Chiefs duo up for Player of the Year

By Mark Stevens
16/5/2016

Exeter Chiefs duo Gareth Steenson and Don Armand have today been confirmed on the shortlist for the Aviva Premiership Rugby Player of the Season.

Both have played an integral role for Rob Baxter's side this season, helping the DChiefs to secure a first-ever appearance in the end of season play-offs, as well as advancing to the last eight of the European Champions Cup.

Steenson's laser-guided boot has not only seen him collect the Premiership's golden boot for the first time, but he has also overtaken Tony Yapp as the club's all-time points-scorer.

Armand, meanwhile, has been a virtual ever present in the Exeter pack this season, showing his undoubted talents by playing across the back-row.

Alomgside the Exeter pair, the list contains two Saracens’ players Maro Itoje and Alex Goode and they are joined by two from Wasps, Charles Piutau and George Smith.

“With 616 tries, almost 6,000 points scored this season and an English winner of the European Rugby Champions Cup it is clear that we have had a stellar campaign,” said Phil Winstanley, the Rugby Director at Premiership Rugby.

The shortlist is:

• Don Armand – Exeter Chiefs
• Alex Goode – Saracens
• Maro Itoje – Saracens
• Charles Piutau - Wasps
• George Smith - Wasps
• Gareth Steenson – Exeter Chiefs

“There were more than a dozen stand-out candidates and it is great to see a mixture of our own Academy graduates with a number of overseas stars. Just whittling it down to these six was an immense challenge for the panel. All of them have major significant contributions to a fantastic season and have been at the forefront of their Clubs drive to the semi-finals this weekend and they can be extremely proud of making the shortlist.

“The winner will take his place in an impressive list of Premiership Rugby players who have won this award previously.”

The shortlist was compiled by a panel of media professionals - Ben Coles (Planet Rugby), Jill Douglas (Freelance), Alastair Eykyn (BT Sport), Chris Hewett (Freelance), Chris Jones (BBC Radio), Stephen Jones (Sunday Times), Robert Kitson (The Guardian), Sarah Mockford (Rugby World), and Nick Mullins (BT Sport). They were joined by Paul Morgan (Premiership Rugby's Communications Director) who chaired the panel.

The winner will rub shoulders with the biggest names in English rugby at a glittering ceremony at the London Hilton, Park Lane presented by BT Sport's Craig Doyle.

Along with the winner of the Aviva Premiership Rugby Player of the Season, the winners of the following awards will also be announced on 18 May:

• Aviva Community Player of the Season
• Guinness Director of Rugby of the Season
• BT Sport Dream Team
• Gilbert Golden Boot
• Green Flag Forward of the Season
• Citizen Try of the Season
• Land Rover Discovery of the Season
• Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Player of the Series
• Trivento Top Try Scorer of the Season
• Women's Premiership Players’ Player of the Year

The winner will be announced on Wednesday 18 May at the sold out Aviva Premiership Rugby Awards at the Hilton, Park Lane, and on Twitter via the @premrugby account. Use hashtag #AvivaPremAwards to join the conversation.