O'Driscoll and Campbell on the double

Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll has been nominated alongside fellow Ireland internationals Paul O'Connell and Johnny O'Connor for the 2005 BT IRUPA Players' Player of the Year award.

O'Driscoll boasts two nominations for next month's Irish Rugby Union Players Association (IRUPA) Awards, with the 26-year-old centre going head-to-head with another two-time nominee, Ulster scrum-half Kieran Campbell for the Try of the Year gong.

O'Driscoll's stunning second half try in Bourgoin last December when he rescued Leinster's unbeaten start to the Heineken Cup Pool stages will be up against solo touch downs from Campbell and David Humphreys from Ulster's 18-10 defeat of Stade Francais.

Campbell is also up against provincial team mate Tommy Bowe - last year's Young Player of the Year - and Leinster fly-half David Holwell for the Newcomer of the Year award.

Munster lock O'Connell will be hoping not to be outdone by a Leinster and Ireland centre for the second year running after Gordon D'Arcy walked off with the 2004 Players' Player of the Year award twelve months ago.

"Winning an award voted for by your peers is the best tribute for any sportsperson. This awards ceremony will celebrate those players who dominated the season but will also raise much needed funds for the IRUPA Injured Players Fund," said IRUPA CEO Niall Woods.

A total of six awards will be presented at the ceremony at the Burlington Hotel, Dublin on Wednesday, May 4. Players from all four provinces have cast votes, with Connacht fly-half Eric Elwood set to be deservingly inducted into the IRUPA Barker Hall of Fame.

2005 Nominations:

BT IRUPA PLAYERS PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Paul O'Connell (Munster)

Jonny O'Connor (Wasps)

Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster)

IRUPA HOOKE & MACDONALD UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR:

Neil Best (Ulster)

John Hayes (Munster)

Shane Jennings (Leinster)

IRUPA BARKER HALL OF FAME:

Eric Elwood (Connacht)

IRUPA TYRONE CRYSTAL TRY OF YEAR:

Kieran Campbell (Ulster) (v Stade Francais, December 2004)

David Humphreys (Ulster) (v Stade Francais, December 2004)

Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster) (v Bourgoin, December 2004)

IRUPA GREEN GIANT NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:

Tommy Bowe (Ulster)

Kieran Campbell (Ulster)

David Holwell (Leinster)

IRURA IRISH LIFE SPECIAL MERIT AWARD:

To be announced on May 4