Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Ford and Smith named in 15-strong European player of the year list

(Photo by PA)

Five Gallagher Premiership players – including George Ford of Leicester and Harlequins’ Marcus Smith – have been named on the Heineken Champions Cup player of the year longlist following the recent completion of the pool stages and they will now fight it out with five players from the Top 14 and five more from Ireland for European rugby’s most prized individual accolade when the tournament resumes in April.    

ADVERTISEMENT

Harlequins lead the way for English clubs with players nominated, the 2021 Gallagher Premiership champions getting Alex Dombrandt and Smith included on a Champions Cup list that also features Leicester’s Ford, Sam Simmonds of Exeter and Semi Radradra of Bristol. 

However, the club with the most representation is Irish province Leinster as they have three candidates – Caelan Doris, Jimmy O’Brien and Josh van der Flier – nominated alongside Irish colleagues Michael Lowry of Ulster and Munster’s Jack O’Donoghue.  

Video Spacer

ASX Sports Fantasy Rugby | A new generation of fantasy rugby is here with apps for iOS and Android!

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected
      Video Spacer

      ASX Sports Fantasy Rugby | A new generation of fantasy rugby is here with apps for iOS and Android!

      Toulouse’s Antoine Dupont, the current holder of the EPCR player of the year and World Rugby player of the year awards, is again in the running. 

      AN EPCR statement read: “As rising stars of the English game, the Harlequins pair have made a significant impact this season with Dombrandt scoring six tries from his four appearances and with Smith topping the scoring charts with 46 points from the same number of matches.

      Related

      “Leinster’s O’Brien hit the headlines by becoming the first player to score four tries for the club in a European fixture when he starred in the comprehensive round four victory over Bath, while Sam Simmonds of the Exeter Chiefs – winner of the award in 2020 – has been on the try-trail once again with a magnificent seven to date.

      “The impressive Gregory Alldritt has made 45 carries and seven offloads for La Rochelle during their push for the round of 16, and Ulster’s Michael Lowry has been in scintillating form for the Irish province, topping the statistics categories in metres (563), defenders beaten (23) and line breaks (8).

      ADVERTISEMENT

      “The winner of the award, which is in its twelfth season, will receive the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy in memory of the former Munster coach and captain. Voting is now open HERE and fans will be in the running to win a signed ball and a signed jersey courtesy of one of the Heineken Champions Cup finalist clubs.

      “The list will be reduced to five players following the Champions Cup semi-finals in May by a combination of the public vote and the verdict of the judging panel, and players who have not been included in the initial longlist, but who make a significant impact during the knockout stages, may be considered for the shortlist.”

      The voting will then re-open and the winner of the 2022 award will be announced following the Heineken Champions Cup final in Marseille on Saturday, 28 May.

      2022 EPCR European Player of the Year nominees
      Gregory ALLDRITT (Stade Rochelais)
      Alex DOMBRANDT (Harlequins)
      Caelan DORIS (Leinster Rugby)
      Antoine DUPONT (Stade Toulousain)
      Gael FICKOU (Racing 92)
      George FORD (Leicester Tigers)
      Michael LOWRY (Ulster Rugby)
      Jimmy O’BRIEN (Leinster Rugby)
      Jack O’DONOGHUE (Munster Rugby)
      Damian PENAUD (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
      Semi RADRADRA (Bristol Bears)
      Sam SIMMONDS (Exeter Chiefs)
      Marcus SMITH (Harlequins)
      Josh VAN DER FLIER (Leinster Rugby)
      Cameron WOKI (Union Bordeaux-Begles)

      ADVERTISEMENT
      ADVERTISEMENT

      Kubota Spears vs Tokyo Sungoliath | Japan Rugby League One 2024/25 | Quarter Final Replay

      Australia vs USA | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

      New Zealand vs Canada | Pacific Four Series 2025 | Full Match Replay

      South Africa vs New Zealand | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

      Argentina vs Australia | The Rugby Championship U20's | Full Match Replay

      The Game that Made Jonah Lomu

      The gruelling reality behind one of the fastest sports in the world | The Report

      Boks Office | Episode 40 | The Steven Kitshoff Special

      Trending on RugbyPass

      Comments

      1 Comment
      A
      Alan 1203 days ago

      Van de Flier heads my list. Caelan Doris, Marcus Smith, Antoine DuPont, Gael Fickou, Gregory Aldritt Alex Dombrandt

      Join free and tell us what you really think!

      Sign up for free
      ADVERTISEMENT

      Latest Features

      Comments on RugbyPass

      S
      Solenn Bonnet 6 days ago
      Leinster cleanse palette with record URC scoreline against Zebre

      My name is Solenn Bonnet, and I am a single mother navigating the challenges of raising my two-year-old child while trying to make ends meet. I came across a trading platform that promised astonishing daily profits of 18%. The allure of such a high return on investment was too tempting to resist, and I found myself drawn into cryptocurrency trading. Excited by the prospect of financial freedom, I invested a significant amount of my savings, totaling over 5.7 BTC. However, what started as a hopeful venture quickly turned into a nightmare. The platform was a scam, and I lost everything I had invested. The emotional toll of this loss was immense; I felt devastated and helpless, struggling to provide for my child and keep up with my bills. In my desperate attempt to recover my funds, I sought help from various recovery experts. Unfortunately, I encountered numerous fraudulent individuals who claimed they could help me retrieve my lost money. Each time I reached out, I was met with disappointment and further scams, which only deepened my despair. Last year was one of the most challenging periods of my life, filled with anxiety and uncertainty about my financial future. Feeling overwhelmed and at a loss, I confided in a close friend from church about my situation. She listened compassionately and shared her own experiences with financial difficulties. Understanding my plight, she introduced me to Tech Cyber Force Recovery, a group of skilled hackers known for their expertise in recovering lost funds. Skeptical yet hopeful, I decided to reach out to them as a last resort. Their services came at a higher cost, but my friend generously offered to help me with a partial payment. I was amazed by how quickly they responded and began the recovery process. Their team was professional, efficient, and incredibly supportive throughout the entire ordeal. To my relief, they successfully recovered more than I had lost to those heartless scammers. This was truly transformative, and I felt a sense of relief and gratitude that I hadn’t felt in a long time. I strongly encourage anyone who has faced similar challenges or fallen victim to scams to reach out to Tech Cyber Force Recovery. If you’ve invested in a fraudulent platform like I did, they are highly capable of helping you reclaim your hard-earned money. Don’t lose hope; there is a way to recover what you’ve lost.

      CONSULT TECH CYBER FORCE RECOVERY

      EMAIL.. support@techyforcecyberretrieval.com

      WhatsApp.. +15617263697

      website.. https://techyforcecyberretrieval.com

      Telegram.. +15617263697

      0 Go to comments
      LONG READ
      LONG READ Ten of the best players to recruit from France’s ‘perfect’ ProD2 Ten of the best players to recruit from France’s ‘perfect’ ProD2
      Search