Nominees Announced For Connacht Rugby Awards
Orla Dixon drives forward during Connacht's clash with Leinster during the Vodafone Women's Interprovincial Championship last August ©INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan
The nominees for the 2021/22 Connacht Rugby Awards have been confirmed. The event takes place on Friday night at the Clayton Hotel in Galway.
Mack Hansen, a Triple Crown winner with Ireland during his debut international season, is in the running for both the Connacht Men’s Player of the Year and Fans’ Player of the Year awards.
Cian Prendergast and Conor Oliver also picked up two nominations, while Orla Dixon, Catherine Martin and Fiona Scally, who all helped Connacht come third in the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship, are in contention to be crowned the Women’s Player of the Year.
You can vote for your Connacht Fans’ Player of the Year here. The five nominees were selected by the Connacht Clan Committee. Voting closes at 5pm today.
Fresh from their promotion in the Energia All-Ireland League and Connacht Senior Cup title win, Buccaneers have secured a number of nominations, including in the Club of the Year category.
Éabha Nic Dhonnacha, who captained the newly-formed Ireland Under-18 15s team recently, and Matthew Devine, a Grand Slam winner this year with the Ireland Under-20s, are also in the running for individual honours.
In all 41 nominees have been selected across 14 awards, ranging from underage to professional level across male and female categories within the province.
Connacht Rugby will be live tweeting the results as they happen on their Twitter page. For ticket information, please contact Trish Walsh on trish.walsh@connachtrugby.ie.
2021/22 CONNACHT RUGBY AWARDS – LIST OF NOMINEES:
Under-18 Men’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Sound To Light
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
Molly Boote (Connemara RFC)
Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (Galway Corinthians RFC)
Karly Tierney (Tuam/Oughterard RFC)
Under-19 Men’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Benchmark Recruitment
John Devine (Ballinasloe RFC/Garbally College)
Adam Hunter (Sligo RFC/Sligo Grammar School)
Harry West (Ballina RFC/The King’s Hospital)
Academy Player of the Year – sponsored by Total Health
Cathal Forde
Matthew Devine
Diarmuid Kilgallen
Referee of the Year
Siobhán Daly
Andrew Fogarty
Gerry Geraghty
Coach of the Year – sponsored by Deloitte
Charlie Couper (Buccaneers RFC)
Martin Cummins (Dunmore RFC)
Henry O’Toole (Connemara RFC)
Women’s Club Player of the Year – sponsored by Citylink
Noreen Coyne (Westport RFC)
Hazel Kilduff (Buccaneers RFC)
Aoife Williams (Galwegians RFC)
Men’s Junior Club Player of the Year – sponsored by Laya Healthcare
Stephen Conroy (Ballinrobe RFC)
Brian Diffley (Creggs RFC)
Ian Staunton (Connemara RFC)
Men’s Senior Club Player of the Year – sponsored by Aerogen
Shane Layden (Buccaneers RFC)
Mark McDermott (Galway Corinthians RFC)
Calum Quinn (Ballina RFC)
Club of the Year – sponsored by Bank Of Ireland
Buccaneers RFC
Creggs RFC
Sligo RFC
Fans’ Player of the Year – sponsored by Intersport Elverys
Jack Carty
Shane Delahunt
Mack Hansen
Conor Oliver
Cian Prendergast
Vote here for your Fans’ Player of the Year
Lifetime Achievement to Connacht Rugby – sponsored by Heineken
To be announced on the night
Women’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Genesys
Orla Dixon
Catherine Martin
Fiona Scally
Men’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Genesys
Mack Hansen
Conor Oliver
Cian Prendergast