Nominees Revealed For This Year’s Connacht Rugby Awards

Connacht Rugby have announced the nominees for the 2023/24 Connacht Rugby Awards, presented by Globalization Partners.

The annual gala event takes place on Saturday week (May 25) at the Galmont Hotel in Galway, and pays tribute to the performances and achievements of the province’s players, coaches, and volunteers at all levels of the game.

There are 17 awards in all, from club and schools level to the Connacht player pathway and Senior Men’s and Women’s teams.

Ireland international Cian Prendergast, Cathal Forde, and Shamus Hurley-Langton will battle it out for the Men’s Player of the Year award, while all three are also in the running to be the Fans’ Player of the Year, along with JJ Hanrahan and Joe Joyce.

Clara Barrett, Nicole Fowley, and Aoibheann Reilly, who all played in only Connacht’s second ever Interprovincial win over Leinster earlier this season, are in contention for the Women’s Player of the Year honour.

Fowley and Reilly were both part of the Ireland squad that secured Rugby World Cup qualification recently, and Reilly, the Ballinasloe-born scrum half, has enjoyed success with the Ireland Sevens team, making history with their first HSBC SVNS Series tournament win in Perth.

There are some cracking scores nominated for the westerners’ Try of the Year, including Matthew Devine’s superb solo effort against Zebre Parma at Dexcom Stadium last month.

The 22-year-old Devine is also shortlisted in the Academy Player of the Year category, alongside current Ireland Under-20 pair Hugh Gavin and Finn Treacy. Gavin’s younger brother, Ireland Under-18 Schools lock Rory, is up for the Men’s U-18 Player of the Year award.

Ballina’s Ailish Quinn, who captained the Ireland Under-18 Women’s team to U-18 Six Nations Festival victories over Wales and Scotland, leads the nominees for the Women’s U-18 Player of the Year.

Following their impressive Connacht Senior League and Cup double, Sligo have four nominations, including for Club of the Year, and Senior Club Player of the Year with both Ambrose Bamber and Tom Gormley receiving nods.

Galway Corinthians’ promotion to Energia All-Ireland League Men’s Division 2A has been recognised with two nominations, and the Tuam/Oughterard Women’s side are also up for two awards following a brilliant campaign that saw them lift three Connacht trophies and reach the Energia All-Ireland Junior Cup final for the firs time.

Tuam/Oughterard coaching duo, Owen Lydon and Norman Tierney, have been nominated for the Coach of the Year award, facing stiff competition from Corinthians’ Michael Harding and Sligo’s Paddy Pearson.

The Colts’ Hannah Clarke and Sarah-Jane Fox join Westport’s Tara McNulty on the Women’s Club Player of the Year shortlist.

The award winners will be announced across Connacht’s social media channels as they happen on the night.

Limited tickets are available to purchase now at connachtrugby.ie/awards. The night includes a drinks reception, four-course meal, and awards ceremony, plus live music and DJ until late, so it is going to be an occasion not to be missed.

2023/24 CONNACHT RUGBY AWARDS – LIST OF NOMINEES:

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

Rory Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Coláiste Iognáid)
Diarmaid O’Connell (Carrick-on-Shannon RFC/Sligo Grammar School)
Seán Walsh (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Éinde)

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

Jemima Adams-Verling (Creggs RFC/Coláiste Mhuire Ballygar)
Sarah Purcell (Creggs RFC/Convent of Mercy Roscommon)
Ailish Quinn (Ballina RFC/St. Mary’s Ballina)

Men’s Under-19 Player of the Year – sponsored by Oliver Carty

Orin Burke (Galway Corinthians RFC)
Tom Farthing (Galway Corinthians RFC)
Bobby Power (Galwegians RFC)

Academy Player of the Year – sponsored by Has Integration

Matthew Devine
Hugh Gavin
Finn Treacy

Referee of the Year – sponsored by Heineken

Siobhán Daly
Michael Honan
Cian Hough

Coach of the Year – sponsored by Deloitte

Michael Harding (Galway Corinthians RFC)
Owen Lydon & Norman Tierney (Tuam/Oughterard RFC)
Paddy Pearson (Sligo RFC)

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

Hannah Clarke (Tuam/Oughterard RFC)
Sarah-Jane Fox (Tuam/Oughterard RFC)
Tara McNulty (Westport RFC)

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

Fintan Crawley (Ballyhaunis RFC)
Dave McDonagh (Connemara RFC)
Ian Murphy (Tuam RFC)

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

Ambrose Bamber (Sligo RFC)
Tom Gormley (Sligo RFC)
Jack Winters (Galwegians RFC)

School of the Year – sponsored by GP

Marist College
Sligo Grammar School
Summerhill College

Club of the Year – sponsored by Bank of Ireland

Ballinasloe RFC
Galway Corinthians RFC
Sligo RFC

Unsung Hero Award

To be announced on the night

Try of the Year – sponsored by Western Postform

Shayne Bolton (v Bristol Bears)
Matthew Devine (v Zebre Parma)
David Hawkshaw (v Leinster)
Sean Jansen (v Lyon)
Diarmuid Kilgallen (v Glasgow Warriors)

Fans’ Player of the Year – sponsored by Murty Rabbitt’s

Cathal Forde
JJ Hanrahan
Shamus Hurley-Langton
Joe Joyce
Cian Prendergast

Women’s Player of the Year – sponsored by GP

Clara Barrett
Nicole Fowley
Aoibheann Reilly

Men’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Genesys

Cathal Forde
Shamus Hurley-Langton
Cian Prendergast

Lifetime Contribution to Rugby Award

To be announced on the night