Antoine Dupont, the France and Stade Toulousain scrum half, has been named the 2023 Guinness Six Nations Player of The Championship, after fans were asked to vote from a shortlist of six nominees. This takes Dupont’s award tally up to three, having claimed the prize in 2020 and 2022.
Dupont is the second player in the award’s history to claim the title three times, putting him alongside Ireland’s Brian O’Driscoll, who won the award in 2006, 2007 and 2009.
The shortlist for this year’s Guinness Six Nations Player of The Championship was dominated by France and Ireland players, with three names per nation making the shortlist.
International media and fans had their say on who should be in the running for the hotly anticipated award, with fan votes also contributing towards the 2023 Team of The Championship.
Dupont was joined on the Player of The Championship shortlist by Toulouse teammate and France fullback Thomas Ramos, plus prolific try scoring winger Damian Penaud who plays his club rugby for Clermont Auvergne.
Three standout names from the Ireland team that went on to secure a Grand Slam title completed the shortlist. Leinster’s Caelan Doris and Hugo Keenan were accompanied by Connacht winger Mack Hansen, making it a blue and green list of names being put to a fan vote.
With over 138,000 fans having their say to decide the 2023 Guinness Six Nations Player of The Championship, it was Dupont that received 26% of the votes, earning the coveted award for the third time, as well as a place in the Team of The Championship.
The 2023 Team of The Championship took on an equally blue and green tint. With ten Ireland players, three France and two Scotland players making up the starting fifteen, as nominated by fans.
In a vintage year for full-backs, France star Thomas Ramos narrowly missed out on a place in the Team of the Championship to Ireland’s Hugo Keenan, highlighting the competition for places on this year’s team sheet.
Those included in the Team of The Championship were the likes of Scotland centre partners, Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones, who won praise throughout the Championship for their almost telepathic relationship.
Johnny Sexton signed off his Six Nations career with a Grand Slam on home soil and takes the number 10 jersey with nine of his teammates also on the team sheet. Ireland names include the dynamic hooker Dan Sheehan and World Player of The Year, Josh Van Der Flier.
Another player destined to light up the Rugby World Cup later this year, is French second row, Thibaud Flament, who earns his place in the starting fifteen, alongside his teammates Dupont and Penaud.
Stephen O’Kelly, Global Brand Director, Diageo, commented: “Following an incredible Guinness Six Nations Championship, the team at Diageo would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Antoine Dupont, this year’s Guinness Six Nations Player of the Championship.
“Antoine was never far away from France’s best plays this season, keeping them in the battle for the title, and we hope he enjoys this richly deserved achievement and recognition.”
