Women dominate at the 2017 World Rugby Awards

Women dominated at the 2017 World Rugby Awards, as the World Champion Black Ferns became the first women's side in history to be crowned World Rugby's team of the year.

An impressive four awards went to women this year, three of which ensured Kiwis won every women's category prize, which an overjoyed former Black Ferns captain Dr. Farah Palmer said 'can only be a positive.'

"It's a positive thing in terms of being recognised and acknowledged on the world stage," said Palmer.

Michaela Blyde collected women's sevens player of the year for her performance in the World Series alongside Portia Woodman, who won the women's player of the year award for her efforts in the Black Ferns World Cup win.

The only non-Kiwi woman, Ireland's Joy Neville was named World Rugby referee of the year. Try of the year, of which Woodman was a nominee, was the only other title New Zealand women missed out on.

Palmer, whose decade-long Black Fern career included three Women's Rugby World Cup wins, said it was great to see rugby women presented as role models.

"Every time you do well on the world stage the interest in that particular sport does go up ... It just shows you that young girls and women look up to these athletes as role models and think if they can do it so can I, and I really think it's a positive thing."

As one of those role models, Woodman said it had been great to see the inspiration of the Black Ferns influence women's participation in the sport.

"We've seen a massive increase of women playing rugby, girls playing rugby .... now that we've won this award who knows where it's gonna go, I think its been said that women's rugby can overtake the men's in the growth, so I think it's just the start."

New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive Steve Tew congratulated the Black Ferns on their historic success and said: "the Black Ferns have earned their place as the world's best".

"To be the first women's team to win Team of the Year is a fitting tribute to their talent, dedication and hard work," said Tew.

"This has been an outstanding year for our women's rugby teams, and the international recognition that our players and teams have received is totally deserved."