World Rugby has unveiled the shortlists for their annual Coach of the Year and Team of the Year awards, with the winners to be announced at the World Rugby Awards dinner at Battersea Evolution, London, on 1 November.
The World Rugby Team of the Year 2015 nominees are World Cup finalists New Zealand and Australia, along with beaten semi-finalists Argentina, as well as Japan, who caused the biggest shock in the tournament's history by beating South Africa on the opening weekend.
The coaches at the helm of that same quartet of nations, Steve Hansen (New Zealand), Michael Cheika (Australia), Daniel Hourcade (Argentina) and Eddie Jones (Japan), are also all nominated for the Coach of the Year award.
The awards have been running since 2001, with New Zealand dominating the team of the year category, with eight awards, South Africa have been named best side in the world three times, with England, France and Australia each being named best side once each.
New Zealand's Steve Hansen and Graham Henry, as well as Ireland's Declan Kidney, South Africa's Jake White, England's Clive Woodward, France's Bernard Laporte and Australia's Rod McQueen have all won the Coach of the Year award in previous years.
Team of the Year shortlist:
New Zealand
Australia
Argentina
Japan
Coach of the Year shortlist:
Steve Hansen (New Zealand)
Michael Cheika (Australia)
Daniel Hourcade (Argentina)
Eddie Jones (Japan)
