Five Provincial Players Make This Season’s URC Elite XV

The 2023/24 BKT United Rugby Championship ‘Elite XV’ has officially been announced, with players from three of the Irish provinces making the cut.

The Elite XV is determined by a media vote and players must have made at least nine appearances to be considered, with the media panel provided a shortlist of 10 per position by URC StatMaster. The player with the most votes in each position earned a place in the team.

The selection is dominated by BKT URC semi-finalists, the Vodacom Bulls, with no less than six players from the South African franchise included.

Defending URC champions and table toppers Munster have three players in the line-up, with the newly-crowned Next-Gen Player of the Season, Jack Crowley, selected alongside fellow Ireland international Tadhg Beirne, and Kiwi centre Alex Nankivell.

Leinster flyer Jordan Larmour and Ulster scrum half John Cooney also represent their respective sides. The pair were in opposition during last Saturday’s quarter-final at the Aviva Stadium where Leinster emerged as 43-20 winners.

The impressively consistent Cooney previously made the Dream Team selection in 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, and 2020/21, with Beirne also earning a second row spot in both 2018 and 2019, and Larmour picked on the wing in 2018.

Warrick Gelant, Sione Tuipulotu, Ox Nche, and the league’s Turnover King, Jamie Ritchie, make up the rest of this season’s Elite XV.

2023/24 BKT UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP ELITE XV:

15. Warrick Gelant (DHL Stormers)
14. Jordan Larmour (Leinster)
13. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors)
12. Alex Nankivell (Munster)
11. Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls)
10. Jack Crowley (Munster)
9. John Cooney (Ulster)
1. Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks)
2. Akker van der Merwe (Vodacom Bulls)
3. Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls)
4. Tadhg Beirne (Munster)
5. Ruan Nortjé (Vodacom Bulls)
6. Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh)
7. Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls)
8. Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls)

Be sure to follow all the URC Awards announcements using the hashtag #URCAwards.

2023/24 URC AWARDS – LIST OF WINNERS SO FAR:

Tackle Machine: Alessandro Izekor (Benetton)

Turnover King: Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh)

Gilbert Golden Boot: Chris Smith (Vodacom Bulls)

OFX Top Try Scorer: Johnny Matthews (Glasgow Warriors)

Ironman: Shane Daly (Munster)

Next-Gen Player of the Season: Jack Crowley (Munster)

Try of the Season (powered by URC.tv): Aphelele Fassi (Hollywoodbets Sharks)

Elixirr Innovation Award: Benetton

Elite XV: Warrick Gelant (DHL Stormers); Jordan Larmour (Leinster), Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), Alex Nankivell (Munster), Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls); Jack Crowley (Munster), John Cooney (Ulster); Ox Nche (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Akker van der Merwe (Vodacom Bulls), Wilco Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Ruan Nortjé (Vodacom Bulls), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Elrigh Louw (Vodacom Bulls), Cameron Hanekom (Vodacom Bulls).