O’Gara named Player of the Year

Ronan O’Gara (Munster and Ireland) has been named as the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Player of the Year and Munster the Team of the Year for the season 2007/2008.

Ronan O’Gara (Munster and Ireland) has been named as the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Player of the Year.

Heineken Cup champions Munster were named the Team of the Year for the season 2007/2008.

Michael Whelan of Guinness and Peter O’Reilly, chairman of the Rugby Writers of Ireland, jointly presented the awards.

Whelan said: “The Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Awards affords us the opportunity to honour those who have provided us all with such fantastic entertainment and enduring memories from the game of rugby.

“We congratulate all the winners here tonight and look forward to another great season of international rugby.”

Cork Constitution FC were voted Club of the Year and the Tom Rooney Award, for making an exceptional contribution to the game, went to Roly Meates, the former Ireland and Leinster coach.

Former Ireland prop Sean Lynch and fly half Mick English were inducted into the Guinness Hall of Fame.