Leinster dominate shortlist for EPCR Player of the Year

Caelan Doris, Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier have been shortlisted for the 2023 EPCR Player of the Year accolade, the governing body announced on Wednesday.

The Leinster team-mates are joined on the shortlist Stade Rochelais’s Grégory Alldritt and Antoine Dupont of Toulouse.

Van der Flier won the award last year, while fellow nominee Dupont scooped the prize in 2021.

The nominees were decided on after an initial longlist was pared down by the voting public, and a star-studded judging panel – including Springboks veteran Bryan Habana, former England captain Sarah Hunter and twice Heineken Cup winner Andy Goode.

The Counter Ruck: the rugby newsletter from The Irish Times

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Farrell, Daly and Butler among 11 players set to leave Connacht

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Cian Healy fully focused on pursuit of silverware as season’s climax approaches

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English referee Matthew Carley to take charge of Leinster’s Champions Cup final

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The winner of the competition will be announced after the Heineken Champions Cup final.

After a resounding victory over Toulouse at the weekend, Leinster will face Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle in the final of the Champions Cup later this month at the Aviva Stadium.