Nominees for European Player of the Year 2022 announced

The nominees for EPCR European Player of the Year for the 2021/22 season has been unveiled.

The list features tournament's leading try-scorer until now - Exeter's Sam Simmonds - who has scored seven tries and is also fourth in the most points scored along with second in most carries made.

Leinster’s Caelan Doris, Jimmy O’Brien and Josh van der Flier, Ulster’s Michael Lowry and Munster’s Jack O’Donoghue are the five Irish players to feature along with the current holder of the EPCR European Player of the Year Stade Toulouse's Antonie Dupont.

Racing 92's Gael Fickou, Clermont's Damian Penaud and Bordeaux's Cameron Woki are other players from Top 14 to make it to the nominations.

Tournament's leading point-scorer Marcus Smith, who has 46 points to his name along with his Harlequins team-mate Alex Dombrandt, who has scored the second most tries until now complete the nominations list along with Bristol's Semi Radradra and Leicester's George Ford.

The judging panel includes Erik Bonneval (beIN SPORTS), Bryan Habana (two-time Heineken Champions Cup winner), Lee McKenzie (Channel 4), Alan Quinlan (Virgin Media) and Dimitri Yachvili (France Télévisions) with the winner is set to be named following the Heineken Champions Cup final in Marseille on Saturday, 28 May.

EPCR European Player of the Year nominees for 2021/22 season:

Gregory Alldritt (La Rochelle)
Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
Caelan Doris (Leinster)
Antoine Dupont (Toulouse)
Gael Fickou (Racing 92)
George Ford (Leicester Tigers)
Michael Lowry (Ulster)
Jimmy O’Brien (Leinster)
Jack O’Donoghue (Munster)
Damian Penaud (Clermont Auvergne)
Semi Radradra (Bristol Bears)
Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
Josh Van der Flier (Leinster)
Cameron Woki (Bordeaux)