Wallace Sititi reacts to Breakthrough Player of the Year nomination

The World Rugby Awards 2024 nominees have been announced and the All Blacks will be hoping rookie sensation Wallace Sititi will be recognised for his immense 2024 campaign.

The versatile loose forward swiftly made a name for himself for the Chiefs earlier this year, pushing All Black Luke Jacobson to the openside flank to accommodate the youngster at No. 8.

Despite performing throughout the Super Rugby Pacific playoffs, including a valiant effort in a final that didn't go his side's way, it was a surprise to many to see Sititi's name in the first All Blacks squad naming of the year, especially given the omission of his opposite in that final, the man who was awarded Super Rugby Pacific MVP, Hoskins Sotutu.

Questions over the selection were answered on Saturday, September 7 on a clear Cape Town evening, when the rookie, in his first international start, wrestled the world champion Springboks and produced a statement performance that earned him the No. 6 jersey moving forward.

The performances since have been equally as impressive, putting Sititi's name forward as perhaps a leading candidate for the Breakthrough Player of the Year award.

"I'm just extremely grateful. It's been a big year, so just to have that acknowledgement, it's crazy," Sititi told media in Italy ahead of the All Blacks' final Test of the year.

"For me, to be on the same list as some of those guys, I know Immanuel (Feyi-Waboso), Sacha (Feinburg-Mngomezulu) and Jamie (Osborne) are all quality players and just for me to be on that same list is an honour and a privilege in itself."

All Black winger Mark Tele'a took home the Breakthrough Player of the Year honours in 2023 and has been in Sititi's ear since the nominations were revealed, with the likes of Will Jordan and Rieko Ioane having won previously for their rookie campaigns in the black jersey.

Should Sititi win, he would join Maro Itoje as just the second forward to be recognised for the award. The 22-year-old said 2024 had "for sure" been beyond his wildest dreams.

"I would have been happy with one game for the Chiefs, so to be here is definitely not what I was expecting. I think my family and I have just taken it for what it is and kept our feet grounded keep moving forward," he said.

While his on-field exploits have been grabbing headlines, All Blacks coaches have been most complimentary of Sititi's mindset, characterised by maturity beyond his years and humility.

"I still have a lot of room for improvement, there always is and you can see from the weekend sometimes our best isn't good enough, so we've just got to keep moving forward and work with the coaches, who have been amazing, and see where we end up."

The All Blacks' "best" did indeed fall short of the mark against France over the weekend, with the team recording their first loss of their 2024 Autumn Nations Series campaign in a thriller of a Test match that ultimately went the hosts' way by just one point.

It was New Zealand's fourth loss of what has been a transition year, with Sititi being one of 10 new faces added to the All Blacks fraternity to kick off the new World Cup cycle.

"I've learnt a lot, and that's credit to guys like my buddy here (Tamaiti Williams) and the boys in the environment but I think the big one is being able to win moment after moment. One little error can cost you the game and if you're not fully present in that moment, the momentum of the game can switch just like that and it's just about staying on and being present in every moment."