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Tue 8 Nov 2016 | 10:22
World Rugby announces Player of the Year 2016 nominees

10
Comments

World Rugby have announced their six nominees for the 2016 Men's Player of the Year. The shortlist comprises three England players, two New Zealanders and and Irishman. The winner will be announced at the annual awards evening in London on November 13th.

The shortlist features players who have performed at Test level for their countries, so far this year.

The nominees are: Beauden Barrett (New Zealand), Dane Coles (New Zealand), Owen Farrell (England), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland), Maro Itoje (England) and Billy Vunipola (England).

They were selected by an independent panel featuring former internationals and members of the media, who deliberated on every major test from the Six Nations through to those on 5 November.
 
The panel is chaired by Australia's RWC 1999-winning captain John Eales and comprises former players Will Greenwood, Raphaël Ibanez, Francois Pienaar, Chris Paterson, Agustín Pichot, Scott Quinnell, Tana Umaga and Paul Wallace as well as journalists Pierre Galy (AFP), Stephen Jones (The Sunday Times), Jim Kayes (TV3) and Sergio Stuart (Ole, Argentina).

You can view some of the other award nominations, including the World Rugby Team of the Year, World Rugby Coach of the Year, World Rugby Men's and Women's Sevens Players of the Year and World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year, here.

ALSO: The IRPA Try of the Year shortlist

The last five Players of the Year:
2015 – Dan Carter (New Zealand), 2014 – Brodie Retallick (New Zealand), 2013 – Kieran Read (New Zealand), 2012 – Dan Carter (New Zealand), 2011 – Thierry Dusautoir (France)

Posted By: Grant Constable

10 Comments

  • superscottysmith
    8:23 AM 10/11/2016

    Dane Coles by a ball hair from Itoje! He's a hooker with the skills of a flyhalf and the feet of a winger.

  • hedderball
    11:38 PM 08/11/2016

    As an Irishman, I've got to say that no matter that, whilst I think Heaslip is one of our all time great players (and oftern vastly underappreciated here), I'm really surprised to see him in here. I think Vunipola and Farrell are both a bit over-rated - flat track bullies if you ask me. I'd go with Coles - such a complete player, though if Barrett got it we could claim that he learned everything he knows from his time playing GAA in Meath as a kid. (Mind you, Meath are shit at GAA)

  • jonnyenglish
    3:56 PM 08/11/2016

    *Dane? Or did you mean the Leicester prop? That'd be a hell of an outside shout.

  • jonnyenglish
    3:55 PM 08/11/2016

    Has to be... see you can make the case for any of those players to be the best player of the year.
    Bit of a pointless award if I'm totally honest, it'd be nice for a change away from NZ for once. But could you argue with it going to Beauden Barrett or Dane Coles? No you couldn't.

    Isn't there a participation medal? That'd be nice.

  • jonnyenglish
    3:53 PM 08/11/2016

    Has to be Heaslip, surely

  • jonnyenglish
    3:53 PM 08/11/2016

    Has to be Vunipola, surely

  • drg
    3:16 PM 08/11/2016

    I know this is more down to individual player of the year, rather than "player of the year from the team that won the most..." so I'm sure some will be thrilled to see some NH representation, but I'm not really sure what the list is supposed to represent... Clearly the kiwis have been the best team this year overall, so they get a shout out... but then that's it... suddenly it's England and a token Irishman... Itoje has probably stood out for me for England, Vunipolas work rate has been immense.. but no other countries were worthy or a player nomination..

  • oldflyhalf
    1:54 PM 08/11/2016

    Dan Coles.

  • jonnyenglish
    1:39 PM 08/11/2016

    Has to be Itoje, surely.

  • facepalm
    12:37 PM 08/11/2016

    Has to be Beauden, surely

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