Nacewa and O'Brien up for top IRUPA honour

[Dexter]

http://www.leinsterrugby.ie/newsroom/7966.php

Ireland's Rugby Players Association IRUPA have announced the nominations for Irish rugby's ultimate accolade, the Bord Gáis Energy IRUPA Players' Player of the Year...

The award is one of seven which will be announced at the annual awards on Wednesday, 4th May. These are the only awards voted for by the players themselves and votes are spread from across all four provinces.
In the running to land the much sought after Bord Gáis Energy IRUPA Players’ Player of the Year are Munster’s Keith Earls, Leinster’s dynamic back row Sean O’Brien and utility back Isa Nacewa, who is also nominated for the Volkswagen Try of the Year.

Brian O’Driscoll, Acting Chairman of IRUPA said, “Winning an IRUPA award, which is voted for by the players who you play with and against, is the best mark of respect for any rugby player. These awards celebrate not only those players, but also raise much needed monies for the IRUPA Injured Players Fund.”

Among the six other awards is the IRUPA Nature Valley Young Player of the Year Award, contested this year by a feast of talented players including Munster’s Conor Murray, Rhys Ruddock from Leinster and Ulster’s next centre prodigy Nevin Spence.

John Mullins, CEO, Bord Gáis said, “This is the third year of our sponsorship of the Bord Gáis Energy IRUPA Awards and we’re really delighted to be involved again in what is the gala rugby event of the year. To be nominated and voted for by your peers and fellow players is a huge honour and recognition.

“IRUPA do a fantastic amount of work behind the scenes of Irish rugby and the support they receive from their members is testament to this and an acknowledgement of the importance of initiatives like the IRUPA Injured Players Fund.”

Rugby fans across Ireland can again vote for their Supporters’ Player of the Year 2011 on Newstalk106-108fm. Tune in Newstalk106-108fm from Monday April 25th to vote, and to be in with a chance to win a year’s supply of electricity from Bord Gáis Energy and also attend the event at the Burlington on Wednesday 4th May. The award will be presented to the winning player at the Bord Gáis Energy Awards.

A new award this year is the O2 Rugby Moment of the Year which singles out defining moments from the rugby season and will be voted for by the public via O2’s facebook page http://www.facebook/bethedifference

[Donny B.]

Full list of awards:

2011 BORD GÁIS ENERGY IRUPA AWARDS:


PLAYERS' PLAYER OF THE YEAR -


Keith Earls (Munster)

Isa Nacewa (Leinster)

Sean O'Brien (Leinster)

UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR -


Willie Faloon (Ulster)

Wian du Preez (Munster)

Richard Strauss (Leinster)

YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR -


Conor Murray (Munster)

Nevin Spence (Ulster)

Rhys Ruddock (Leinster)

TRY OF YEAR -


Fionn Carr (Connacht v Scarlets, Magners League)

Craig Gilroy (Ulster v Cardiff Blues, Magners League)

Isa Nacewa (Leinster v Leicester Tigers, Heineken Cup)

HALL OF FAME -


Recipient will be announced on Wednesday, April 27

RUGBY MOMENT OF THE YEAR -


Announced at the IRUPA Awards on Wednesday, May 4

SUPPORTERS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR -


The Supporters' Player of the Year, as voted by listeners of Newstalk 106-108FM, will be announced at the IRUPA Awards on Wednesday, May 4

[[Jackass]]

My picks


PLAYERS' PLAYER OF THE YEAR -

Isa Nacewa (Leinster)

UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR -

Richard Strauss (Leinster)

YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR -

Nevin Spence (Ulster)

TRY OF YEAR -

Isa Nacewa (Leinster v Leicester Tigers, Heineken Cup)

[ceemec]

How WdP is in the unsung category and James Coughlan isn't, I don't know.

[ronk]

How WdP is in the unsung category and James Coughlan isn't, I don't know.

The whole idea of nominations for an unsung hero is a bit ironic. By some measures you could call Mike Ross an unsung hero and give him the award, or Fergus McFadden, but does starting games in the 6N now mean that they're rewarded enough that they're no longer unsung?

[fourthirtythree]

How WdP is in the unsung category and James Coughlan isn't, I don't know.

The whole idea of nominations for an unsung hero is a bit ironic. By some measures you could call Mike Ross an unsung hero and give him the award, or Fergus McFadden, but does starting games in the 6N now mean that they're rewarded enough that they're no longer unsung?

