Stewart Nominated For Three Ulster Rugby Awards
Ulster hooker Tom Stewart makes a break against provincial rivals Leinster during this season's BKT United Rugby Championship ©INPHO/Billy Stickland
Tom Stewart, who is part of Ireland’s 42-player summer training squad, has received three nominations for the annual Heineken Ulster Rugby Awards.
Following a terrific season in Ulster white, the 22-year-old hooker has been shortlisted for the Heineken Men’s Player of the Year, the Rugby Writers’ Player of the Year and the Ulster Rugby Supporters Club Player of the Year awards.
Alan O’Connor, who regularly captained Ulster throughout the campaign, and departing Springbok Duane Vermeulen are also in the running for the top Men’s award, while Stuart McCloskey’s impressive form earned him two nominations on the list.
The Deloitte Women’s Player of the Year will go to either Kelly McCormill, Fiona Tuite, captain Beth Cregan or Rachael McIlroy.
Promising prop Sadhbh McGrath is up for the Deloitte Young Women’s Player of the Year gong, along with Enniskillen and Ulster duo Sophie Barrett and India Daley.
Still just 18, McGrath made her Ireland senior debut against Wales in February and finished the TikTok Women’s Six Nations with five caps to her name.
This season’s award winners will be revealed on Thursday across Ulster Rugby’s website and their official social media pages, beginning at 11am with the Danske Bank Boys Schools Player of the Year.
Following a public vote over the weekend on MyUlster, the province’s new free digital membership, the Deloitte Women’s Player of the Year and Heineken Men’s Player of the Year for 2022/23 will be crowned.
2022/23 HEINEKEN ULSTER RUGBY AWARDS – LIST OF NOMINEES:
Danske Bank Boys Schools Player of the Year
Lukas Kenny (Campbell College)
James McKillop (Foyle College)
Jacob Boyd (Royal Belfast Academical Institution)
Danske Bank Girls Schools Player of the Year
Kaitlyn Graham (Royal School Armagh)
Scarlett Keys (Enniskillen Royal Grammar School)
Erin McConalogue (Cardonagh Community School)
Ulster Carpets Boys Youth Player of the Year
Jack Toal (Banbridge RFC)
Zak Holmes (Dungannon RFC)
Ben Neely (Coleraine RFC)
Deloitte Ulster Girls Youth Player of the Year
Tara O’Neill (Cooke RFC)
Ruby Starrett (Larne RFC)
Jessica Wilkinson (Ballymena RFC)
Referee of the Year
Chris Busby
Keane Davison
Peter Martin
Ken Goodall Club Player of the Year
George Pringle (Ballynahinch RFC)
Ryan O’Neill (City of Armagh RFC)
Alexander Clarke (Queen’s University Belfast RFC)
Deloitte Young Women’s Player of the Year
Sophie Barrett (Enniskillen RFC)
India Daley (Enniskillen RFC)
Sadhbh McGrath (Cooke RFC)
Openreach Young Men’s Player of the Year
Harry Sheridan (Dublin University FC)
Stewart Moore (Ballymoney RFC)
David McCann (Banbridge RFC)
Rugby Writers’ Player of the Year
Tom Stewart
Jeffery Toomaga-Allen
Stuart McCloskey
Ulster Rugby Supporters Club Player of the Year
John Cooney
Robert Baloucoune
Tom Stewart
Stuart McCloskey
Deloitte Women’s Player of the Year
(To be announced on Thursday, June 1, following public vote through MyUlster)
Kelly McCormill
Fiona Tuite
Beth Cregan
Rachael McIlroy
Heineken Men’s Player of the Year
(To be announced on Thursday, June 1, following public vote through MyUlster)
Alan O’Connor
Tom Stewart
Duane Vermeulen