Josh Van der Flier among Irish quintet nominated on EPCR Player of the Year long list

Reigning European Professional Rugby Club (EPCR) Player of the Year Josh van der Flier is among five Irish players nominated on the long list for the 2023 award.

The Ireland back row's Leinster team-mates Caelan Doris, Jamie Osborne and Garry Ringrose are also vying for the gong, while Munster are represented by Gavin Coombes for the award reflecting performances in European club rugby.

It is the third year in a row that World Player of the Year Van der Flier has been nominated and the second in succession for Doris. Ringrose has previously been nominated in 2017, 2019 and 2020.

The 15-player nominees list also includes French international and 2021 award winner Antoine Dupont as well as Springboks captain Siya Kolisi, who is one of a quartet of Cell C Sharks players on the list.

It will be whittled down to a shortlist of five after April's Heineken Champions Cup semi-finals via a combination of a public vote and the input of the judging panel which includes World Cup winner Bryan Habana and ex-England captain Sarah Hunter.

The winner will receive the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy after the Champions Cup final which will take place at the Aviva Stadium on 20 May.

The award is in its 13th year with Van der Flier's 2022 triumph marking the fourth time an Irish player had received such recognition after Rob Kearney (2012), Sean O'Brien (2011) and Ronan O'Gara who won the inaugural 2010 prize for best player of first 15 years of European professional club competitions.

2023 EPCR Player of the Year nominees

Grégory Alldritt (Stade Rochelais)

Gavin Coombes (Munster Rugby)

Caelan Doris (Leinster Rugby)

Elliot Daly (Saracens)

Antoine Dupont (Stade Toulousain)

Eben Etzebeth (Cell C Sharks)

Jaden Hendrikse (Cell C Sharks)

Siya Kolisi (Cell C