Trio in line for award

TOMMY BOWE, Keith Earls and Jamie Heaslip are the nominees for the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Rugby Union Players Association ‘players’ player of the year’ award.

The winner will be announced on Wednesday, May 12 at Dublin’s Burlington Hotel.

Bowe won the title in 2008 while Heaslip was honoured with the ‘try of the year’ 12 months ago. Earls has yet to pick up one of these prestigious accolades but having shone for the Lions and later for Ireland, has a great deal in his favour.

IRUPA chief executive Niall Woods said: “Winning an award voted for by players who you play and compete against is the best tribute for any rugby player.

“These awards celebrate not only those players but also raise much needed monies for the IRUPA Injured Players Fund.”

Among the five other awards is the IRUPA Nature Valley ‘young player of the year’ award, contested this year by a feast of talented players including Scott Deasy and Keith Earls of Munster who face stiff competition from Connacht’s Fionn Carr who is also nominated in the IRUPA Volkswagen ‘try of the year’ category for his try against Leinster in the Magners League.

Following its success last year, rugby fans across Ireland can again vote for their Supporters Player of the Year 2010, on Newstalk106-108fm. The award will be presented to the winning player at the Bord Gáis Energy Award

IRUPA and O2 will also announce the O2 ‘team of the decade’ which reflects on 10 years of Irish rugby.