Cindy Nelles, 22, of Belleville has been named Americas Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year by americasrugbynews.com, which covers rugby for North, South and Central America.

Here’s what americasrugbynews.com had to say about Nelles as they announced their decision on their website:

“ Nelles started the year as a promising athlete who was a late call-up to the 2014 women’s World Cup Canadian squad in Paris, but made no appearances. By the end of 2015 she was captain of Canada’s Maple Leafs national women’s developmental team and the standout player on the field during a two-game tour against England Academy.

“ Along the way the Belleville native — a dominant No. 8 with size and speed — won her first test starts and led the McMaster University Marauders to their first-ever CIS national championship victory, winning tournament MVP honours and capturing the CIS Player of the Year Award in the process.”

Nelles was also a CIS First Team All-Canadian and OUA All-Star selection in 2015.

Earning honourable mention status for the Americas award were three men’s players — Canadian prop, Djustice Sears-Duru; U.S. flyhalf, A.J. MacGinty; and Argentine back, Santiago Cordero. All three saw action at the 2015 men’s World Cup in the United Kingdom.