Bundee Aki has been named as the BDO Ireland Men’s XVs Players’ Player of the Year 2024 by his fellow players at the Rugby Players Ireland Awards.
Nominated for both World Rugby Player of the Year and Six Nations Player of the Championship, Aki was always going be strong contender for the award despite the presence of Jamison Gibson-Park and Dan Sheehan in the shortlist.
A fan favourite, Aki hit new heights this season in the Irish midfield, helping Ireland to their second Six Nations title in as many years.
Aki commented: "I'm honoured to be recognised by my fellow Rugby Players Ireland members as their Player of the Year. It has been bittersweet but when I look back on the season, I won’t think about the results or awards. Instead, I’ll look back with pride at being part of such a resilient group, and the way we bounced back after the disappointment of the Rugby World Cup.
"Individual awards are fantastic, but this one would not have been possible without Jamison, Dan or any of my Irish or Connacht teammates for pushing me along."
Aoife Wafer won on the double as she claimed both the Strata Financial Women’s XVs Players’ Player of the Year and Energia Women’s XVs Young Player of the Year.
Despite being just 21 years of age, Wafer emerged as a real leader within the group as they secured Rugby World Cup qualification.
Speaking as she claimed the Players’ Player award, Wafer said: "The past few months have been the highlight of my career to date. I find it hard to believe given where I was not very long ago. While I was happy with the way I played on a personal level, I really fed off the energy of the wider squad.
"We are an extremely close group. We back each other on the good days, and especially on the bad. I feel we have turned a big page in our journey this year and I look forward to seeing where we can go together as a team."
Elsewhere Joe McCarthy was named as the Nevin Spence Men's XVs Young Player of the Year ahead of Tom Ahern and last year’s winner, Jack Crowley.
BDO IRELAND MEN'S XVs PLAYERS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2024
Bundee Aki Connacht Rugby
Jamison Gibson-Park Leinster Rugby
Dan Sheehan Leinster Rugby
STRATA FINANCIAL WOMEN’S XVs PLAYERS’ PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2024
Brittany Hogan (Old Belvedere/Ulster Rugby)
Aoibheann Reilly (Blackrock College/Connacht Rugby)
Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College/Leinster Rugby)
NEVIN SPENCE MEN’S XVs YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2024
Tom Ahern (Munster Rugby)
Jack Crowley (Munster Rugby)
Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby)
ENERGIA WOMEN’s XVs YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2024
Katie Corrigan (Old Belvedere/Leinster Rugby)
Dannah O’Brien (Old Belvedere/Leinster Rugby)
Aoife Wafer (Blackrock College/Leinster Rugby)
MERCEDES-BENZ BALLSBRIDGE MEN’S XVs TRY OF THE YEAR 2024
Craig Casey v Leinster Rugby
James Lowe v Scotland
Calvin Nash v France
AIB CORPORATE BANKING WOMEN’S XVs TRY OF THE YEAR 2024
Katie Corrigan v Italy
Katie Corrigan v Wales
Aoife Wafer v Wales
TRITONLAKE MEN'S 7s PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2024
Terry Kennedy
Harry McNulty
Zac Ward
TRITONLAKE WOMEN’S 7s PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2024
Megan Burns
Amee-Leigh Murphy Crowe
Béibhinn Parsons
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