Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

Bristol favourite Radradra heads 5-strong European player of the year award shortlist

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Fijian favourite Semi Radradra is going head to head with Scottish duo Finn Russell and Stuart Hogg, England’s Sam Simmonds and Virimi Vakatawa of France after Bristol Bears, Racing 92 and Exeter were all represented on the shortlist for the 2020 EPCR European player of the year award.

ADVERTISEMENT

Fifteen initial nominees were trimmed to five based on the combined verdict of a panel of rugby experts and a public vote, and the final five includes four players whose performances were vital in taking their clubs through to the Heineken Champions Cup final at Ashton Gate next month. 

Exeter are represented by Simmonds, the leading try scorer in this season’s tournament, as well as Hogg, whose Scotland colleague Russell makes it onto the list for Racing alongside his clubmate Vakatawa. The Top 14 club are looking for a second accolade in three years as Leone Nakarawa, their former second row, won in 2018.

Video Spacer

Former All Blacks back row Jerome Kaino talks about Cheslin Kolbe, his Toulouse teammate

Video Spacer

Former All Blacks back row Jerome Kaino talks about Cheslin Kolbe, his Toulouse teammate

The selection of Radradra, meanwhile, comes on the back of a stellar series of performances in the European Challenge Cup, initially for Bordeaux during the pool stage and more recently for finalists Bristol. His presence on the shortlist is unusual in the sense that players in the Challenge Cup don’t often get this type of recognition.

Voting has now reopened on epcrugby.com/epoty and the winner and recipient of the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy will be announced following the Heineken Champions Cup final in Bristol on October 17.

EPCR European Player of the Year shortlist

STUART HOGG (Exeter Chiefs)
SEMI RADRADRA (Bristol Bears/Bordeaux)
FINN RUSSELL (Racing 92)
SAM SIMMONDS (Exeter Chiefs)
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)

ADVERTISEMENT

Roll of Honour

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

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

E
EllenMoody 4 hours ago
Great moments in Lions tour history – JPR’s drop goal and the All Blacks' brutal revenge

A Crypto Theft Victim's Journey: How Morphohack Cyber Service Restored My Assets

By: Ellen Moody, Crypto Investor and Advocate

I was left reeling after discovering that my digital wallet had been compromised, resulting in the loss of 39.5 Ethereum. This devastating experience left me desperate for a solution. I reached out to Morphohack Cyber Service. Their team responded with exceptional professionalism and expertise, promptly launching a comprehensive analysis of the blockchain network to track the stolen funds.

Their specialists employed cutting-edge blockchain analytics tools to follow the digital footprint, providing detailed explanations of their methods. It was evident that they possessed a profound understanding of hacker strategies and vulnerabilities. Despite encountering obstacles, they persevered, meticulously tracking the ETH as it navigated various wallets and tumblers.

Throughout the process, Morphohack Cyber Service maintained seamless communication, providing regular updates on the case. Ultimately, their efforts culminated in the successful recovery of 37 ETH, seized from the wallets holding my stolen assets.

I’m profoundly grateful for Morphohack Cyber Service expertise and genuine commitment to helping victims of crypto theft. Their specialized knowledge of blockchain forensics is unmatched. I highly recommend their services to anyone facing a similar situation. In the complex world of crypto, they are truly a trusted ally.

Need Help Recovering Stolen Crypto? Contact Morphohack Cyber Service:

Email: Morphohack@cyberservices.com

Info@morphohackcyber.com

Morphohackcyber.com

1 Go to comments
J
JWH 5 hours ago
'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Do you hear yourself? Do you have any concept of world view? Have you tried looking into why people call Ireland ‘arrogant’? Obviously not.


We started calling you arrogant when you called our captain a ‘shit Richie McCaw’. In New Zealand. On our turf. Don’t think that kind of behaviour really calls for respect, does it.


NZ don’t really talk ourselves up, if anything the rugby does it for us. No kiwi goes in the media and says: ‘We are gonna win the RWC’. However, I have found many instance of IRISH media saying that the Irish should win, without a doubt. THAT is disrespectful.


The All Blacks have played good rugby, even some of the best rugby ever, at many points in history, but I don’t think you could find a single instance of one of those players, or the NZ media, saying that they should whitewash their opponents. Ever.


Now, onto your analysis. Ireland DID choke the QF. They beat the champions, they were ranked first coming into it, a lot of players at the peaks of their powers. Its hard to say that they didn’t choke. Obviously, their preparation was just not as good as NZ, and thats all there really is to it.


If Ireland had repsected that ABs team and that QF more, maybe they would’ve prepared properly for it and won. But they didn’t.


Maybe if Ireland had won their QF last RWC, they wouldn’t have to be in the same pool as SA and Scotland. I mean, its called a draw for a reason. NZ got third last RWC, so of course they should get a reasonable pool, and they were ranked pretty highly too. If you want to talk about easy pools, look no further than Pool 3 with England, Australia, Fiji, and Georgia I think?


Now, obviously you don’t remember how that QF ended, so I’ll go ahead and rectify that. Ireland reclaimed the ball off kickoff and marched for 20ish phases into the opposition half. Savea then won a turnover, but the referee refused to give it, so play went on. Finally, at the NZ 22, after not giving up a single penatly in 25 phases of hard defense, Sam Whitelock, the most capped All Black of all time, wins the game with an incredible steal.


Now, NZ players having a go at Ireland. Do you cry when you get hit after making the first swing? We all know Sexton is a prick on the field, its just the truth. And Ioane never backs down from a clash, so he thought he should humble a player who has never won an international knockout game who thought he was all that. Don’t really see the issue, its poetic justice really.

83 Go to comments
TRENDING
TRENDING Fijian Drua rising star stunned by shock news before Hong Kong Sevens Fijian Drua rising star stunned by shock news before Hong Kong Sevens
Search