Nacewa, Earls and O'Brien on list

IRUPA AWARDS:KEITH EARLS, Seán O'Brien and Isa Nacewa have been short-listed for the Bord Gáis Energy Irupa Players' Player of the Year award, which will be announced at the Irish Rugby Players Association awards dinner at the Burlington Hotel on Wednesday, May 4th.

It is a measure of Nacewa’s impact in his third season with Leinster that the 28-year-old ex-Auckland Blues utility back, once capped by Fiji, could become the first overseas player to be chosen by the 150-strong association in its nine years.

The previous winners have been Malcolm O’Kelly, Gordon D’Arcy (twice), Johnny O’Connor, Paul O’Connell, Tommy Bowe (twice) and Brian O’Driscoll.

Ever-present this season, Nacewa has started all bar one of Leinster’s 27 competitive matches, and his crucial try in the Heineken Cup quarter-final win over Leicester a fortnight ago was his seventh of a stellar campaign.

Along with Nacewa’s catching, counter-attacking and ferocious work in contact, another abiding image of the season has been O’Brien’s dynamic ball-carrying. Despite being moved across the backrow, his performances for Leinster (six tries in 17 games) have been profound.

The 23-year-old’s influence also grew with Ireland during a rookie Six Nations campaign in which he played every minute and made most pundits’ team of the tournament.

Similarly, Earls played every minute of the Six Nations, and as he did with an injury-delayed start to the campaign, overcame an uncertain start against Italy and France to flourish against Scotland, Wales and England, where he seamlessly switched to full-back. He continued his good form with a sensational, two-try display in Munster’s win in Brive a fortnight ago.

Irupa is a non-profit organisation founded by the players in 2001, and the Players’ Player of the Year award is one of seven to be awarded on the night.

O’Driscoll, the recently-installed acting chairman, said, “Winning an Irupa award, which is voted for by the players who you play with and against, is the best mark of respect for any rugby player. These awards celebrate not only those players, but also raise much needed monies for the Irupa injured players fund.”

Among the six other awards is the Young Player of the Year Award, contested this year by a feast of talented players including Munster’s Conor Murray, Rhys Ruddock from Leinster and Ulster’s next centre prodigy Nevin Spence.

Fans can vote for their Supporters’ Player of the Year on Newstalk106-108fm, from Monday, April 25th, with one listener winning a year’s supply of electricity from Bord Gáis Energy as well as attending the event.

A new award is the Moment of the Year, which will be voted for by the public via Facebook page facebook/bethedifference