RPA Players Player of the Year Nominations

Player of the Year

George Ford
Jonathan Joseph
Samu Manoa
Sinoti Sinoti
Thomas Waldrom


Previous Winners:

2014: Vereniki Goneva – Leicester Tigers
2013: Christian Wade – London Wasps
2012: Nick Evans – Harlequins
2011: Thomas Waldrom – Leicester Tigers
2010: Schalk Brits – Saracens
2009: Seilala Mapusua – London Irish
2008: Riki Flutey – London Wasps
2007: Glen Jackson – Saracens
2006: Jason White – Sale Sharks
2005: Martin Corry – Leicester Tigers
2004: Bruce Reihana – Northampton Saints
2003: Jonny Wilkinson – Newcastle Falcons
2002: Jason Robinson – Sale Sharks
2001: Mike Catt – Bath Rugby
2000: Pat Lam – Northampton Saints
1999: Neil Back – Leicester Tigers



Young Player of the Year

(To qualify for the LV= Young Player of the Year Award players must have been 23 or under as of 1st September 2014.)

George Ford – Bath Rugby
Maro Itoje – Saracens
Jonathan Joseph – Bath Rugby
Henry Slade – Exeter Chiefs
Anthony Watson – Bath Rugby


Previous Winners:

2014: George Ford – Bath
2013: Christian Wade – Wasps
2012: Owen Farrell – Saracens
2011: Manu Tuilagi – Leicester Tigers
2010: Ben Youngs – Leicester Tigers
2009: Ben Foden – Northampton Saints
2008: Danny Cipriani – London Wasps
2007: David Strettle – NEC Harlequins
2006: Tom Varndell – Leicester Tigers
2005: Harry Ellis – Leicester Tigers
2004: Olly Barkley – Bath Rugby
2003: James Forrester – Gloucester Rugby
2002: Charlie Hodgson – Sale Sharks
2001: Steve Borthwick – Bath Rugby
2000: Iain Balshaw – Bath Rugby
1999: Jonny Wilkinson – Newcastle Falcons

Any of those, bar possibly Manoa who hasnt quite had the form of last year, would be worthy winners for me. Id probably say Ford for both.

Ford and, just so it isn't the same person, Watson for me.
Itoje looks to be a fantastic player but has he really played enough to be on the list?
Interestingly, all of the "young player" winners have gone onto great things with England (Wade apart but he has been injured, hasn't he?). I have lost count of the number of potentially good players we have had at Edinburgh or even for Scotland who just haven't developed as we would have wanted.

Wasn't Clifford a young player nominee?

Injuredyetagain in all likelihood they are including Itoje's LV Cup games and his featuring in the ERCC too.

Itoje was captain of the LV cup winning team.

Interesting that most player's player of the year have been foreign in recent years.

yappysnap wrote:Wasn't Clifford a young player nominee?

If not then why not? Arguably Quins best player this year from the games I have seen and I think he will overtake Kvesic/ Clark etc after the WC and be in the England squad as backup to Robshaw/ Wood & Haskell (Itoje may welll also do the same).

Looking at that list though B91, you can't really argue against the 3 Bath boys as their seasons have seen them estbalish themselves in the England team. Slade for me has been excellent, you could argue for Clifford, but you can certainly see why Slade is there. Itoje captain of the winning team for the LV cup who sponsor the award, probably the weakest candidate not having established himself as 1st choice in the Sarries team; very big things expected of him though.

No 7&1/2 wrote:Looking at that list though B91, you can't really argue against the 3 Bath boys as their seasons have seen them estbalish themselves in the England team. Slade for me has been excellent, you could argue for Clifford, but you can certainly see why Slade is there. Itoje captain of the winning team for the LV cup who sponsor the award, probably the weakest candidate not having established himself as 1st choice in the Sarries team; very big things expected of him though.

All fair points. I would have had Clifford over Itoje as I feel he has performed in bigger matches over the course of the season but hadn't thought of the LV angle. Can easily see one day a backrow of Clifford, Itoje and Billy Vunipola being selected for England.

Will Clifford be a 7? He looked at the JWC as if he would be undersized for No8, but I see that is where he plays tonight.

He doesn't look big enough for an international 8 to me although I thought that about Faletau. Clifford looks a 7 maybe 6 to me. Just thought he was starting at 8 on Friday was more to do with the players available to Quins as much as anything else.

If Quins do see him as an 8 long term then it won't hurt him playing along side Easter for a while.

beshocked wrote:Injuredyetagain in all likelihood they are including Itoje's LV Cup games and his featuring in the ERCC too.

Itoje was captain of the LV cup winning team.

Interesting that most player's player of the year have been foreign in recent years.

Cheers, beshocked. At the risk of stirring a hornets nest, is it right that a guy gets considered for doing well in a competition where just as often as not a bucket load of reserve players are used as it clashed with the AIs, 6Ns etc? As I say, he looks a fantastic athlete but what strikes me is that looks relatively slight when compared to, say, Johnny Gray who is only a year or so older.

injuredyetagain it's a development competition so yes someone from that competition should perhaps be considered.

Itoje is considered as one of the rising stars. He started vs Exeter on the weekend and made a key turnover which lead to a try for Saracens. He is still young but the potential is there. The only way a player improves is with gametime.

Yes he is slight compared to Jonny Gray but I don't think he lacks in power. He's still only 20.

I just hope the Saracens coaches keep the faith with Itoje despite the losses in recent weeks.

Jonathan Joseph wins both Players Player of the Year and England Player of the Year.
Henry Slade wins Young Player of the Year
Rochelle Clark Women's Player of the Year

The pedant in me hates it when this happens! If Joseph is the player of the year and is also considered the young player of the year he has to automatically pick up both awards. And breathe...

Agree, though really the problem is with having people in both categories as very few players will vote for someone in Young Player category if they are also in the top one.