Aki capped an outstanding season for him personally by being named Men’s Player of the Year, while former Ireland captain Nichola Fryday picked up the Women’s accolade.
Connacht centre Aki was a key figure in Ireland’s first Grand Slam win on home soil before he carried that form into the World Cup, where a string of strong performances saw him nominated for World Player of the Year.
“It is an honour to have been voted the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Men’s Player of the Year for last season,” Aki (33) said.
“All of my teammates at Connacht and Ireland are deserving of recognition for their commitment and contribution to the game and I would not be picking up this award without their support. The journey of Irish Rugby is an exciting one and I look forward to the season ahead.”
Although she retired from international rugby last July, Fryday is still playing club rugby in England with Exeter, while the Offaly native represented her country well during what was a difficult Six Nations campaign.
Pictured is Ireland head coach Andy Farrell, alongside players James Ryan and Cian Healy, presented by Rory Sheridan and Ruaidhri O’Connor, who today were awarded the Dave Guiney Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Team of the Year award.
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
“It is a huge privilege to be named the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Women’s Player of the Year,” the lock (28) said.
“It has been a bitter-sweet season but a journey I am grateful to have been part of for the last seven years.
“I feel very proud to have captained a very special group of players with Ireland who epitomised resilience, dedication and commitment to the jersey.
“I would also like to thank the many people throughout my International career who supported me and made the journey a memorable one.”
The Ireland men’s team was named the Dave Guiney Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Team of the Year in recognition of their historic Six Nations Grand Slam victory at the Aviva Stadium last March.
Ireland men’s Sevens captain, Harry McNulty was awarded Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Men’s 7’s Player of the Year having been nominated for the second consecutive year, cementing his reputation as one of the Ireland’s best and most consistent 7s players.
Women’s Sevens player, Lucy Mulhall, is this year’s Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Women’s 7’s Player of the Year, the first time she has won the award in her career. Named captain for the tenth season, Wicklow native Mulhall played a pivotal role in helping the Irish women’s side qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics for the first time.
Tyrone based club Clogher Valley was voted the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Club of the Year on the back of their achievements which include promotion to Division 2C of the Men’s Energia All Ireland League last season, a feat that sees the club compete in senior All-Ireland rugby for the first time.
Leinster and Ireland back-row Alex Soroka was acknowledged for his outstanding contribution through fundraising for the Ukrainian effort as he claimed the Guinness Rugby Writers Tom Rooney award.
Meanwhile, former Ireland star Lynne Cantwell and Ulster legend David Humphreys have been inducted into the Guinness Rugby Writers of Ireland Hall of Fame.
With 86 appearances in green, Cantwell is one of the most-capped and well-respected figures in the game. A standout star of the 2013 Grand Slam victory, Cantwell featured on the team that secured a fourth-place finish at the 2014 Rugby World Cup.
Humphreys enjoyed a stellar career with Ulster and Ireland, winning 72 caps and scoring 560 points. He captained Ulster to the first Irish Champions Cup success in 1999. Humphreys served as director of rugby for Ulster and spent six years in a similar role with Gloucester. The 52-year-old will succeed David Nucifora as the IRFU’s performance director later this year.