The Women’s Premiership Player of the Year award will this year be made part of the annual Aviva Premiership Rugby Awards, which will take place on Wednesday 18 May at the Hilton, Park Lane, London.
Premeirship Rugby – who are currently responsible for the men’s Premiership XVs and 7s competitions – confirmed that three players have been shortlisted for this year’s Women’s Premiership Players’ Player of the Year award. The award, which was won last year by Tamara Taylor, is based on votes from Women’s Premiership players from across the country, the trophy will be presented Awards evening by World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi.
Premiership Rugby’s Director of Communications, Paul Morgan said ‘We are delighted to be able to present the Women’s Premiership Players’ Player of the Year award – with support from the RFU – on one of the biggest nights in the rugby calendar, the Aviva Premiership Rugby clubs continue to make a bigger and bigger commitment to women’s rugby every year and this is another example of our commitment to promoting women’s sport.
“The Women’s Premiership is thriving and we have seen a new generation of women players emerge into the England team since Maggie and her team-mates lifted the Rugby World Cup in 2014. We are also pleased to confirm that at the Awards there will be a player from each of the Women’s Premiership sides and not just the three shortlisted players.”
Amongst the shortlisted is Worcester’s Rachel Lund. Rachel started playing age 7 at Malton & Norton RUFC in North Yorkshire. She also played for West Park, Leeds growing up.
She represented both Yorkshire and North U18s then seniors before having my first premiership season at DMP, moving to Worcester in 2013. Since playing for Worcester she has played England u20s, as captain for two matches, and was nominated player’s player of the season 2014/15.
Rachel was also selected for the Canada tour with England last summer and was capped against America and France.
Talking about her motivation, Rachel said: “I am motivated by my family and the desire I’ve have to represent my country. At the age of 11 I told my mum I wanted to captain my country and those were my prophetic words!”
The other two shortlisted players are: Saracens’ Poppy Cleall and Lichfield’s Harriet Millar Mills.
The winner will be announced first on Twitter via the @premrugby account.
Photo from AJB Photographic.
