Launchbury named Discovery of the Season
Joe Launchbury was awarded the Land Rover Discovery of the Season award, presented to the best player aged 23 at last night’s Aviva Premiership awards.
Launchbury’s remarkable rise in such a short space of time hugely impressed the judges over the season and he beat off an impressive field to take home the gong. Launchbury will be joined by Christian Wade and Billy Vunipola on this season’s tour to South America with England having won nine caps to date.
Wade and Tom Varndell were also last night named in the talkSPORT Dream Team which was, for the first time, selected by supporters of Aviva Premiership Rugby on Twitter.
The full team is: Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Julian Salvi (Leicester Tigers), Richie Baxter (Exeter Chiefs); Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers); Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers); Christian Wade (London Wasps), Tom Varndell (London Wasps) and Luke Arscott (Exeter Chiefs).
The two Wasps wingers were also awarded last night for their top try-scoring efforts. Varndell went into the final round of Aviva Premiership Rugby two ahead of Wade, who promptly went over for a brace to match Varndell’s impressive tally of 13 tries. The two men share the Towergate Top Try-Scorer award.
The winners and nominees in full were as follows:
Aviva Premiership Rugby Player of the Season
Winner: Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
Shortlist: Steve Borthwick (Saracens), Danny Care (Harlequins), Akapusi Qera (Gloucester Rugby), Julian Salvi – (Leicester Tigers), Christian Wade (London Wasps), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers)
Land Rover Discovery of the Season
Winner: Joe Launchbury (London Wasps)
Shortlist: Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Christian Wade (London Wasps), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Luke Wallace (Harlequins)
QBE Director of Rugby of the Season
Winner: Mark McCall (Saracens)
Shortlist: Richard Cockerill (Leicester Tigers), Lyn Jones (London Welsh), Mark McCall (Saracens), Dai Young (London Wasps)
Guinness Try of the Season
Winner: Dan Bowden (Leicester Tigers v Saracens – 23.2.13)
Shortlist: Christian Wade (London Wasps v Harlequins - 1.9.12), Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers v Worcester Warriors – 8.9.12), James Simpson-Daniel (Gloucester Rugby v London Wasps – 22.9.12), Dan Bowden (Leicester Tigers v Saracens – 23.2.13), Elliot Daly (London Wasps v Northampton Saints – 23.3.13)
Gatorade Game Changer of the Season
Winner: Ollie Lindsay-Hague (Harlequins)
Runners up: Mike Brown (Harlequins) – 2nd, Billy Vunipola (London Wasps) – 3rd.
Aviva Community Player of the Season
Winner: Shaun Perry (Worcester Warriors)
Shortlist: Myles Dorian (Exeter Chiefs), Tinus Du Plessis (London Wasps), Soane Tong’uiha(Northampton Saints), Jamie George (Saracens) and Shaun Perry (Worcester Warriors)
J.P. Morgan Premiership Rugby 7s Series Player of the Season
Winner: Jonathan Joseph (London Irish)
Shortlist: Alex Gray (London Irish), Aaron Myers (London Welsh), Ian Clark (Gloucester Rugby), Jonathan Joseph (London Irish)
Towergate Top Try Scorer of the Season
Winners: Tom Varndell and Christian Wade (both London Wasps) – 13 tries
Gilbert Golden Boot
Winner: Freddie Burns (Gloucester Rugby) – 240 points
Runner-up: Gareth Steenson (Exeter Chiefs) – 239 points
TalkSPORT Dream Team
Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Ed Slater (Leicester Tigers), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Julian Salvi (Leicester Tigers), Richie Baxter (Exeter Chiefs); Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Toby Flood (Leicester Tigers); Billy Twelvetrees (Gloucester Rugby), Manu Tuilagi (Leicester Tigers); Christian Wade (London Wasps), Tom Varndell (London Wasps) and Luke Arscott (Exeter Chiefs).
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