NOT BEFORE time, and not surprisingly, Brian O’Driscoll was last night voted the Bord Gáis Energy IRUPA Players’ Player of the Year by his fellow players for the first time at the seventh annual IRUPA Awards.
In what is turning out to be both a vintage season for arguably Ireland’s greatest ever player, as well as his most rewarding one, the 30-year-old captained Ireland to a first Grand Slam in 61 years and has played a starring role in Leinster’s march to a first Heineken Cup final.
Having been joint-top try scorer and player of the tournament in the Six Nations, O’Driscoll’s 25th Heineken Cup try against Munster last Saturday also made him this season’s leading try scorer in the competition with five in eight games.
“You’re always thankful to receive awards and to receive acclaim but I think when you start receiving it from your own peers they’re the awards that mean the most. That’s why this is probably the award in Ireland to win.”
Rumours of his demise earlier in the season certainly proved premature. “Sometimes you’ve to dig in and I made some changes to my game, to my lifestyle and to different things, and sometimes you’ve to reassess and put yourself in the best position to be fit and out on the pitch and to be playing your best. It’s a combination of being lucky but working hard at the same time.
“It’s funny, but you get to stay fit and you get to play a lot more and it makes life a lot easier,” added O’Driscoll. “You don’t think that far in advance. I’m not a big thinker about what might be and could be, I just try to live in the ‘now’ and just enjoy it too. And I’ve really enjoyed my rugby this season, that’s been a big thing.”
The 120-plus membership of IRUPA also honoured Keith Earls as the IRUPA Nature Valley Young Player of the Year, while Jamie Heaslip picked up the IRUPA Tyrone Crystal Try of the Year for his try against France in the Six Nations Championship.
Appropriately too, Leinster’s Stan Wright collected the IRUPA Energise Sport Unsung Hero Award. The Cook Islander has started 42 of his 45 appearances for Leinster over the last two years (missing only three games), in which he has packed down at tight-head 30 times and loosehead a dozen times.
Joining Ireland’s heroes in the Bord Gáis Energy IRUPA Hall of Fame was Munster legend Anthony Foley. O’Driscoll was also awarded the Bord Gáis Energy IRUPA Rugby Supporters Player of the Year as voted by listeners of Newstalk 106-108 fm.
AWARD WINNERS
PLAYERS' PLAYER OF THE YEAR:Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster). Nominations: Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Stephen Ferris (Ulster), Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster).
UNSUNG HERO:Stan Wright (Leinster). Nominations: Rory Best (Ulster), John Hayes (Munster), Stan Wright (Leinster).
HALL OF FAME:Anthony Foley (Munster).
TRY OF THE YEAR:Jamie Heaslip (Ireland v France). Nominations: Tommy Bowe (Ireland v Wales), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland v France), Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster v Wasps).
YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR:Keith Earls (Munster). Nominations: Darren Cave (Ulster), Keith Earls (Munster), Cian Healy (Leinster).
RUGBY SUPPORTERS PLAYER OF THE YEAR (voted by listeners of Newstalk 106-108fm):Brian O'Driscoll.
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