I think the trick is you actually wait until they are starting for their country for nigh on a decade and they have songs written about them before you consider them unsung enough a la the Bull...

[ceemec]

How WdP is in the unsung category and James Coughlan isn't, I don't know.

The whole idea of nominations for an unsung hero is a bit ironic. By some measures you could call Mike Ross an unsung hero and give him the award, or Fergus McFadden, but does starting games in the 6N now mean that they're rewarded enough that they're no longer unsung?

I don't think there's any criteria. It's just the perceptions of the voters. In 2007 John Hayes was nominated for the POTY and UH. I think he might have won the UH award that year. He was also nominated for the UH award in 2009. The bloke is the most lauded and decorated unsung hero there ever has been.

[LeRouxIsPHat]

I'm not really sure what Murray, Du Preez and to a lesser extent Faloon have done to be on those lists. Dominic Ryan should certainly be on the young one for me. Mike McCarthy should perhaps have been on the unsung list if he actually qualifies!

[Benji]

Ya Hayes for unsung but for me Isa has been the best player in Ireland this year. Very consistant played nearly every full game and has been game breaker on so many games.

[Dexter]

You would have to pick Isa's try given the quality of the opposition and the importance of the game.... wouldn't you?
.. and the fact that it was absolutely brilliant of course!

[Eristic]

Why isn't Craig Gilroy up for Young Player of the year?

[hugonaut]

Why isn't Craig Gilroy up for Young Player of the year?

8 tries in 10 ML games - unbelievable scoring rate. Dom Ryan should really be in there as well, 14 starts & 7 appearances off the bench for Leinster in a stacked backrow as a 20 year old. No complaints about Spence though, guy has established himself as Ulster's first choice 13 and played a lot of HEC rugby as a 20 year old.

As is well known, I'm a big Murray fan: he hasn't quite put in the sustained season that these other guys have, but he's as exciting a SH prospect as Ireland has seen in more than a decade and deserves some recognition [if only so Munster don't start picking O'Leary again!]

[christy]

How the Hell is Mike Ross not up for an award

[johng]

How WdP is in the unsung category and James Coughlan isn't, I don't know.

The whole idea of nominations for an unsung hero is a bit ironic. By some measures you could call Mike Ross an unsung hero and give him the award, or Fergus McFadden, but does starting games in the 6N now mean that they're rewarded enough that they're no longer unsung?

I don't think there's any criteria. It's just the perceptions of the voters. In 2007 John Hayes was nominated for the POTY and UH. I think he might have won the UH award that year. He was also nominated for the UH award in 2009. The bloke is the most lauded and decorated unsung hero there ever has been.

The thoughts of John Hayes on a Pot(t)y would make me go u(g)h too.

[Sauvignon Blank]

My picks


PLAYERS' PLAYER OF THE YEAR -

Isa Nacewa (Leinster)

UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR -

Richard Strauss (Leinster)

YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR -

Nevin Spence (Ulster)

TRY OF YEAR -

Isa Nacewa (Leinster v Leicester Tigers, Heineken Cup)

+1

[ronk]

Why isn't Craig Gilroy up for Young Player of the year?

Maybe next year.

[Eristic]

Why isn't Craig Gilroy up for Young Player of the year?

Maybe next year.

There's something very Irish about him being good enough but not old enough for the Young Player of the year award.

[ronk]

Why isn't Craig Gilroy up for Young Player of the year?

Maybe next year.

There's something very Irish about him being good enough but not old enough for the Young Player of the year award.

He's probably not even eligible, it would partly explain why Ruddock is nominated but Dom Ryan isn't.

Spence is an outstanding candidate though, doesn't turn 22 until next week and he should have over 1300 minutes for Ulster this season by then including 6 Heineken Cup appearances as part of Ulster's successful run.

Ruddock is capped, captained the U20s and Leinster once and has been training with the Ireland senior team. We're lucky to have such candidates, even Murray is an exciting talent even if he's only been regular for Munster for 2 months due (in part) to injuries.

[true blue 06]

nacewa
strauss
spence
gilroy

[Donny B.]

Personally would like to see Seanie get this award as recognition for this fine season with both Leinster and Ireland and then Isa to get the Leinster player of the year award.

Strauss, Spence and Carr for the other categories.