Munster’s Stander nominated

EUROPEAN Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) has named the contenders for the European Player of the Year award who will follow in the footsteps of world-class talents such as Sean O’Brien, Jonny Wilkinson and Maro Itoje.

Selected by a distinguished panel of rugby experts, the list for one of the most prized individual accolades in the world game includes 15 players who have performed outstandingly during the 2016/17 season to date.

Itoje, who won last year’s award following a series of magnificent displays as Saracens stormed to a first Champions Cup title, is nominated again, along with teammate Owen Farrell. Wasp Elliot Daly is also included for a second season in a row.

There are first-time nominations for the Munster trio of Tyler Bleyendaal, Conor Murray and CJ Stander, while Leinster have matched that tally with Tadhg Furlong, Isa Nacewa and Garry Ringrose making the list.

Wasps also have three players as Joe Launchbury and Thomas Young join Daly, and there are nominations for Clermont duo Camille Lopez and Noa Nakaitaci, as well as Jonny Gray and Stuart Hogg of Glasgow.

Online voting, in tandem with the judging panel, will open on epcrugby.com on April 3. The initial voting phase will conclude after the semi-finals when the list will be reduced to five on Monday, April 24. The winner will be announced during the EPCR finals weekend in Edinburgh in May. – Sports Reporter