Three Leinster players, namely Caelan Doris, Josh van der Flier and James Lowe, have been included in the five-man shortlist for the 2022 EPCR European Player of the Year award.
Doris and Van der Flier have made the elite shortlist for the first time, as has Lowe, who only needs one more try to equal Chris Ashton’s tournament record total of 11 in a Champions Cup season.
The three Leinster representatives are joined by the outstanding Stade Rochelais captain, Grégory Alldritt, who has been nominated among the final five players for the second year in a row, and last season's undisputed winner, the brilliant Antoine Dupont of Stade Toulousain.
The initial 15 nominees have been trimmed to five based on the combined verdict of a renowned panel of judges along with almost 20,000 participants in the public vote.
Voting for the award has now reopened on epcrugby.com/epoty and the winner and recipient of the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy will be announced following the Champions Cup final at the Stade Vélodrome on Saturday May 28th.
2022 EPCR European Player of the Year shortlist
Grégory Alldritt (Stade Rochelais)
Caelan Doris (Leinster)
Antoine Dupont (Stade Toulousain)
James Lowe (Leinster)
Josh van der Flier (Leinster)
Judging panel
Erik Bonneval (beIN SPORTS), Bryan Habana (two-time Heineken Champions Cup winner), Lee McKenzie (Channel 4), Alan Quinlan (two-time Heineken Champions Cup winner / Virgin Media), Dimitri Yachvili (EPCR Challenge Cup winner / France Télévisions).
Roll of Honour
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)
2011: Sean O’Brien (Leinster)
2010: Ronan O'Gara (Munster - best player of first 15 years of European club rugby)
