Healy, Williams and Zebo on shortlist for top player award

Cian Healy, Nick Williams and Simon Zebo are the choice of their peers in Ireland’s Rugby Players Association to form the shortlist for the Hibernia College IRUPA Players’ Player of the Year award 2013.

Leinster loosehead prop Healy, Ulster No.8 Williams and Munster wing Zebo topped the voting by the country’s professional players, with the winner announced at the awards ceremony on May 8 at the Burlington Hotel.

Also in the hunt for recognition are Connacht’s Robbie Henshaw, Leinster’s Ian Madigan and Ulster’s Luke Marshall, for the Nevin Spence Young Player of the Year, with Zebo getting a second nomination, this time for the Volkswagen Try of the Year. Zebo’s score in the corner for Ireland against Wales after receiving a brilliant pass from Brian O’Driscoll during this year’s Six Nations opener, goes up against Craig Gilroy’s try on his test debut against Argentina in November and provincial team-mate Ian Henderson’s effort against Saracens in Ulster’s Heineken Cup quarter-final at Twickenham.