Try of the Year nominees unveiled ahead of All-Ireland League Awards

Cork Con's Jack Crowley is nominated for the Men's Try of the Year award.

Their season may have come to a premature end due to the Covid-19 outbreak but the Energia All-Ireland League is determined to go out in style by staging its annual Rugby Awards online next week.

The awards, which annually honour the players, coaches, and clubs of the Energia All Ireland League, will go virtual, hosted by Mario Rosenstock, on Friday, May 8, eight weeks after the IRFU decided to end the 2019-20 domestic season with immediate effect as the country entered lockdown on government orders.

They will be broadcast at 8pm on Friday, May 8, on title sponsor Energia’s YouTube and Facebook channels with Rosenstock joined online by guests including Leinster and Ireland star Jordan Larmour.

Energy supplier Energia said it was staging the awards “to help lift positive energy and give everyone involved in rugby and the league something to celebrate during these challenging times”.

There will be a public online vote on energia.ie for the Men’s and Women’s Try of the Year awards with the poll open until Sunday and also up for grabs on May 8 with be the Men’s and Women’s Player and Coach of the Year awards, a Rising Star for each division, and a new Positive Energy Award, to recognise the team or player “who has embraced the positive energy mentality and gone above and beyond for the league”.

“It is now more important than ever before that we celebrate, honour, and recognise all those involved in the Energia AIL and highlight how that positive energy and community spirit can bring us all together both on and off the rugby pitch,” Energia managing director Gary Ryan said. “We are thrilled to still make this year’s awards something special for everyone and virtually celebrate all those players, coaches, fans, and volunteers who have made such a difference to the league this past season.”