World Rugby has announced its line-up for the 2021 Player of the Year award, with England 's Maro Itoje making the shortlist for the third time in his career thus far.
The Saracens lock will hope to beat France 's Antoine Dupont, as well as the Australia duo of Michael Hooper and Samu Kerevi in a public vote before the winner is named next month.
Itoje, 27, earned his 50th England cap in Saturday's 32-15 victory over the Wallabies at Twickenham, while he was also a constant in the British and Irish Lions team that lost its series 2-1 to South Africa this past summer.
Jonny Wilkinson is to date the only Englishman to be named World Rugby Player of the Year following their World Cup win in 2003.
Many fans were stunned to see neither the Springboks nor New Zealand —for some time the two top-ranked teams in the world—have a candidate on the Player of the Year shortlist.
South Africa returned from an almost two-year hiatus to beat the Lions earlier this year, while the All Blacks swept the Bledisloe Cup before storming to reclaim the Rugby Championship crown.
The panel that assembles the World Rugby's Player of the Year shortlist only accounts for Test performances, meaning one's club contributions count for little.
Itoje was part of the England squad that finished fifth for the first time in a Six Nations tournament earlier this year, though the Red Rose is enjoying a more successful return to play this autumn.
Despite the defeat in South Africa, Itoje was voted Lions Player of the Series and has remained influential for England in recent wins over Tonga and Australia.
Alongside the Englishman, Wallabies captain Hooper is the only other candidate who has been nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year in the past.
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Hooper, 30, led Australia to a surprise second-place finish at the Rugby Championship after beating reigning world champions South Africa twice in as many meetings.
He also overtook Wallabies icon George Gregan in September to become the most capped Australia captain of all time, having since extended that record to 65 appearances as skipper.
Despite having numerous nominations since World Rugby's Player of the Year was introduced in 2002, no Australian has ever won the award.
And compatriot Kerevi doubles Australia's chances after rejoining the national team in September, transforming their fortunes at centre as the Wallabies won five straight for the first time since 2015.
He's received a maiden Player of the Year vote this year, as has France and Toulouse scrum-half Dupont, who looks certain to receive a lot of attention in the ballot.
Les Bleus exploded back onto the international stage with a second-place finish at this year's Six Nations, with Dupont the live-wire inspiration behind much of their improvement.
The 25-year-old made his Test debut in 2017 but has reached new heights in the past two seasons, earning praise as the best No. 9 in the world or—depending on the results of this vote—the best player outright.
Incumbent France coach Fabien Galthie was the first Frenchman to win World Rugby Player of the Year in 2002, while Thierry Dusatoir became the second and most recent when he claimed the prize in 2011.
Along with the men's quartet, World Rugby also confirmed the English duo of Zoe Aldcroft and Poppy Cleall will go up against French pair Caroline Boujard and Laure Sansus for the women's Player of the Year award.
The public will cast votes over the Players of the Year gongs in both sevens and 15s, while a panel will decide who wins Breakthrough Player of the Year, along with the best Coach and Referee awards.
Voting closes on Sunday, November 21, and the awards will be virtually delivered to their recipients between December 6-10.
