Halfpenny Wins Rugby Union Writers' Award

It has been announced today that Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny has won the Rugby Union Writers’ Club Player of the Year Award for 2013.

The Welshman was named the man of the series in the British and Irish Lions victorious tour of Australia in the summer, after having been a key member of Wales’s winning Six Nations side earlier in the year.

The Welsh full-back picked up the Pat Marshall Trophy at a dinner in London on Monday night to add to his collection of accolades since the tour.

To mention but a few, Halfpenny was named the Welsh Sports Personality of the year and he finished runner up in the overall SPOTY competition, second only to Wimbledon Champion Andy Murray

Past winners of the Writers’ Award include Martin Johnson, Jonny Wilkinson, Sam Warburton, Jonah Lomu and Lawrence Dallaglio.

RUWC chairman Adam Hathaway said: "Leigh was a convincing winner of our vote and a worthy recipient of the award not only for his performances for the Lions but his displays in the Six Nations earlier in the year."

He scored 49 points in the summer's three Lions Test matches, breaking Neil Jenkins' record for most points in a series including 21 in the 41-16 third Test win in Sydney.

Gatland, who coached the Lions to a 2-1 Test series victory over Australia in 2013, won the special award for lifetime achievement joining amongst others Sir Clive Woodward, Cliff Morgan, Jim Telfer and Sir Ian McGeechan on the role of honour.

Tankards for unsung heroes of rugby were presented to Rob Smith the former Wasps player, coach and academy manager, Sam Drury who has played 700 games for Ossett Rugby Club and Roy Lewis, a stalwart of Ebbw Vale.