Sheehan Scoops BKT URC Players’ Player Of The Season Award
Dan Sheehan receives his BKT URC Players' Player of the Season award from Leinster head coach Leo Cullen
Leinster and Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan has been named BKT URC Players’ Player of the Season for 2022/23.
The award is voted for by the United Rugby Championship’s captains and vice-captains, and the 24-year-old Dubliner came out on top in a poll which was conducted at the end of the regular campaign.
It is the second time Sheehan has been recognised in the URC Awards having secured a place in the Elite XV, pipping OFX Top Try Scorer Tom Stewart to the hooker position.
Sheehan crossed eight times to help Leinster top the table, with only team-mate Rob Russell (10) registering more tries for the province.
In scoring four tries in the 42-10 round 2 win over Benetton at the RDS, including a 28-minute hat-trick, Sheehan equalled the BKT URC record number by an individual in a game – becoming the eighth player, and first from Leinster, to achieve that feat.
He also claimed a brace as Leinster suffered Heineken Champions Cup final heartache for the second successive season after losing 27-26 to La Rochelle last Saturday.
Sheehan has been capped 17 times by Ireland and was part of the team that made history by winning last summer’s Test series against the All Blacks in New Zealand.
In addition, he went over twice as Ireland clinched a Guinness Six Nations Grand Slam in Dublin for the first time with a battling 29-16 bonus point victory over 14-man England in March.
Further to his BKT URC recognition, Sheehan was nominated for the Men’s 15s Players’ Player of the Year and Men’s Young Player of the Year at last week’s Rugby Players Ireland Awards.
2022/23 BKT UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS:
OFX Top Try Scorer: Tom Stewart (Ulster)
Tackle Machine: John Hodnett (Munster)
Turnover King: Thomas Young (Cardiff)
Next-Gen Player of the Season: Tom Stewart (Ulster)
Elite XV: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls); Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), Daniel du Plessis (DHL Stormers), Simone Gesi (Zebre Parma); Ross Byrne (Leinster), Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks); Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Niall Murray (Connacht), Federico Ruzza (Benetton), Vaea Fifita (Scarlets), Scott Penny (Leinster), Gavin Coombes (Munster).
Vodacom Fans’ Player of the Season: Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers)
Try of the Season: Joaquin Riera (Benetton Rugby at Cell C Sharks, round 17)
Gilbert Golden Boot: Johan Goosen (Vodacom Bulls)
Ironman: Quan Horn (Emirates Lions)
BKT Coach of the Season: Franco Smith (Glasgow Warriors)
Players’ Player of the Season: Dan Sheehan (Leinster)