Baxter up for top award

By Steve Grace
14/5/17

Three Directors of Rugby who have enjoyed exceptional seasons have been shortlisted for the Ricoh Director of Rugby of the Season award.

Mark McCall, the three-time winner from Saracens is bidding for an unprecedented four awards alongside Exeter Chiefs’ Rob Baxter and Wasps’ Dai Young.

The shortlist is:

•        Rob Baxter – Exeter Chiefs

•        Mark McCall – Saracens

•        Dai Young - Wasps

“The standard of competition in Aviva Premiership Rugby continues to grow and this largely down to the quality of our Directors of Rugby. This season, Saracens, Exeter Chiefs and Wasps have fought a weekly battle around the top three positions and it has been clear for many weeks that the home semi-finalists would come from this group,” said Phil Winstanley the Rugby Director at Premiership Rugby.

“Mark and Rob have won the last four awards between them and continue to find the formula for keeping their Clubs in contention for titles and trophies. Dai, on the other hand, has been building something at Wasps for several seasons and this year has turned his side into title contenders. All would be very worthy winners of this award and it is going to be extremely difficult for the Panel to single out one!”

The shortlist was compiled by a panel of media professionals - Ben Coles (Planet Rugby), Jill Douglas (Freelance), Alastair Eykyn (BT Sport), Alex Lowe (The Times), Nick Purewal (Press Association), Chris Jones (BBC Radio), Stephen Jones (Sunday Times), Sarah Mockford (Rugby World), and Nick Mullins (BT Sport). They were joined by Paul Morgan (Premiership Rugby's Communications Director) who chaired the panel.

The winner will rub shoulders with the biggest names in English rugby at a glittering Aviva Premiership Rugby Awards ceremony at the Lancaster London Hotel, presented by BT Sport's Craig Doyle, on Wednesday, 17 May.

Along with the winner of the Ricoh Director of Rugby of the Season,  the winners of the following awards will also be announced:

•    Aviva Premiership Rugby Player of the Season

•    Aviva Community Player of the Season

•    BT Sport Dream Team

•    Gilbert Golden Boot

•    Citizen Try of the Season

•    Land Rover Discovery of the Season

•    Singha Premiership Rugby 7s Player of the Series

•    Trivento Top Try Scorer of the Season

•    Women's Premiership Players’ Player of the Year

The winners will be announced first on Twitter via the @premrugby account. Use hashtag #AvivaPremAwards to join the conversation.

Previous Winners:

·       2015-16 – Mark McCall (Saracens)

·       2014-15 – Mike Ford (Bath Rugby)

·       2013-14 - Mark McCall (Saracens)

·       2012-13 - Mark McCall (Saracens)

·       2011-12 - Rob Baxter (Exeter Chiefs)

·       2010-11 - Jim Mallinder (Northampton Saints)

·        2009-10 - Andy Key (Leeds Carnegie)

·        2008-09 - Richard Cockerill (Leicester Tigers)

·        2007-08 - Dean Ryan (Gloucester Rugby)

·        2006-07 - Pat Howard (Leicester Tigers)

·        2005-06 - Philippe Saint-Andre (Sale Sharks)

·        2004-05 - John Wells (Leicester Tigers)

·        2003-04 - John Connolly (Bath Rugby)

·        2002-03 - Warren Gatland (London Wasps)

·        2001-02 - Conor O'Shea and Brendan Venter (London Irish)

·        2000-01 - Dean Richards (Leicester Tigers)

·        1999-2000 - Andy Robinson (Bath Rugby)