Rieko Ioane is all but certain to win this year's World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award after being nominated today.
The speedy 20-year-old is one of three players - alongside Argentine Emiliano Boffelli and Frenchman Damian Penaud - to be nominated for the gong, which will be handed out at the organisation's awards night on November 26.
Ioane has enjoyed a stunning ascent in 2017, dislodging star winger Julian Savea from the left flank and scoring eight Test tries.
He played in two British and Irish Lions Tests, scoring twice in the first Test, and has gone on to play in five of the All Blacks' six Rugby Championship games.
He also started in last week's third Bledisloe Cup Test loss.
