The IRB Player of the Year Award goes to...
The coming few days will be tough ones for the players who have been nominated by IRB for the Player of the Year award. Although the announcement of their nomination would have been a joyous surprise, the wait that follows till the results are announced
on December 1st will be a distasteful ride.
The names that constitute the nominees form in themselves quite an impressive list. The All Blacks have put their best players forward by nominating Richie McCaw along with his team mate Mils Muliaina. McCaw, the All Blacks captain has been a legendary
player in the past and has already won the award twice in the past, 2006 as well as in 2009. The Springboks have nominated their skipper Victor Matfield. The French player Imanol Harinordoquy is the only European who has made into this impressive short list
while all the rest of the contenders hail from the Southern Hemisphere with the impressive Wallabies duo David Pocock and Kurtley Beale bringing up the rear. In praise of this selection, the chairman of the IRB was heard to have optimistically predicted a
great series of matches to be played in the upcoming Rugby World Cup 2011:
"It is pleasing to see some of the brightest stars of the world game in Kurtley Beale and David Pocock also nominated for their achievements during what has been a fascinating year, setting the scene for what promises to be a memorable Rugby World
Cup 2011."
The nominations have been based primarily upon player performances over the past year in the Six Nations, Tri Nations as well as the November Tests. However these players are amongst those who have performed exceptionally over the past half a decade
or more thereby winning international recognition and acclaim for themselves.
The panel that shall be judging the players is in itself one impressive list featuring names such as Will Greenwood, Francois Pienaar, Raphaël Ibanez, Gavin Hastings, Agustín Pichot, Tana Umaga, Scott Quinnell, Paul Wallace and finally John Eales.
These individuals have won more than 500 caps as well as four Rugby World Cup medals between them. Therefore winning the hearts of these judges will be an uphill battle for the nominees; one out of which not all will emerge successful.
1st December will be an especially auspicious day for Rugby as not only will the Player of the Year be announced but the winners of the IRB Coach of the Year as well as the IRB Team of the Year shall also be proclaimed. Therefore
it’s not just the players who shall be feeling the heat of the competition but also the coaches who would have joined them in awaiting the results all the while praying fervently for their own selection.
Regardless of whichever lucky winner takes away the IRB Player of the Year award, the rich pool of talented players nominated for it does prove that the upcoming Rugby World Cup 2011 shall be fought by men who are champions at their game.
Tags: