Paul O’Connell awarded 2015 RBS Player of the Championship
Friday 27th March 2015 – Less than a week after lifting the RBS 6 Nations trophy Ireland captain Paul O’Connell has been awarded the RBS Player of the Championship. Securing over 26% of the public vote the Ireland number 5 received the backing of 18,842 fans.
This unique shortlist is decided through a combination of match statistics, analysing the best performing players across a set range of criteria, and a public vote. The combination of the two processes should ensure the 12 man shortlist is a true reflection of the greatest players throughout the Championship.
Wales’s Alun-Wyn Jones came in second with 19% of the vote, a nod to his heroic performance in the Welsh win against Ireland in Cardiff. The race for 3rd place was a hotly contested affair with just 0.9% of the votes separating Ireland’s rising star Robbie Henshaw (3rd with 7750 votes) and Wales’s Dan Biggar (4th with 7681 votes). Italy’s talisman Sergio Parisse was rewarded for his commanding performances, finishing 5th with 7% of the votes, just ahead of England’s star player Ben Youngs in 6th with 6% of the votes.
The Irish lock who made his 101st appearance during the Championship commented: “I’m delighted to receive the RBS Player of the Championship Trophy. When you see the names that have gone before, you realise what a great honour it is. I’m very grateful for all the supporters who voted for me”.
Players at every RBS 6 Nations match this year were awarded (or deducted) points based upon a number of different performance categories which cover all aspects of the game. These categories were proportionately weighted based on the different positions by an algorithm created by RBS 6 Nations statisticians.
RBS 6 Nations Player of the Championship Shortlist
| Player | Votes | % of vote |
| O’Connell, Paul | 18842 | 26.73 % |
| Jones, Alun-Wyn | 13645 | 19.36 % |
| Henshaw, Robbie | 7750 | 10.99 % |
| Biggar, Dan | 7681 | 10.90 % |
| Parisse, Sergio | 4845 | 6.87 % |
| Youngs, Ben | 4778 | 6.78 % |
| Hogg, Stuart | 3671 | 5.21 % |
| Joseph, Jonathan | 2669 | 3.79 % |
| Murray, Conor | 2588 | 3.67 % |
| Ford, George | 2349 | 3.33 % |
| Gray, Jonny | 1454 | 2.06 % |
| Vunipola, Billy | 216 | 0.31 % |
Total Votes: 70,488
RBS Player of the Championship – previous winners
2014 – Mike Brown
2013 – Leigh Halfpenny
2012 – Dan Lydiate
2011 – Andrea Masi
2010 – Tommy Bowe
2009 – Brian O’Driscoll
2008 – Shane Williams
2007 – Brian O’Driscoll
2006 – Brian O’Driscoll
