At this night’s Rugby Gamers Eire awards, Keith Earls was named because the Zurich Contribution to Irish Society Award winner and Craig Casey’s strive in opposition to Leinster was awarded the Mercedes-Benz Ballsbridge Males’s XVs Strive of the Yr.
Connacht and Eire’s Bundee Aki was this night named because the BDO Eire Males’s XVs Gamers’ Gamers of the Yr 2024 by his fellow gamers on the Rugby Gamers Eire Awards. Nominated for each World Rugby Participant of the Yr and Six Nations Participant of the Championship, Aki was all the time going be robust contender for the award regardless of the presence of Jamison Gibson-Park and Dan Sheehan within the shortlist.
A fan favorite, Aki hit new heights this season within the Irish midfield, serving to Eire to their second Six Nations title in as a few years.
On receiving his award Bundee Aki commented: “I’m honoured to be recognised by my fellow Rugby Gamers Eire members as their Participant of the Yr. It has been bittersweet however after I look again on the season, I gained’t take into consideration the outcomes or awards.
“As a substitute, I’ll look again with delight at being a part of such a resilient group, and the way in which we bounced again after the frustration of the Rugby World Cup. Particular person awards are unbelievable, however this one wouldn’t have been potential with out Jamison, Dan or any of my Irish or Connacht teammates for pushing me alongside.”
In the meantime, Aoife Wafer was on the double as she claimed each the Strata Monetary Girls’s XVs Gamers’ Participant of the Yr and Energia Girls’s XVs Younger Participant of the Yr. Having returned to worldwide motion following a prolonged harm lay-off, the Wexford lady was eager to make up for misplaced time in an Irish jersey.
Regardless of being simply 21 years of age, Wafer emerged as an actual chief inside the group as they secured Rugby World Cup qualification. Her excellent performances within the Irish backrow additionally noticed her nominated for the Six Nations Participant of the Championship.
Talking as she claimed the Gamers’ Participant award, Wafer stated: “The previous few months have been the spotlight of my profession to this point. I discover it laborious to consider given the place I used to be not very way back. Whereas I used to be proud of the way in which I performed on a private degree, I actually fed off the power of the broader squad. We’re a particularly shut group. We again one another on the great days, and particularly on the unhealthy. I really feel we’ve got turned a giant web page in our journey this 12 months and I stay up for seeing the place we are able to go collectively as a staff.”
Lots of the largest names in Irish rugby had been current on the Clayton Resort on the Burlington Street tonight for what was a celebration of a profitable season on many fronts, on and off the sector. Following his retirement, Keith Earls was named because the Zurich Contribution to Irish Society Award winner, whereas Conor Murray introduced former Rugby Gamers Eire Chairperson Johnny Sexton with a portrait piece by former participant Shane Monahan on behalf of the gamers’ affiliation’s membership.
There have been there robust contenders within the combine for the Mercedes-Benz Ballsbridge Males’s XVs Strive of the Yr, but it was Craig Casey’s effort in opposition to Leinster Rugby on the Aviva Stadium which prevailed to assert this 12 months’s acknowledgement.
Nonetheless, Leinster Rugby claimed one again over their provincial rivals with Joe McCarthy named because the Nevin Spence Males’s XVs Younger Participant of the Yr forward of Tom Ahern and final 12 months’s winner, Jack Crowley.
Additional accolades had been introduced to Zac Ward who was named because the TritonLake Males’s 7s Gamers’ Participant of the Yr 2024 with Megan Burns the TritonLake Girls’s 7s Gamers’ Participant of the Yr. Katie Corrigan scooped the AIB Company Banking Girls’s XVs Strive of the Yr, with Eire’s Six Nations profitable marketing campaign voted because the Druids Glen Resort & Golf Resort Second of the Yr.
Peter O’Mahony, Rugby Gamers Eire Chairperson: stated: “As all the time, it’s an enormous honour to come back collectively and look again on what has been one other profitable marketing campaign for Irish Rugby. Whereas many thought it could be one in all transition, I’ve discovered that whilst gamers have moved on, we all the time appear to have any individual able to step up because of the empowering help of the likes of Rugby Gamers Eire who proceed to equip our gamers with the abilities to thrive each on and off the sector.”
Simon Keogh, CEO of Rugby Gamers Eire added: “A Rugby Gamers Eire Award represents the best particular person accolade within the recreation. To be recognised by your teammates and opponents on this method is the last word present of respect. My congratulations to Bundee, Aoife, Zac, Megan and all of our winners tonight. Our recreation is in a superb place.”
