Caelan Doris, Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier have all been nominated for the 2023 EPCR Player of the Year award.
The Leinster trio are joined on the final shortlist by La Rochelle’s Grégory Alldritt and Toulouse’s Antoine Dupont.
Three of the Irish province’s leading players are contenders for the prized accolade which is now in its 14th year.
The 2022 winner, van der Flier is looking to become the first player to win the title in back-to-back seasons. Doris and Ringrose are looking to become the fourth Leinster players to win the award, following in the footsteps of Seán O’Brien (2011), Rob Kearney (2012) and van der Flier (2022).
The initial 15 nominees have been trimmed to five based on the combined verdict of a renowned panel of judges along with almost 20,000 participants in the public vote.
Voting for one of the most coveted individual awards in world rugby 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.
2023 EPCR Player of the Year shortlist
Grégory ALLDRITT (Stade Rochelais)
Caelan DORIS (Leinster Rugby)
Antoine DUPONT (Stade Toulousain)
Garry RINGROSE (Leinster Rugby)
Josh VAN DER FLIER (Leinster Rugby)
Judging Panel – Bryan Habana (two-time Heineken Champions Cup winner), Sarah Hunter (former England captain), Elma Smit (sports presenter and producer), Andy Goode (two-time Heineken Cup winner), Dimitri Yachvili (France Télévisions and Challenge Cup winner)
Roll of Honour
2022: Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby)
2021: Antoine Dupont (Stade Toulousain)
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)
