The RLIF Awards are the

Rugby League International Federation The International Rugby League (IRL) is the global governing body for the sport of rugby league football. Previously known as the ''Rugby League Imperial Board'', the '' International Rugby League Board'' and latterly the ''Rugby League Internat ...

's annual major international sporting award for

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

. Since 2004 the awards ceremony recognises the best referee, coach, developing nations player, international newcomer, captain and a team of the year. In 2007, the RLIF did not organise any awards. To fill the gap,

Rugby League World ''Rugby League World'' is a dedicated rugby league magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. Other rugby league titles published by League Publications Ltd include the weekly newspaper '' Rugby Leaguer & League Express'' and the annual '' ...

magazine asked its Golden Boot panel to come up with winners in the existing categories used by the RLIF. Coinciding with the

2008 Rugby League World Cup The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since its 1954 Rugby League World Cup, inauguration in 1954, and the first since the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, 2000 tournament. The tournament was held ...

, the RLIF Awards were rebranded and the old award system was replaced.

Player of the Year

Described as rugby league's most prestigious individual honour, the ''International Player of the Year'' award is given to the world’s best player as voted upon by an international judging panel comprising journalists, broadcasters and former international players drawn from both the northern and southern hemispheres.Williams Crowned RLIF International Player of the Year
Press Release: NZRL, dated 28 November 2013.

Coach of the Year

Rookie of the Year

Referee of the Year

Spirit of Rugby League Award

Team of the Year

Nations' Players of the Year

Awards No Longer Presented

International Newcomer of the Year

*2004

Sonny Bill Williams Sonny Bill Williams (born 3 August 1985) is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union player and as of recently is working for Stan Sports. He is only the second person to represent New Zealand in ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

*2005

Manu Vatuvei Manu Mapuhola Mafi-Vatuvei (born 4 March 1986), also known by the nickname "The Beast", is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer and convicted methamphetamine importer who was both a Tonga and New Zealand international repres ...

*2006

Greg Inglis Gregory Paul Inglis (born 15 January 1987), also known by the nickname of "G.I.", is a retired Australian professional rugby league footballer. His regular playing positions were Centre, Fullback, Five-eighth and Wing. From 2011 to 2019 he pl ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

*2007 Israel Folau,

(awarded by Rugby League World)

Developing Nations Player of the Year

*2004 Jamal Fakir,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

*2005 Jamal Fakir,

*2006 Wes Naiqama,

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consis ...

*2007

George Ndaira George Ndaira (born 22 February 1985) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for Lebanon, and at club level in the National Rugby League (NRL) for the S ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus lie ...

(awarded by Rugby League World)

International Back of the Year

*2004 Darren Lockyer,

*2005 Anthony Minichiello,

*2006 Darren Lockyer,

*2007 Johnathan Thurston,

(awarded by Rugby League World)

International Forward of the Year

*2004 Andrew Farrell,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

*2005 Stuart Fielden,

*2006 Jamie Peacock,

*2007 Jamie Peacock,

(awarded by Rugby League World)