La Rochelle captain bags prestigous Euro gong
SPOTLIGHT: The Stade Rochelais No.8 and captain, Grégory Alldritt, has capped off an outstanding EPCR season by being voted as the 2023 EPCR Player of the Year.
A leading light in the Stade Rochelais Champions Cup final triumph over Leinster Rugby, Alldritt is the second French player to win the prestigious individual accolade following in the footsteps of Stade Toulousain’s Antoine Dupont in 2021.
He was presented with the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy by Olive Foley and her two sons, Tony and Dan, following the showpiece match in Dublin.
More than 32 000 votes were cast by fans on ChampionsCupRugby.com and the public’s verdict was combined with the decision of an expert panel of judges and the impressive Alldritt came out on top.
Also elected Star of the Match in the final, Alldritt scooped the award ahead of Leinster’s Caelan Doris, Garry Ringrose and Josh van der Flier, as well as Dupont who were all included in the elite five-player shortlist.
#REACTION: La Rochelle captain Gregory Alldritt admitted he was left frustrated by opposing skipper James Ryan’s attitude during the coin toss 👇 #ChampionsCup #LaRochelle #Leinster #LEIvLAR https://t.co/JU0zVV5ZbV
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) May 21, 2023
He is the sixth representative of a TOP 14 club to receive the distinction after Jonny Wilkinson (2013) and Steffon Armitage (2014) of RC Toulon, ASM Clermont Auvergne’s Nick Abendanon in 2015, Leone Nakarawa of Racing 92 in 2018, and Dupont.
Judging Panel – Bryan Habana (two-time Champions Cup winner), Sarah Hunter (former England captain), Elma Smit (sports presenter and producer), Andy Goode (two-time European Cup winner), Dimitri Yachvili ( Challenge Cup winner)
Roll of Honour
2023: Gregory Alldritt (Stade Rochelais)
2022: Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby)
2021: Antoine Dupont (Stade Toulousain)
2020: Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
2019: Alex Goode (Saracens)
2018: Leone Nakarawa (Racing 92)
2017: Owen Farrell (Saracens)
2016: Maro Itoje (Saracens)
2015: Nick Abendanon (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
2014: Steffon Armitage (RC Toulon)
2013: Jonny Wilkinson (RC Toulon)
2012: Rob Kearney (Leinster Rugby)
2011: Sean O’Brien (Leinster Rugby)
2010: Ronan O’Gara (Munster Rugby – best player of first 15 years of European club rugby)
#WATCH as @staderochelais cause crazy scenes in France! #rugby #news @ChampionsCup https://t.co/UkkS7x3elW
— rugby365.com (@rugby365com) May 20, 2023
