European Professional Club Rugby has announced the longlist of players who will contend for the title of European Player of the Year 2015. It is comprised of the 15 best players from 2014/2015’s European Rugby Champions Cup, as decided by the panel of judges including two previous winners of European Cups, Alan Quinlan and Dimitri Yachvili. The other judges were Stuart Barnes of Sky Sports, Mick Cleary of the Telegraph and Emmanuel Massicard of Midi Olympique.
Nine of the fifteen come from the Top 14, with Clermont Auvergne boasting the highest number of representatives (four). Four players come from the Aviva Premiership, while two Leinstermen are the sole representatives from the PRO12.
EPCR European Player of the Year 2015 longlist
Nick Abendanon (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Steffon Armitage (RC Toulon)
Chris Ashton (Saracens)
Jamie Heaslip (Leinster Rugby)
Juan Imhoff (Racing Metro 92)
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
Fritz Lee (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Camille Lopez (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Ian Madigan (Leinster Rugby)
George North (Northampton Saints)
Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro 92)
Aurélien Rougerie (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Nicolas Sanchez (RC Toulon)
Dimitri Szarzewski (Racing Metro 92)
Billy Vunipola (Saracens)
Who do you think are the frontrunners to win this year’s award?
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
7 replies on “EPCR announces longlist for European Player of the Year 2015”
Has to between
Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
George North (Northampton Saints)
Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro 92)
But why isn’t Carl Eastman on the list???????????????????????
Rougerie?
Sounds more like a lifetime achievement award from the bits and pieces I have seen this time around.
We have an English winger on this list who can’t get back in the senior squad!! And he doesn’t even play in France!!
I am commenting slightly blind here as not seen much of the Saracens games, but Ashton too, not sure his name has been cropping up as a star man of the week in the post-weekend commentary much, and no-one from Wasps either, especially the back row who have been highly influential in seeing them progress from a position that would not normally see a side make it through to the quarter finals…
I was thinking Haskell should have been in there. But as usual they have only selected players from clubs still in the competition. Which doesn’t show a fair reflection of the best individual players in the competition.
The front five are grossly under-represented. Dimitri is a show pony; 3 tries against the blind school doesn’t make him a star – how much work does he get through when he has to scrummage?
Biased panel 🙁
Wasps are still in (at least until April 4!) which makes it even more puzzling as to why at least one of their backrow hasn’t been nominated. And/or Wade (though has he saved his most blistering tries for the Premiership? Not sure).
I’m thinking Steffon Armitage has this one locked up – repeated MOTM performances, playing for arguably the top team and likely to be on view through to the final. Would love to see Lancaster’s face if that happens!