IRL Golden Boot Award

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.^[1]

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.^[1]

Winners - Men

Year	Nat.	Player	Club(s)	Position	Ref.
Open Rugby Golden Boot
1984		Wally Lewis	Wynnum-Manly Seagulls Wakefield Trinity	Five-eighth/Stand-off
1985		Brett Kenny	Parramatta Eels	Five-eighth
1986		Garry Jack	Balmain Tigers	Fullback
1987[i]		Hugh McGahan	Eastern Suburbs Roosters	Second-row
		Peter Sterling	Parramatta Eels	Halfback
1988		Ellery Hanley	Wigan Balmain Tigers	Five-eighth/Stand-off
1989		Mal Meninga	Canberra Raiders	Centre
1990[ii]		Garry Schofield	Leeds	Five-eighth/Stand-off
1991–98	No award given
Rugby League World Golden Boot
1999		Andrew Johns	Newcastle Knights	Halfback
2000		Brad Fittler	Sydney Roosters	Five-eighth
2001		Andrew Johns (2)	Newcastle Knights	Halfback
2002		Stacey Jones	New Zealand Warriors	Halfback
2003		Darren Lockyer	Brisbane Broncos	Fullback
2004		Andy Farrell	Wigan Warriors	Loose forward
2005		Anthony Minichiello	Sydney Roosters	Fullback
2006		Darren Lockyer (2)	Brisbane Broncos	Five-eighth
2007		Cameron Smith	Melbourne Storm	Hooker
2008		Billy Slater	Melbourne Storm	Fullback
2009		Greg Inglis	Melbourne Storm	Centre
2010		Benji Marshall	Wests Tigers	Five-eighth
2011		Johnathan Thurston	North Queensland Cowboys	Halfback
2012		Kevin Sinfield	Leeds Rhinos	Five-eighth
2013		Johnathan Thurston (2)	North Queensland Cowboys	Five-eighth
2014		Shaun Johnson	New Zealand Warriors	Halfback
2015		Johnathan Thurston (3)	North Queensland Cowboys	Halfback
2016		Cooper Cronk	Melbourne Storm	Halfback
2017		Cameron Smith (2)	Melbourne Storm	Hooker
IRL Golden Boot
2018		Tommy Makinson	St Helens	Wing	[3]
2019		Roger Tuivasa-Sheck	New Zealand Warriors	Fullback	[4][5]
2020–21	No award given due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022		Joseph Manu	Sydney Roosters	Fullback	[6]
2023		James Fisher-Harris	Penrith Panthers	Prop	[7][8][9]
2024		Isaah Yeo	Penrith Panthers	Lock	[10]
Additional references:[1]

Notes:

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

By nationality

Wins	Nationality
20	Australia
7	New Zealand
5	England

By position

Wins	Position
9	Five-eighth/Stand-off
8	Halfback/Scrum-half
5	Fullback
2	Centre
	Hooker
	Lock/Loose forward
1	Prop
	Second-row
	Wing

By club

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

Wins	Club	Years
5	Melbourne Storm	2007, 2008, 2009, 2016, 2017
4	Sydney Roosters	1987, 2000, 2005, 2022
3	New Zealand Warriors	2002, 2014, 2019
	North Queensland Cowboys	2011, 2013, 2015
	Wigan Warriors	1985, 1988, 2004
2	Balmain Tigers	1986, 1988
	Brisbane Broncos	2003, 2006
	Leeds Rhinos	1990, 2012
	Newcastle Knights	1999, 2001
	Parramatta Eels	1985, 1987
	Penrith Panthers	2023, 2024
1	Canberra Raiders	1989
	St Helens	2018
	Wakefield Trinity	1984
	Wests Tigers	2010
	Wynnum Manly Seagulls	1984

Multiple winners

Number	Player	Years	Nationality
3	Johnathan Thurston	2011, 2013, 2015	Australia
2	Andrew Johns	1999, 2001	Australia
	Darren Lockyer	2003, 2006	Australia
	Cameron Smith	2007, 2017	Australia

Winners - Women

Year	Nat.	Player	Club(s)	Position	Ref.
2018		Isabelle Kelly	Sydney Roosters	Centre	[3]
2019		Jessica Sergis	St. George Illawarra Dragons	Centre	[4][5]
2020–21	No award given due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022		Raecene McGregor	Sydney Roosters	Halfback	[6]
2023		Georgia Hale	Gold Coast Titans	Lock	[7][8]
2024		Tarryn Aiken	Sydney Roosters	Five-eighth	[11]
Additional references:[1][9]

By nationality

Wins	Nationality
3	Australia
2	New Zealand

By position

Wins	Position
2	Centre
1	Halfback
	Lock
	Five-eighth

By club

Wins	Club	Years
3	Sydney Roosters	2018, 2022, 2024
1	Gold Coast Titans	2023
	St. George Illawarra Dragons	2019

Winners - Wheelchair

Year	Nat.	Player	Club(s)	Ref.
2019		Jack Brown	Halifax	[4][5]
2020–21	No award given due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2022		Seb Bechara	Catalans Dragons	[6]
2023		Jérémy Bourson	Catalans Dragons	[7][8]
2024		Rob Hawkins	Halifax	[12]
Additional references:[1][9]

By nationality

Wins	Nationality
3	England
1	France

By club

Wins	Club	Years
2	Catalans Dragons	2022, 2023
2	Halifax	2019, 2024

See also

• International Rugby League
• RLIF Awards
• Rugby League World