IRL Golden Boot Award explained

The IRL Golden Boot Award (previously Open Rugby Golden Boot Award and Rugby League World Golden Boot Award)^[1] is an annual rugby league award, presented by the International Rugby League (IRL), awarded to the best player of the calendar year. There are categories for men's, women's, and wheelchair players.

The IRL purchased the rights to the award from League Publications Ltd. in 2017, who in turn purchased it from its original awarders Open Rugby in 1998 who started the award in 1984.

Upon purchase IRL introduced a women's category starting in 2018,^[2] with the wheelchair category coming a year later.

History

The award was founded in early 1985 by the British magazine Open Rugby. It was first awarded to Wally Lewis for his performances throughout 1984.

No award was made between 1990 and 1998 due to organisational difficulties.

League Publications Ltd bought the rights to the award in 1999 and began awarding the Golden Boot on the same year it was assessed.

Andrew Johns collected the award in 1999 and again in 2001, becoming the first player to win it twice. Darren Lockyer repeated that feat, winning in 2003 and 2006 becoming the first player to win twice while playing in different positions.

In 2011, Rugby League World magazine began to award retrospective Golden Boots to fill in "the missing years" of 1990 to 1998, starting with Garry Schofield who was adjudged to have won the 1990 Golden Boot.

No further Golden Boots were retrospectively awarded as sponsors Adidas withdrew their backing.

The International Rugby League purchased the rights to award the Golden Boot in 2017.

Winners - Men

Year	Nat	Player	Club(s)	Position
Open Rugby Golden Boot
1984
1985		Garry Jack	Balmain Tigers
1986		Brett Kenny	Parramatta Eels
1987^1
1988
1989
1990^2
1991–98	No award given
Rugby League World Golden Boot
1999
2000
2001		Andrew Johns (2)
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006		Darren Lockyer (2)
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013		Johnathan Thurston (2)
2014
2015		Johnathan Thurston (3)
2016
2017		Cameron Smith (2)
IRL Golden Boot
2018 ^[3]			St Helens
2019 ^[4] ^[5]			New Zealand Warriors
2020–21	colspan="7"
2022 ^[6]			Sydney Roosters
2023 ^[7] ^[8]			Penrith Panthers
Source:^[9]

• ¹ The 1987 Golden Boot was shared by two winners
• ² Retrospective award made in 2011

By nationality

Wins	Nationality
19
7	New Zealand
5	England

By position

Wins	Position
9
8
5
2
1

By club

NOTE: Clubs shared the award in 1984, 1985 and 1988

Wins	Club	Years
5		2007, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017
4		1987, 2000, 2005, 2022
3	New Zealand Warriors	2002, 2014, 2019
		2011, 2013, 2015
		1985, 1988, 2004
2		1986, 1988
		2003, 2006
		1990, 2012
		1999, 2001
		1985, 1987
1		1989
		2023
		2018
		1984
		2010
		1984

Multiple winners

Number	Player	Years	Nationality
3		2011, 2013, 2015	Australia
2		1999, 2001	Australia
		2003, 2006	Australia
		2007, 2017	Australia

Winners - Women

Year	Nat	Player	Club(s)	Position
2018
2019
2020–21	colspan="4"
2022
2023
Source:

By nationality

Wins	Nationality
2
	New Zealand

By position

Wins	Position
2
1

By club

Wins	Club	Years
2		2018, 2022
1		2023
		2019

Winners - Wheelchair

Year	Nat	Player	Club(s)
2019		Jack Brown	Halifax
2020–21	colspan="3"
2022		Sebastien Bechara	Catalans Dragons
2023		Jérémy Bourson	Catalans Dragons
Source:

By nationality

Wins	Nationality
2
1	France

By club

Wins	Club	Years
2	Catalans Dragons	2022, 2023
1	Halifax	2019

See also

• International Rugby League
• RLIF Awards
• Rugby League World

External links

• Rugby League World Magazine

Notes and References

1. Web site: International Rugby League Golden Boot Awards . 2024-02-12 . Rugby League International Federation.
2. Web site: RLIF to present 2018 Golden Boot for both male and female players . RLIF . 22 October 2018 . 22 October 2018.
3. Web site: England's Makinson wins Golden Boot . 7 November 2018 .
4. Web site: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Jessica Sergis win 2019 Golden Boot . 17 November 2019 .
5. Web site: Tuivasa-Sheck wins 2019 Golden Boot . 17 November 2019 .
6. Web site: Seb Bechara and Jack Brown have been shortlisted for the 2022 IRL Golden Boot award .
7. Web site: Golden Boot: England internationals Harry Smith and Lewis King make men's and wheelchair shortlists .
8. Web site: 2023 IRL Golden Boot winners announced .
9. Web site: Fisher-Harris, Hale and Bourson named 2023 Golden Boot winners . 6 December 2023 . National Rugby League . en.