Bowe seeks awards double
The award is one of six which will be announced at the Bord Gáis Energy IRUPA Rugby Awards on Wednesday, May 6 at Dublin’s Burlington Hotel. These are the only awards voted for by the players themselves, and votes are cast from across all four provinces.
Irish Lions dominate the nominations, and amongst the favourites to land the coveted Bord Gáis Energy IRUPA Players’ Player of the Year are 2008 winner Tommy Bowe of the Ospreys, Ulster flanker Stephen Ferris, and Grand Slam captain Brian O’Driscoll of Leinster.
Bowe also received a nomination in the Tyrone Crystal Try of the Year category for his stunning try against Wales in the 2009 Six Nations Championship decider, delivering Ireland’s first Grand Slam for 61 years.
Bowe said: “It’s a tremendous honour to be nominated by my peers for these awards and to be nominated in two categories is a great honour for me and my family.”
“This has been an unbelievable season for me and for Irish rugby and to be nominated alongside the outstanding names on this list is a privilege.”
Niall Woods, chief executive of IRUPA said: “Winning an award voted for by players who you play and compete against is the best tribute for any rugby player. In this Grand Slam year, so many players were in contention for awards making it the closest run competition to date.”
Among the four other awards is the IRUPA Nature Valley Young Player of the Year Award, contested this year by the likes of Ulster’s Darren Cave and Keith Earls of Munster, who face stiff competition from 2008 winner, Leinster’s Cian Healy.
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