Each year, a shortlist of players is chosen by an expert panel for the Guinness Player of the Championship award. This list then goes to a public vote, with the winning player announced in the week after Super Saturday.
Ireland have won the award most frequently, seven times in total, with the great Brian O’Driscoll (2006, 2007, 2009) claiming three. His former centre partner Gordon D’Arcy won the inaugural award in 2004. Along with O’Driscoll and D’Arcy, Ireland’s Tommy Bowe (2010), Paul O’Connell (2015) and Jacob Stockdale (2018) have also won the award.
France scrum-half Antoine Dupont (2020, 2022 and 2023) and Scotland full-back Stuart Hogg (2016 and 2017) are the only other players to have won it more than once.
Five Welshmen have won the accolade with Martyn Williams (2005), Shane Williams (2008), Dan Lydiate (2012), Leigh Halfpenny (2013) and Alun Wyn Jones (2019). England’s Mike Brown (2014) and Italy’s Andrea Masi (2011) have also had the honour of being named the Championship’s best player.
Hamish Watson became only the second ever Scot to win the award after a superb Championship in 2021 which saw him cement his place as one of the very best back-rows in world rugby.
Winning Players:
2004: Gordon D'Arcy - Ireland
2005: Martyn Wlliams - Wales
2006: Brian O'Driscoll - Ireland
2007: Brian O'Driscoll - Ireland
2008: Shane Williams - Wales
2009 Brian O'Driscoll - Ireland
2010: Tommy Bowe - Ireland
2011: Andrea Masi - Italy
2012: Dan Lydiate - Wales
2013: Leigh Halfpenny - Wales
2014: Mike Brown - England
2015: Paul O'Connell - Ireland
2016: Stuart Hogg - Scotland
2017: Stuart Hogg - Scotland
2018: Jacob Stockdale - Ireland
2019: Alun Wyn Jones - Wales
2020: Antoine Dupont - France
2021: Hamish Watson - Scotland
2022: Antoine Dupont - France
2023: Antoine Dupont - France
2024: Tommaso Menoncello - Italy