Hanrahan in frame for top junior player award

Ireland’s JJ Hanrahan has been shortlisted for the IRB Junior Player of the Year Award at the U20 World Cup in South Africa.

Hanrahan, the tournament’s joint second-highest points scorer, is the first Irish player to be in contention for the accolade.

The Kerry born out-half has been instrumental in Ireland’s run, which saw them narrowly miss out on the semi-finals. They went on to defeat England in the 5th-8th place semi-final and will battle it out with France on Friday for the title of the fifth best side in the world.

The three-man list represents the voting of team managers, match officials and media at the tournament while the public can vote for their favourite player online at www.facebook.com/irbjuniorworldrugby. The results of the public poll will be considered, along with the original votes, when announcing the winner on Friday.

South African pair, Shaun Adendorff and Jan Serfontein, are the other two players nominated alongside the Munster and UL Bohemian tyro.

UL Bohs president, Frank Malone said: “We are extremely proud of him. He has been very impressive since joining from Rockwell College, and to be considered alongside the cream of the world is an incredible achievement.” After helping Munster A win the British and Irish Cup this season, the Currow man earned a senior development contract with the province.

In an Irish Examiner interview last month, he predicted that the bond in this year’s squad would help them go far at the Junior World Championships: “Everyone’s very close friends. I know from coming up through underage squads that it’s sometimes hard for the whole group to click… . But this year is different, there’s a lot of belief.”