of the four winners of this award have come from New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

.

List of Winners and Nominees

{| class="wikitable" style="border="1";"
|-
!Year
!Winner
!Other nominees
|-valign="top"
|-valign="top"
|2008
|align=left| Luke Braid

Luke Braid

Luke Gary Braid is a rugby union footballer who plays for the Bay of Plenty Steamers in the Air New Zealand Cup. He is a part of the Chiefs wider training squad for the 2009 Super 14 season...

 
|align=left|
|-valign="top"
|2009
|align=left| Aaron Cruden

Aaron Cruden

Aaron Cruden is a World Cup winning New Zealand rugby union player, who currently plays for Manawatu Turbos in the National Provincial Championship, Chiefs in the Super 15 Competition and is an All Blacks international. Cruden's position is first five-eighth/fly-half...

 
|align=left|   Winston Stanley

Winston Stanley

Winston Ulysses Stanley is a Canadian rugby union footballer. He played wing for University of British Columbia, in Canada, later moving to English club Leicester Tigers....

 
  Carl Fearns

Carl Fearns

Carl Fearns is a rugby union player for Bath Rugby in the Aviva Premiership. He plays as a back-row.Fearns made his Sale debut in an EDF Energy Cup match against Cardiff Blues, winning the Man of the Match award....

 
  Richard Kingi

Richard Kingi

Richard Kingi is an Australian professional Rugby union footballer, born in Tauranga, New Zealand. His usual position is half back, though there has been speculation he is fast enough to play on the wing....

 
|-valign="top"
|2010
|align=left| Julian Savea

Julian Savea

Julian Savea is an New Zealand Rugby Union Player who currently plays for the Wellington Lions in the ITM Cup and has represented his country at rugby sevens and at under 20 level. He plays on the wings or at centre.-Career:...

 
|align=left|   Tyler Bleyendaal 
  Robbie Coleman 
  Ignacio Rodriguez Muedra  
|-valign="top"
|2011
|align=left| George Ford

George Ford (rugby union)

George Ford is a rugby union footballer who plays for Leicester Tigers. He plays at fly-half. His brother Joe plays for Leeds Carnegie. Born in Oldham, Lancashire he is the son of England defence coach Mike Ford...

 
|align=left|   Luke Whitelock 
  Sam Cane

|}