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Lam one of three first-time nominations for annual Premiership director of rugby award
By Online Editors
Five Premiership directors of rugby who have enjoyed exceptional campaigns have been shortlisted for the Ricoh Director of Rugby of the season award.
In what has been one of the most competitive Gallagher Premiership Rugby seasons, the men at the helm have had it all to do as the battle for league positions intensified over nine months of competition.
And with the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final fast approaching the long list has been whittled down to just five thanks to a panel of judges, including a first-ever public vote.
The winner will be announced on Wednesday, May 22, at the star-studded 2019 Premiership Rugby Awards, presented by Gallagher. The full Ricoh Director of Rugby of the season shortlist is:
Johan Ackermann – Gloucester Rugby
Rob Baxter – Exeter Chiefs
Chris Boyd – Northampton Saints
Pat Lam – Bristol Bears
Mark McCall - Saracens
While McCall and Baxter have won this accolade before – the former on three occasions – Ackermann, Boyd and Lam are all looking to take home the prize for the first time.
While nearly 4,000 fans voted through the official Premiership Rugby app, the judging panel was completed by Nick Mullins (BT Sport), Alastair Eykyn (BT Sport), Mick Cleary (The Daily Telegraph), Sarah Mockford (Rugby World), Robert Kitson (The Guardian), Chris Jones (BBC 5 Live), Owen Slot (The Times) and Tom Hamilton (ESPN), with Premiership Rugby communications director Paul Morgan chairing the panel.
Along with the winner of the Ricoh Director of the Season, the winners of the following awards will also be announced at the 2019 Premiership Rugby Awards, presented by Gallagher:
Gallagher Premiership Rugby Player of the Season
Land Rover Discovery of the Season
BT Sport Dream Team
Gallagher Community Player of the Season
Premiership Rugby 7s Player of the Season
Top Try Scorer of the Season
Gilbert Golden Boot
Citizen Try of the Season
The winners at the 2019 Premiership Rugby Awards, presented by Gallagher, will be announced first on Twitter via the @premrugby account. Use hashtag #PremRugbyAwards to join the conversation.
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It certainly needs to be cherished. Despite Nick (and you) highlighting their usefulness for teams like Australia (and obviously those in France they find form with) I (mention it general in those articles) say that I fear the game is just not setup in Aus and NZ to appreciate nor maximise their strengths. The French game should continue to be the destination of the biggest and most gifted athletes but it might improve elsewhere too.
I just have an idea it needs a whole team focus to make work. I also have an idea what the opposite applies with players in general. I feel like French backs and halves can be very small and quick, were as here everyone is made to fit in a model physique. Louis was some 10 and 20 kg smaller that his opposition and we just do not have that time of player in our game anymore. I'm dying out for a fast wing to appear on the All Blacks radar.
But I, and my thoughts on body size in particular, could be part of the same indoctrination that goes on with player physiques by the establishment in my parts (country).
Go to commentsHis best years were 2018 and he wasn't good enough to win the World Cup in 2023! (Although he was voted as the best player in the world in 2023)
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