THE LEINSTER TRIO of Josh van der Flier, James Lowe, and Caelan Doris have been included on the shortlist for 2022 European player of the year.
La Rochelle’s Grégory Alldritt and Antoine Dupont of Toulouse have also been nominated.
The award will be decided by the combination of a fan vote and the opinions of an expert panel made up of ex-Ireland international Alan Quinlan, former Springboks wing Bryan Habana, ex-France scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili, Channel 4 presenter Lee McKenzie, and former France wing Erik Bonneval – all of whom work in sports media.
The winner will be announced following the Champions Cup final between Leinster and La Rochelle in Marseille on 28 May.
Openside flanker van der Flier, left wing Lowe, and back row powerhouse Doris have been crucial in Leinster’s progress into the decider.
Van der Flier is playing the best rugby of his career, Lowe has gone to a new level after some disappointment with Ireland last season, while 24-year-old Doris continues to grow as an all-action force.
Alldritt has been a key man in La Rochelle’s progress into the final, but Dupont’s Toulouse were knocked out by Leinster in the semi-finals last weekend.
Dupont won the award in 2021, while Sam Simmonds, Alex Goode, Leone Nakarawa, Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje, and Nick Abendanon are also on the roll of honour since 2015.
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