The 15-man longlist for the European Rugby Player of the Year with last year’s winner Jonny Wilkinson included.
Reigning Heineken Cup champions Toulon have three representatives on the list with Wilkinson joined by Steffon Armitage and Matt Giteau while Munster, Clermont Auvergne, Leinster and Toulon all have two. Paul O’Connell and Peter O’Mahony have got the nod for Munster while Sean Cronin and Cian Healy have been nominated for Leinster.
Fritz Lee and Sitiveni Sivivatu are flying the Clermont flag while Jean-Marc Doussain and Louis Picamoles represent Toulouse.
Ulster’s Ruan Pienaar, Leicester’s Miles Benjamin, Northampton’s George North and Saracens’ Alex Goode have also got the nod.
The longlist will be reduced to five men in the aftermath of the Heineken Cup semi-finals and prior to the final.
