Sexy Brian leader of the (six) pack

FORGET the Oscars and the Meteor Awards, the most hotly-contested list of the year is here — and rugby’s captain fantastic, Brian O’Driscoll, takes poll position.

The man who will lead the Irish rugby squad in the Six Nations Championship is set to take on a very different role by leading a squad of Ireland’s most desirable men to an exclusive reception in Dublin tonight for the announcement of Social & Personal magazine’s Top 100 Sexy Men of 2004.

The list, compiled by some of Ireland’s most beautiful women, including Miss World Rosanna Davison, model and writer Katy French, rock chick Sonya Macari and Brian’s girlfriend, top model Glenda Gilson, has this year placed the rugby hunk ahead of actors Colin Farrell and Pierce Brosnan and soccer player Damian Duff.

“I’m going to get an awful slagging from my mates when this gets out,” said Brian.

The official top five on the list, which is published in the February issue of Social & Personal magazine, due for release tomorrow, includes O’Driscoll, Farrell, Duff, Bono and popular nightclub owner Krish Naidoo.

“He was a little bit embarrassed when he heard he was number one,” said Gilson, who has been dating the Dublin rugby star for the past seven months.

O’Driscoll, who will appear on tonight’s Late Late Show, will first attend a special bash to announce details of the highly-anticipated list at the new Silks Casino club on Earlsfort Terrace.

The other guest of honour at the event, which is to be compered by TV3’s Lorraine Keane, is Rosanna Davison, who is to attend in an official capacity, sporting her Miss World crown.

Citing charisma, brawn, brains, talent and money as the main attributes of Ireland’s sexiest men, judges of this year’s list avoided a roll-call of pretty boys and relative unknowns, to include some of the most popular men in Irish life.

Making the grade in the category of Sexy on Film were Colin Farrell, Stuart Townsend and Jonathan Rhys Myers, while Michael Flatley and Mr Pussy shared space in the Sexy in Tights category.

Rosanna’s father Chris de Burgh and her boyfriend also appear, as do Charlie Haughey and Liam Lawlor, who both show up under Sexy Brats.

Singer Gavin Friday and broadcaster Ray D’Arcy are sure to get a lift when they discover that they’ve been entered in the Sexy in Heels category.

Meanwhile, Dublin’s publicity-loving Lord Mayor, Royston Brady, has been honoured with a mention in the category Sexy up the Aisle, alongside Westlife’s Shane Filan and Ozzy Osbourne’s son, Louis, all of whom recently tied the knot.