Five horse race for top award

Five Premiership clubs are represented in the shortlist for the top honour of Player of the Season.

Current leaders Harlequins lead the way in the shortlist with two players, fullback Mike Brown and captain Chris Robshaw, while Saracens, Leicester Tigers, Gloucester and Exeter Chiefs are also rewarded with players vying for one of rugby’s top honours.

Leicester flank Julian Salvi is the only non-England qualified player on the list, joined by Saracens centre Brad Barritt, Gloucester prop Nick Wood and Exeter flank James Scaysbrook.

“The panel has come up with an incredibly impressive shortlist, which reflects the strength of Aviva Premiership,” said Premiership Rugby Chief Executive Mark McCafferty.

“It’s great to see players who have emerged from our academies in what is undoubtedly a world-class list of players. It will be a tough job picking the winner as clearly all six would be a worthy Premiership Player of the Season.”

Conor O’Shea, Richard Cockerill and Rob Baxter have made the shortlist for the Premiership Director of Rugby of the Season.

O’Shea, from current league leaders Harlequins is joined by Leicester Tigers’  Cockerill and joins Baxter, his counterpart at Exeter Chiefs in completing the list of the three men vying for the crown.

Northampton Saints’ Jim Mallinder is the holder of the award, which in the 2009-10 season was won by Andy Key of Leeds Carnegie.

“The ebb and flow of the Aviva Premiership Rugby season has ensured it has been a compelling race for the title. The undoubted strength of these three men reflects the size of the task for the panel and it looks like winning this award will be almost as hard as winning the Aviva Premiership Rugby Final on 26 May,” said Premiership Rugby Chief Executive Mark McCafferty.

The winner will be announced on 8 May at the Premiership Rugby Awards, at The Hilton, Park Lane.