Ireland’s Grand Slam captain Brian O’Driscoll has picked up another top award after being named as the 32nd winner of the Rugby Union Writers’ Club’s Pat Marshall Memorial Award as the sport’s outstanding personality for 2009…
The Leinster and British & Irish Lions centre was the overwhelming winner of the prestigious award – he polled 90% of the votes – and became only the third Irish winner, following in the footsteps of Ollie Campbell (1982) and Mick Doyle (1985).
Irish rugby dominated in the northern hemisphere in 2009 and O’Driscoll not only led the national side to a first Grand Slam in 61 years, but also to an unbeaten run of nine games, including a draw, and victory over the world champion Springboks.
Although he wasn’t able to travel to the Tower Hotel in London to receive his award in person, O’Driscoll sent a video message to the 500 strong gathering which included a tribute to Lions coach Sir Ian McGeechan, who received a Special Award for his services to the game from the RUWC.
First formed in 1960, the RUWC instituted the Pat Marshall Memorial Award in the 1975/76 season in memory of the great Daily Express rugby writer.
The first winner was Wales and Lions No 8 Mervyn Davies.
PAT MARSHALL MEMORIAL AWARD WINNERS
1975/76 Mervyn Davies (Swansea / Wales)
1976/77 Andy Irvine (Heriot’s FP / Scotland)
1977/78 Gareth Edwards (Cardiff / Wales)
1978/79 JPR Williams (Bridgend / Wales)
1979/80 Bill Beaumont (Fylde / England)
1980/81 Jean-Pierre Rives (Toulouse / France)
1981/82 Ollie Campbell (Old Belvedere / Ireland)
1982/83 Dave Loveridge (Taranaki / New Zealand)
1983/84 Jim Aitken (Gala / Scotland)
1984/85 Mick Doyle (Ireland coach)
1985/86 Jonathan Davies (Neath / Wales)
1986/87 David Kirk (Auckland / New Zealand)
1987/88 Rob Norster (Cardiff / Wales)
1988/89 Finlay Calder (Stewart’s-Melville FP / Scotland)
1989/90 Ian McGeechan (Scotland coach)
1990/91 David Campese (NSW / Australia)
1991/92 Nick Farr-Jones (NSW / Australia)
1992/93 Ben Clarke (Bath / England)
1993/94 Francois Pienaar (Transvaal / South Africa)
1994/95 Jonah Lomu (Counties / New Zealand)
1995/96 Sean Fitzpatrick (Auckland / New Zealand)
1996/97 Lawrence Dallaglio (London Wasps / England)
1997/98 Nick Mallett (South Africa coach)
1998/99 Tim Horan (Queensland / Australia)
1999/00 Pat Lam (Northampton Saints / Samoa)
2000/01 Martin Johnson (Leicester Tigers / England)
2001/02 Martin Johnson (Leicester Tigers / England)
2002/03 Jonny Wilkinson (Newcastle Falcons / England)
2003/04 Martin Johnson (Leicester Tigers / England)
2004/05 Rob Howley (London Wasps / Wales)
2005/06 Gareth Thomas (Toulouse / Wales)
2006/07 Jason White (Sale Sharks / Scotland)
2007/08 Jason Robinson (Sale Sharks / England)
2008/09 Shane Williams (Ospreys / Wales)
2009/10 Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster / Ireland)
