Wigan Warriors superstar snubbed as BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year shortlist announced
The shortlist has been announced for BBC Sports Personality World Sport Star of the Year, with Olympic athletes dominating.
Simone Biles (gymnastics, United States), Caitlin Clark (basketball, United States), Catherine Debrunner (para-athletics, Switzerland), Armand Duplantis (athletics, Sweden), Sifan Hassan (athletics, Netherlands) and Leon Marchand (swimming, France) have all been nominated, with Wigan Warriors superstar stand-off Bevan French omitted from the list despite a record-making 2024 campaign in rugby league.
The 28-year-old Australian made history after being crowned player of the match in every major final across an eye-catching season with the Cherry and Whites, including the inaugural Rob Burrow Award in the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.
Matt Peet’s Warriors claimed a historic Grand Slam, adding their name to an exclusive list in the 129-year history of rugby league to win all major trophies on offer in one season: Hunslet (1907-08), Huddersfield (1914-15), Swinton (1927-28) and Wigan (1994-95).
Voting is open for the BBC Sports Personality’s World Sport Star of the Year 2024 award, with Manchester City star Erling Haaland having been crowned winner in 2023.
The 2024 BBC Sports Personality of the Year will be held at MediaCityUK in Salford on Tuesday, 17 December, live on BBC One.
Rugby league legend Martin Offiah has backed the Warriors to receive recognition at this year’s showcase event, with coach of the year and team of the year categories.
Wigan became the first rugby league outfit to be recognised at BBC SPOTY in 1994 - a team including Offiah - before St Helens received the team of the year honours in 2006.