Jack Willis, who last played for England at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, retained his Top14 best player award after a standout season with Toulouse. Willis moved to Toulouse in November 2022 following Wasps' collapse and was initially allowed to play for England under exceptional circumstances. His last England cap came in a pool-stage win over Chile, but he has not been eligible since due to England's policy restricting selection to domestic-based players.

Willis has excelled in France, earning player of the match in the Top14 final win over Montpellier and adding a fourth French title to his 2024 Champions Cup crown. He topped a three-man shortlist for the 2025-26 Top14 best player award, beating Matthieu Jalibert and Harry Plummer, becoming only the second player after Antoine Dupont to retain the accolade. At 29, Willis confirmed his Toulouse contract runs until 2029, accepting it ends his England Test hopes. "You know what you sacrifice," he said. "It's something I still want to do, but rules are rules." Willis noted he could theoretically play for Ireland under World Rugby's birthright rule via his Belfast-born grandfather, but acknowledged Ireland's preference for home-based players makes a selection unlikely while he remains at Toulouse. "I'm a quarter Irish, but they have the same rules as England," he added, challenging reporters to "find the way [around the rules]!".