Players name O'Connell Player of the Year
Paul O’Connell is the 2015 IRUPA Players’ Player of the Year.
The Munster and Ireland legend won the award last night at the 13th annual Awards ceremony after his fellow Ireland players had voted for him, while supporters gave him the Newstalk Supporters’ Player of the Year gong.
He becomes the third player to win the IRUPA award twice, Gordon D’Arcy and Tommy Bowe being the other two-time winners, as he also picked up the honour in 2006.
O'Connell beat off competition from his fellow Munster team-mate Conor Murray, Leinster's Jonathan Sexton and Connacht's Robbie Henshaw to win the award.
However, Henshaw beat Leinster duo Jack Conan and Jack McGrath to the Nevin Spence Young Player award, and becomes the only player to win an award three years in a row.
The Connacht and Ireland centre, who was nominated in three categories, also added the VW Try of the Year award for his try against England in the RBS Six Nations.
Paul, who started all of Ireland’s Six Nations games this year and earned his 100th International cap against Wales, said: “It is really great to win this award, it’s hard to believe it is nine years ago that I last won it!
"It’s been a fantastic season for Ireland and winning my 100th cap during the Six Nations was really special, so this tops it off nicely.”
Paul's former Munster and Ireland team-mate, flanker David Wallace, joined the BNY Mellon IRUPA Hall of Fame, while the members of the Ireland Sevens squad elected Lucy Mulhall as the BNY Mellon Women’s Sevens Player of the Year 2015.
In a season of standout performances and memories, members of the public voted Ireland’s RBS Six Nations title win as the Powerscourt Hotel Resort & Spa as the Rugby Moment of the Year via Twitter. The award was collected by Sean O’Brien and Joe Schmidt.
Winner: Paul O’Connell, Munster
Nominations:
Robbie Henshaw, Connacht
Conor Murray, Munster
Paul O’Connell, Munster
Jonathan Sexton, Racing Metro
Winner: Robbie Henshaw, Connacht
Nominations:
Jack Conan, Leinster
Robbie Henshaw, Connacht
Jack McGrath, Leinster
Winner: Robbie Henshaw - Ireland v England, RBS Six Nations
Nominations:
Craig Gilroy - Ulster v Scarlets, Pro12
Robbie Henshaw - Ireland v England, RBS Six Nations
Kieran Marmion - Connacht v Leinster, Pro12
Winner: Michael Swift, Connacht
Nominations:
Chris Henry, Ulster
Felix Jones, Munster
Michael Swift, Connacht
Inducted: David Wallace, Munster
Winner: Darragh Fanning, Leinster
Nominations:
Callum Black, Ulster
Darragh Fanning, Leinster
Denis Hurley, Munster
Winner: Paul O’Connell, Munster
Ireland winning the RBS Six Nations Title as voted by the public on Twitter @PowerscourtHtl #PHMoment15.
Lucy Mulhall
Alan Quinlan
