Louis Bielle-Biarrey caps Champions Cup title win with another award

Bordeaux-Begles wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey has been named the Investec player of the year after his side defended their Champions Cup crown with a 41-19 victory over Leinster in Bilbao on Saturday.

The 22-year-old beat team-mate Matthieu Jalibert, losing finalist Caelan Doris and Bath’s Alfie Barbeary and Finn Russell to the award following his two-try performance against Leinster.

The brace took the winger to the top of the try-scoring ranks this season with 10, two more than Toulon’s Gaël Drean. Bielle-Biarrey’s footwork for his first try, stepping two players before diving over, as well as his searing pace for the second, racing in from long range. Both tries came in the first half, and he had 45 minutes to become the first hat-trick scorer in a Champions Cup final.

The award is the latest individual title awarded to the prolific winger this season after being named the Six Nations player of the Championship following France’s victory.

Speaking to Premier Sports after receiving the award, he said: “It is really special, but I am a winger. If the forwards don’t do a great job, if the backs don’t do a great job too, I have no good ball. So, it is because of them that I am player of the year this year.”

Investec player of the year winners
2026: Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Union Bordeaux Bègles)
2025: Damian Penaud (Union Bordeaux-Bègles)
2024: Antoine Dupont (Toulouse)
2023: Gregory Alldritt (La Rochelle)
2022: Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby)
2021: Antoine Dupont (Toulouse)
2020: Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
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 club rugby)