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Garry Ringrose in action during the pool stages. Morgan Treacy/INPHO
In form

Ringrose on long-list for European player of year prize

Garry Ringrose, Jordan Larmour, Tadhg Furlong, John Cooney and Marcell Coetzee all nominated for European player of the year prize.

GARRY RINGROSE LEADS the charge of four Irishmen who have been nominated for the prestigious EPCR European Player of the Year award.

Ringrose is one of three Leinster players – Tadhg Furlong and Jordan Larmour being the others – who have been included on the 15-man long-list by the judging panel. The Leinster centre scored two hat-tricks in the pool stage. In addition, Ulster’s John Cooney and their South African international, Marcell Coetzee, have also made the cut.

No Irish player has won the award since Rob Kearney beat off competition from Johnny Sexton to land the prize in 2012. Since then, it has alternated between Saracens employees and players from Racing 92, Clermont Auvergne and Toulon.

Racing are represented again this time, with three nominees – Finn Russell, Teddy Thomas and Virimi Vakatawa while Exeter have Luke Cowan-Dickie, Stuart Hogg and Sam Simmonds on the long-list.

The Toulouse pair of Jerome Kaino and Romain Ntamack; ASM Clermont Auvergne centre, George Moala, and Bordeaux-Bègles’ Sami Radradra completes the initial 15-strong list.

The winner of one of the most prized individual accolades in the world game will receive a specially-struck gold medal as well as the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy.

The list will be reduced to five players in early May following the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup semi-finals by a combination of the public vote and the verdict of the judges, and players who have not been included in the initial list of 15, but who make a significant impact in a quarter-final or semi-final match, may be considered for the shortlist.

The voting will then re-open and the winner of the 2020 award will be announced following the Heineken Champions Cup final at the Stade Vélodrome, Marseille on Saturday, May 23.

EPCR European Player of the Year 2020 award nominees:

Marcell COETZEE (Ulster Rugby)
John COONEY 
(Ulster Rugby)
Luke COWAN-DICKIE 
(Exeter Chiefs)
Tadhg FURLONG 
(Leinster Rugby)
Stuart HOGG 
(Exeter Chiefs)
Jerome KAINO (Toulouse)
Jordan LARMOUR (Leinster Rugby)
George MOALA 
(ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Romain NTAMACK (Toulouse)
Semi RADRADRA 
(Bordeaux-Bègles)
Garry RINGROSE (Leinster Rugby)
Finn RUSSELL 
(Racing 92)
Sam SIMMONDS 
(Exeter Chiefs)
Teddy THOMAS 
(Racing 92)
Virimi VAKATAWA 
(Racing 92)

 Judging Panel: Erik Bonneval (beIN SPORTS), Bryan Habana (Channel 4), Emmanuel Massicard (Midi Olympique), Sonja McLaughlan (BBC Radio 5 Live), Brian O’Driscoll (BT Sport), Alan Quinlan (Virgin Media), Dimitri Yachvili (France Télévisions)

Roll of Honour – 2019: Alex Goode (Saracens); 2018: Leone Nakarawa (Racing 92); 2017: Owen Farrell (Saracens); 2016: Maro Itoje (Saracens); 2015: Nick Abendanon (ASM Clermont Auvergne); 2014: Steffon Armitage (RC Toulon); 2013: Jonny Wilkinson (RC Toulon); 2012: Rob Kearney (Leinster Rugby); 2011: Sean O’Brien (Leinster Rugby); 2010: Ronan O’Gara (Munster Rugby – best player of first 15 years of European professional club competitions)

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