Calvin Nash was introduced on Tuesday night time because the Financial institution of Eire Males’s Participant of the Yr on the annual Munster Rugby Awards, offered by Virgin Media, held on the Woodlands Home Resort in Adare, Co. Limerick.
11 awards have been offered to worthy recipients concerned in skilled and home rugby in Munster.
Nash loved a superb 2023/24 marketing campaign which noticed him rating 6 tries in 18 appearances for Munster together with an outstanding solo effort towards Toulon within the Champions Cup. His wealthy type was rewarded with being referred to as as much as the Eire squad for the Six Nations and summer time tour of South Africa. He began all matches within the Six Nations and summer time tour, scoring two tries.
Maeve Óg O’Leary, who’s the Financial institution of Eire Ladies’s Participant of the Yr, had one other wonderful season which noticed her begin in all 4 matches for Munster within the 2023/24 Ladies’s Interprovincial Championship scoring two tries. Maeve Óg additionally performed within the historic conflict towards the Barbarians at Thomond Park earlier than occurring to signify Eire within the WXV3 competitors.
The Virgin Media Supporters’ Participant of the Yr award was a brand new addition to the awards ceremony this 12 months with John Hodnett and Muirne Wall profitable the boys’s and ladies’s editions, respectively.
Again-row Brian Gleeson was named as Academy Participant of the Yr whereas the Breakthrough Ladies’s Participant of the Yr went to Beth Buttimer.
The Munster Senior Males’s and Ladies’s squad and administration have been all in attendance, becoming a member of home recreation volunteers in recognising and honouring rugby achievements throughout the province.
For a full record of winners on the 2024 Munster Rugby Awards, offered by Virgin Media, please see under.
Financial institution of Eire Males’s Participant of the Yr – Calvin Nash
Calvin Nash has been named the Financial institution of Eire Males’s Participant of the Yr after an impressive marketing campaign together with his province and nation.
The winger scored six tries in 18 begins for Munster and was a relentless menace for opposition defences within the URC and Champions Cup.
The 2023/24 marketing campaign noticed Nash progress into the Eire squad and make an enormous impression.
He made his Eire debut towards Italy in August 2023 earlier than beginning all 5 video games of the 2024 Six Nations.
Nash was a try-scorer on his Six Nations debut away to France in Marseille and in addition touched down towards Italy, serving to Eire to the Six Nations title.
He was unlucky to overlook the URC play-offs as a result of harm however returned to begin each video games of Eire’s drawn summer time sequence in South Africa.
The 27-year-old has been a member of the senior Munster squad since 2018 having come up by way of the ranks at Younger Munster and Crescent Faculty Complete.
Financial institution of Eire Ladies’s Participant of the Yr – Maeve Óg O’Leary
Maeve Óg O’Leary had one other wonderful season which noticed her begin in all 4 matches for Munster within the 2023/24 Ladies’s Interprovincial Championship scoring two tries. Maeve Óg additionally performed within the historic conflict towards the Barbarians at Thomond Park earlier than occurring to signify Eire within the WXV3 competitors.
O’Leary, who has 11 senior appearances for Munster, was referred to as as much as the Eire squad for the 2024 Ladies’s Six Nations.
Maeve Óg made her senior debut for Munster in August 2021 and has since turn out to be a cornerstone of the Munster workforce. Maeve Óg, who got here up by way of the ranks at Ballina-Killaloe RFC, additionally represented Munster at U18 degree in each 15s and 7s.
Virgin Media Supporters’ Participant of the Yr – John Hodnett and Muirne Wall
The Virgin Media Supporters’ Participant of the Yr award was a brand new addition to the awards ceremony this 12 months with John Hodnett and Muirne Wall profitable the boys’s and ladies’s editions, respectively.
A ballot was held on the Munster Rugby web site final week with John and Muirne popping out on high towards their friends.
John loved one other wonderful season which noticed him rating three tries in 18 appearances for Munster whereas Muirne began all 4 video games for Munster through the 2023/24 Ladies’s Interprovincial Championship along with lining out for the Clovers within the Celtic Problem.
John and Muirne each got here by way of the membership system with John representing Clonakilty RFC in his youth whereas Muirne lined out for Listowel RFC and Tralee RFC.
Academy Participant of the Yr – Brian Gleeson
20-year-old Brian Gleeson loved a whirlwind first 12 months within the Munster Rugby Academy that included 10 senior appearances and promotion to the senior squad on a two-year contract.
Gleeson, who got here up by way of the ranks at Thurles RFC and Rockwell Faculty, made his Munster debut towards Sharks in October 2023.
He made three Champions Cup appearances final season on the age of simply 19 towards Exeter Chiefs, Toulon and Northampton Saints.
On the worldwide entrance, he featured for the Eire U20s within the 2024 Six Nations and captained the facet of their World Championship semi-final loss to England.
The highly effective back-row ahead was a Grand Slam winner with the Eire U20s in 2023 and performs his AIL rugby with Garryowen.
Breakthrough Ladies’s Participant of the Yr – Beth Buttimer
Munster senior hooker Beth Buttimer loved a exceptional 2023/24 marketing campaign for membership, province and nation.
Beth made her Munster debut towards Connacht on her 18th birthday through the 2023/24 Ladies’s Interprovincial Sequence and went on to play each video games towards Leinster as Munster narrowly misplaced out on the title.
She gained the All Eire League title with UL Bohemian and in addition lined out for the Clovers within the Celtic Problem.
At worldwide degree, she was Participant of the Match for the Eire U20s of their win over Scotland on the inaugural Six Nations Ladies’s Summer time Sequence.
Beth got here up by way of the ranks at Rockwell Faculty and Fethard RFC.
Referee of the Yr – Andrew Brace
Andrew Brace is the winner of this 12 months’s Referee of the Yr Award.
It was a busy 12 months for Andrew as he was Eire’s sole referee on the 2023 Rugby World Cup, officiating in three video games through the pool levels and carried out as an assistant referee in 5 different matches all through the event.
Andrew refereed a unbelievable ultimate within the Pinergy Munster Faculties Boys Senior Cup again in March. Along with his common duties in EPCR and URC competitions, Andrew recurrently offers up his time to mentor and coach up and coming referees in Munster.
Financial institution of Eire Senior Membership of the Yr – Nenagh Ormond RFC
Nenagh Ormond RFC are the winners of this 12 months’s Financial institution of Eire Senior Membership of the Yr award.
The membership loved a unbelievable season each on and off the pitch. The membership completed high of the desk in Division 2A of the Males’s All Eire League to achieve automated promotion to 1B.
One of many province’s oldest golf equipment, Nenagh Ormond was based in 1884 and has performed within the All-Eire League since 2005/06 – the primary Tipperary Membership to take action. With a thriving age-grade part, they boast a number of full worldwide gamers amongst their alumni together with Fiona Steed, Trevor Hogan, Donnacha Ryan and Ben Healy.
Up to now 12 months there have been main developments within the membership which embrace a full measurement 3G Pitch, 50x14m coaching 3G, upgraded LED floodlighting and upgraded health club and dressing rooms.
The primary aggressive recreation on their new synthetic floor will happen on Saturday September eighth versus Cork Structure within the Financial institution of Eire Munster Senior Problem Cup.
Financial institution of Eire Junior Membership of the Yr – Clonakilty RFC
Clonakilty RFC are the winners of this 12 months’s Financial institution of Eire Junior Membership of the Yr Award.
The West Cork membership have displayed wonderful participation numbers throughout all age-grades for each girls and boys. Clonakilty reached the Munster Golf equipment U14, U16 and U18 Ladies Cup finals, profitable the U16 title. There’s a membership ethos in the direction of selling participation and that is mirrored in each minis and youth numbers approaching virtually 700 gamers. They’ve additionally developed a powerful Affiliate Referee panel, with 15 lively referees, supported by two MAR officers within the membership.
The membership have been very proactive in driving teaching course attendance and accreditation whereas additionally they opened a brand new 4G pitch firstly of the 2023/24 season. There are different ongoing works afoot to enhance services at Shannon Vale and the Membership is to be one of many first Munster golf equipment to undertake the Sustainable Golf equipment Programme which has been developed by the Division of Surroundings, Local weather and Communication as a part of their ongoing Inexperienced Technique.
Faculty of the Yr – Presentation Brothers Faculty
Presentation Brothers Faculty are this 12 months’s winners of the Faculty of the Yr award. The Cork college gained a memorable double within the Munster Faculties Boys Junior Cup and the Pinergy Munster Faculties Boys Senior Cup.
The Mardyke outfit grew to become the primary college to go back-to-back in each flagship competitions since 1966.
They’re the primary to perform a hat-trick of Junior titles since 1986 and their report tally of Junior Cups (32) now matches their Senior Cup haul (probably the most wins in each competitions).
There was additionally a memorable weekend in the beginning of February when former pupils Peter O’Mahony and Alex Kendellen captained Eire (v France) and Munster (v Crusaders) respectively inside a 24-hour interval. Their Senior Cup captain Gene O’Leary Kareem has been rewarded with a spot within the Munster Academy.
Membership Age-Grade Part of the Yr – Bruff RFC
Bruff RFC are this 12 months’s winners of the Membership Age-Grade Part of the Yr award. The County Limerick membership fielded two groups in final season’s Munster Golf equipment Boys U18 competitors with one of many groups contesting the Cup ultimate towards Waterpark.
They’ve fielded ladies age-grade groups in any respect ranges and have additionally positively engaged with Munster Rugby Improvement Programmes.
The County Limerick membership additionally hosted the IRFU’s Give It A Attempt programme in April which ran for eight weeks and gave ladies aged 8-14 a possibility to play the game of rugby in a enjoyable setting.
Membership Mini Part of the Yr – Dungarvan RFC
Dungarvan RFC are this 12 months’s winners of the Membership Mini Part of the Yr award.
In the course of the 2023/24 season, Dungarvan hosted the Munster Minis Blitz, the biggest blitz held of their historical past with everybody concerned within the membership working extraordinarily exhausting to make sure its success. The membership has seen quite a lot of development within the variety of ladies taking part in rugby and so they even have as much as 140 Minis gamers registered with the membership.
Dungarvan took half within the IRFU Minis Pageant in Dublin and they’re going to even be internet hosting subsequent season’s Aviva Minis blitz.
