Blade & Dixon named Connacht Players of the Year 2023

Caolin Blade and Orla Dixon have been named the Connacht Rugby Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year for 2022/23. 

The pair were announced as the big winners at last night’s annual Connacht Rugby Awards, presented by G-P, in front of nearly 600 guests at the Galmont Hotel in Galway.

Scrum-half Blade won the prestigious Player of the Year award for the first time in his career, with Finlay Bealham (2^nd) and Mack Hansen (3^rd) completing the top three. Máiread Coyne and Clara Barrett came 2^nd and 3^rd respectively in the Women’s category.

Meanwhile Niall Murray was voted the Fans’ Player of the Year by the public, while the Academy Player of the Year award went to Hugh Gavin, who was also named U19 Player of the Year.

The evening concluded with Portumna’s Daithí Frawley receiving the Lifetime Contribution to Rugby Award from his former student John Muldoon, who made a surprise attendance to saw a few words about his mentor.

The full list of winners is as follows:

U18 Men’s Player of the Year, sponsored by Sound to Light

Tomás Farthing (Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Creg Mhuire)

U18 Women’s Player of the Year, sponsored by RDJ

Éabha Nic Dhonnacha (Tuam RFC/Oughterard RFC/Corinthians RFC/Scoil Chuimsitheach Chiaráin)

U19 Men’s Player of the Year, sponsored by Grant Thornton

Hugh Gavin (Galwegians RFC/Coláiste Iognáid)

Academy Player of the Year, sponsored by Total Health Pharmacy

Hugh Gavin

Referee of the Year

Shane Touhy

Coach of the Year

Eddie Walsh (Westport RFC)

Women’s Club Player of the Year

Karly Tierney (Tuam RFC/Oughterard RFC)

Junior Club Player of the Year

Eoghan Coyle (Creggs RFC)

Senior Club Player of the Year

Mark Boyle (Corinthians RFC)

Club of the Year, sponsored by Bank of Ireland

Sligo RFC

Connacht Rugby Unsung Hero, sponsored by Keystone Lintels

Fergus ‘Gussie’ Farrell

Try of the Year, sponsored by Western Postform

Niall Murray (vs Benetton)

Fans’ Player of the Year, sponsored by Murty Rabbitts

Niall Murray

Women’s Player of the Year, sponsored by G-P

Orla Dixon

Men’s Player of the Year, sponsored by Genesys

Caolin Blade

Lifetime Contribution to Connacht Rugby, sponsored by Oliver Carty Meats

Daithí Frawley