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Hansen And Martin Honoured At Connacht Rugby Awards

Hansen And Martin Honoured At Connacht Rugby Awards

Connacht centre Catherine Martin, who helped Suttonians to win the Energia All-Ireland League Women's Conference title this season, is pictured with her Connacht Player of the Year award ©INPHO/Ben Brady

Mack Hansen and Catherine Martin were the big winners at the annual Connacht Rugby Awards Ball as they were crowned the respective Men’s and Women’s Players of the Year for 2021/22.

The accolade is the latest in a string of achievements for Hansen who has enjoyed a whirlwind first season with Connacht.

The back-three ace has scored seven tries in 14 appearances for the province, and also started four of Ireland’s five Guinness Six Nations games, scoring a famous try against France and winning the Triple Crown.

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His performances meant he was duly voted the Men’s Player of the Year by his Connacht team-mates, with Cian Prendergast and Conor Oliver also nominated for the award.

The Women’s Player of the Year award went to centre Martin after her excellent appearances for Connacht in this season’s Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship.

Meanwhile, Prendergast’s breakthrough season was deservedly acknowledged by the supporters, with the flanker named the Fans’ Player of the Year after a week of public voting on connachtrugby.ie.

Matthew Devine capped a brilliant season with the scrum half named the Academy Player of the Year, largely thanks to his terrific form for the Ireland Under-20s during their Grand Slam-winning Six Nations run.

There were also emotional scenes at the Clayton Hotel when the late, great Mick Grealish was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Contribution to Connacht Rugby award. His wife Maureen and family received the accolade on his behalf.

2021/22 CONNACHT RUGBY AWARDS – LIST OF WINNERS & NOMINEES:

Under-18 Men’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Sound to Light

Winner: Max Flynn – Galway Corinthians RFC/CC Roscrea
Hugh Gavin – Galwegians RFC/The Jes
Ryan Roche – Galwegians RFC/St. Paul’s Oughterard

Under-18 Women’s Player of the Year – sponsored by RDJ

Winner: Molly Boote – Connemara RFC/Clifden Community College
Éabha Nic Dhonnacha – Galway Corinthians RFC/Chuimsitheach na Chiaráin, An Cheathru Rua
Karly Tierney – Tuam/Oughterard RFC/Salerno Salthill

Under-19 Men’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Benchmark Recruitment

Winner: Harry West – Ballina RFC/The King’s Hospital
John Devine – Ballinasloe RFC/Garbally College
Adam Hunter – Sligo RFC/Sligo Grammar School

Academy Player of the Year – sponsored by Total Health

Winner: Matthew Devine
Cathal Forde
Diarmuid Kilgallen

Referee of the Year – sponsored by LK Shields

Winner: Andrew Fogarty
Siobhán Daly
Gerry Geraghty

Coach of the Year – sponsored by Deloitte

Winner: Charlie Couper – Buccaneers RFC
Martin Cummins – Dunmore RFC
Henry O’Toole – Connemara RFC

Women’s Club Player of the Year – sponsored by CityLink

Winner: Aoife Williams – Galwegians RFC
Noreen Coyne – Westport RFC
Hazel Kilduff – Buccaneers RFC

Men’s Junior Club Player of the Year – sponsored by Laya

Winner: Brian Diffley – Creggs RFC
Steven Conroy – Ballinrobe RFC
Ian Staunton – Connemara RFC

Men’s Senior Club Player of the Year – sponsored by Aerogen

Winner: Calum Quinn – Ballina RFC
Shane Layden – Buccaneers RFC
Mark McDermott – Galway Corinthians RFC

Club of the Year – sponsored by Bank of Ireland

Winner: Creggs RFC
Buccaneers RFC
Sligo RFC

Fans’ Player of the Year – sponsored by Intersport Elverys

Winner: Cian Prendergast
Jack Carty
Shane Delahunt
Mack Hansen
Conor Oliver

Lifetime Contribution to Connacht Rugby – sponsored by Heineken

Mick Grealish RIP

Women’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Genesys

Winner: Catherine Martin
Orla Dixon
Fiona Scally

Men’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Genesys

Winner: Mack Hansen
Conor Oliver
Cian Prendergast