Rugby union: Gopperth named Aviva Premiership player of the season

Jimmy Gopperth completed an incredible hat-trick of rugby awards as he was named Aviva Premiership Rugby Player of the Season.

The Wasps star had already won his club’s Player of the Season title before lifting the Rugby Players’ Association gong ahead of Premiership Rugby’s annual ceremony at the Lancaster London Hotel.

Gopperth played in 21 of Wasps’ 22 Aviva Premiership Rugby matches this season as they climbed to first place in the League helped by his 266 points which included nine tries, and his Director of Rugby Dai Young led the praise for the versatile Kiwi.

Young said: “It’s difficult to put into words just how valuable Jimmy has been for our squad, both on and off the pitch. We all know he is a quality fly-half, but his ability to play 10, 12, 13 and even a couple of games at full-back for us this season has really helped the side.

“Jimmy always puts the team before himself and he’s always played at a very high standard in every position he’s played. He’s a real club man and a quality player who deserves all the accolades he’s got this season. He’s also one of the most modest guys you could meet, really hard working and a real leader around the camp.

“The team is the most important thing to him and he’s a role model to the younger guys coming through. We’re really pleased for Jimmy and he thoroughly deserves all the awards he’s won.”

The Aviva Premiership Rugby Player of the Season wasn’t the only award Gopperth picked up at the star-studded awards ceremony as his sensational score against Northampton Saints in Round Four was selected as the Citizen Try of the Season.

Started deep in Wasps’ own territory by Joe Simpson, Danny Cipriani and Guy Thompson, Gopperth motored home from halfway. It prompted BT Sport commentator Nick Mullins to say: “This is a work of art… hang that in the Portrait Gallery… it was beautiful.”

And Gopperth wasn’t done there as his season haul of 221 points with the boot saw him secure a hat-trick of awards on the night as he picked up the Gilbert Golden Boot Award.

Bettered

It was a season of high-scoring in Aviva Premiership Rugby, the total of 6,282 points scored having been bettered just once since 2000-01, when 6,332 were scored in 2014-15. That total ensured that there were four players who scored more than 150 points with the boot – Gopperth, Stephen Myler, Freddie Burns and Gareth Steenson.

Gopperth’s try against the Saints was one of 89 (a new League record) scored by Wasps this season, 17 of which came from the hands of Christian Wade, a tally that earned the wing the Trivento Top Try-Scorer Award. Wade equalled a 20-year League record held by Richmond’s Dominic Chapman, and moved fifth in the all-time list as he sits on 69 for his career thus far.

Wasps weren’t done with those awards on an unforgettable night as first place in Aviva Premiership Rugby and a home semi-final against Leicester Tigers on Saturday earned Dai Young the title of Ricoh Director of Rugby of the Season.

The Welshman was acclaimed by Phil Winstanley, the Rugby Director at Premiership Rugby.

“I’m delighted for Dai that he has been given this award,” said Winstanley.

“He has been at Wasps since 2011 and has seen some difficult times but has been at the forefront of guiding the Club through these. He has built a fantastic squad over the past couple of seasons following the move to the Ricoh Arena and has developed an extremely entertaining and exciting style of play.

“The Wasps performances this season have produced the most tries in the competition and they’ve been great to watch. He’s a great character for us to have in the competition and very deserving of this accolade.”

After seeing England win four out of the last five Junior World Cups it is clear that Aviva Premiership Rugby is blessed with an ever-growing crop of world-class young players.

So it meant that the battle for the Land Rover Discovery of the Season was more closely fought than ever before, with Leicester Tigers’ prop Ellis Genge emerging triumphant.

Another club on the winners’ board at the Lancaster London was Exeter Chiefs who saw Sam Simmonds named Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Player of the Tournament.

Worcester Warriors’ full-back Chris Pennell is well-known for his exploits on the pitch but it was his commitment off the field that earned him the plaudits at the ceremony as he was named Aviva Community Player of the Season.

And it wasn’t just a night to celebrate the best of the men’s game as Harriet Millar-Mills was named Women’s Premiership Players’ Player of the Year for the second season.

To round off the night, master of ceremonies Craig Doyle announced the BT Sport Dream honouring 15 players from six different clubs, with Saracens the best represented with five stars named.

The team:

15. Telusa Veainu – Leicester Tigers

14. Christian Wade – Wasps

13. Elliot Daly – Wasps

12. Brad Barritt – Saracens (captain)

11. Olly Woodburn – Exeter Chiefs

10. Jimmy Gopperth – Wasps

9. Richard Wigglesworth – Saracens

1. Mako Vunipola – Saracens

2. Jamie George – Saracens

3. Kyle Sinckler – Harlequins

4. Joe Launchbury – Wasps

5. Courtney Lawes – Northampton Saints

6. Don Armand – Exeter Chiefs

7. Jackson Wray – Saracens

8. Louis Picamoles – Northampton Saints