Jack Willis, who last represented England at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, has once again been crowned the best player in France's Top 14 league. The back-row forward, who moved to Toulouse in November 2022, retained his award for the 2025-26 campaign, seeing off competition from Matthieu Jalibert and Harry Plummer.
Willis's success across the Channel includes being named player of the match in June's Top 14 final win and lifting the Champions Cup in 2024. He becomes only the second player, after France captain Antoine Dupont, to retain the Top 14's top individual honour.
Despite his club success, Willis has not been eligible for England selection since opting to remain in French club rugby, due to a long-standing policy restricting England selection to domestic-based players. He acknowledged the sacrifice, stating, "It's something I still want to do, but rules are rules."
With three years passed since his last England appearance, Willis is now, in theory, available for selection by Ireland under World Rugby's 'birthright' rule, as his grandfather was born in Belfast. However, Willis noted that Ireland reportedly has similar rules to England regarding home-based players.