There can be but one
We’re wagering that the deliberations among the good and great of Irish rugby writing, including our own Pat McCarry, to select their player of the year took about as long as it does for the winner to normally wolf down his dinner.
The last 12 months have been another memorable period in Irish rugby, as the November series of games was a deemed a major success and Ireland followed it up with yet another Six Nations crown.
The man central to all of that of course was Paul O’Connell, and it’s no surprise that he’s pipped Jonathan Sexton and Conor Murray to be named the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Player of the Year at their annual awards tonight.
The now Toulon club man has been at the heart of Irish rugby for the best part of a decade-and-a-half now, and was quick to pay tribute to those clever boys and girls in the fourth estate for his second rugby writers’ award
“It’s a great honour. I’m delighted to receive it, we had a very successful season with Ireland winning the championship, so I suppose I’m capitalising on a lot of other people’s hard work.”
“There a lot of very clever rugby people writing about the game in Ireland and I’ve been at the awards night as Irish captain and as a winner before and it’s a great night. We’re delighted with their support and I’m delighted with the award”
The women’s award was won by Sophie Spence while Lansdowne FC was voted Club of the Year.
The awards, which were held in the Guinness storehouse, also inducted two former Irish players into the Hall of Fame.
Tom Grace is a former Irish captain and led the country on the tour to new Zealand and Fiji in 1976, as well as making 11 appearances for the Lions.
Dave Hewitt won 18 caps for Ireland and played in six test matches for the Lions on their tours of Australia and New Zealand in 1959 and the 1962 trip to South Africa.
The event also saw well known rugby coach and mentor Fred Casey pick up the Tom Rooney award. The Cork Constitution man is one of the best known figures in Irish club rugby and has worked with Ronan O’Gara, Peter Stringer and Peter O’Mahony among dozens others during his time on Leeside.
