Ireland and Connacht centre, Bundee Aki was last night (Wednesday ) named the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Men’s Players of The Year respectively. These awards acknowledge their achievements and consistent performances throughout the 2022/2023 season for both club and country.
After a memorable season in green, Bundee featured as one of the standout players as the Irish men’s team claimed Grand Slam victory in March, along with a gallant pursuit at World Cup success last year.
Nominated for World Player of the Year, Aki has been in the form of his life contributing significantly for Ireland but also across the season for Connacht, both domestically in the league and on the European stage.
Bundee Aki was proud to receive the accolade; “It is an honour to have been voted the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Men’s Player of the Year for last season..
“All of my teammates at Connacht and Ireland are deserving of recognition for their commitment and contribution to the game and I would not be picking up this award without their support. The journey of Irish Rugby is an exciting one and I look forward to the season ahead,” he said.
Rory Sheridan, Head of Partnerships for Diageo, said Guinness is proud to acknowledge the outstanding contributions to Irish Rugby during the 2022/2023 season. “As we continue our long-term partnership of both Irish Rugby and the Rugby Writers of Ireland, it has been fantastic to see achievements reached both on and off the pitch.
“We would like to congratulate all of those who have been honoured today, most of all, Nichola Fryday and Bundee Aki on their contributions over the past season and throughout their careers.”
Rúaidhrí O’Connor, Chair of the Rugby Writers of Ireland added; that as Chair of the Rugby Writers of Ireland, he would like to congratulate all of the award winners who have been nominated and voted for our members.
“The 2022/23 season was a remarkable year for Irish Rugby, with the Men’s team claiming a historic first home Grand Slam victory in March and providing a series of magic moments at the World Cup in France, to the introduction of professional contracts for Ireland’s Women’s squads for the first time in history.
“We have also seen Ireland’s men’s and women’s Sevens teams continue to shine on the world stage with the Olympic Games in Paris around the corner, while the provinces continue to set the standard and the club game thrives. My special thanks to Guinness for their continued sponsorship of these awards, which has spanned over two decades,” he said.
