Justin Tipuric was the big winner at the Ospreys end of season dinner on Monday night, enjoying unprecedented success as he took all four senior awards.
Capping off an incredible season for him personally, Tipuric was named Coaches, Fans and Players’ Player of the Year, as well as being the first ever recipient of the Social Media Player of the Year award, the culmination of a full season’s voting via Ospreys social media channels. With more than 4,000 votes cast on a match-by-match basis, it is the biggest ever poll run by the Ospreys to decide a player of the year.
Although otherwise engaged on the day with the British Irish & Lions in London ahead of the summer tour to New Zealand, nothing could stop Tipuric getting back to the Liberty Stadium late in the evening to join Ospreys players, staff and commercial partners in a celebration of a season which will go in to over time with a semi-final to come against Munster.
Incredibly, it was the third time that Tipuric has won the Players’ Player award (2011, 2014) and the second time he has been voted Fans’ Player (2013), while he also took the Elite Youth Development Player of the Year in 2010 as a 20-year old, at the end of his debut season.
It wasn’t just Tipuric picking up awards though, with youth development players and, for the first time, players from Ospreys Wheelchair Rugby and Women recognised.
There was a poignant moment when the audience of almost 400 paused to pay tribute to Elli Norkett, the Ospreys and Wales Women player who died tragically young earlier this year. The new Ospreys Women’s Player of the Year Award has been named after Elli as a mark of respect.
Dan Biggar, Paul James and Alun Wyn Jones all received recognition for passing 200 Ospreys appearances, while the final award of the evening, the prestigious Osprey of the Year, went to Medical Performance Manager, Chris Towers.
Full list of awards:
Women’s U18s Most Promising Player, sponsored by Stephen Hughes Fine Diamonds
Nominees:
Mel Gnojek
Gwen Crabb
Kayleigh Powell
Winner:
Kayleigh Powell
WCR Youth Most Promising Player, sponsored by Roma Medical
Nominees:
Jack Halloran
Georgia Parsons
Jack Davies
Winner:
Georgia Parsons
Most Improved Elite Development Player, sponsored by Clayton Hotel
Nominees:
Cai Evans
Jordan Walters
Jay Baker
Winner:
Jay Baker
Women’s Player of the Year – The Elli Norkett Memorial Award, sponsored by Swansea University
Nominees:
Siwan Lillicrap
Adi Taviner
Kelsey Jones
Winner:
Siwan Lillicrap
WCR Youth Player of the Year, sponsored by Ospreys in the Community
Nominees:
Max Davies
Lauren Parsons
Libi Phillips
Winner:
Libi Phillips
WCR Player of the Year, sponsored by Fine Wines Direct
Nominees:
Jeff Robinson
Matthew Wills
Stuart Robinson
Winner:
Stuart Robinson
Elite Youth Player of the Year, sponsored by TUI UK & Ireland
Nominees:
Keiran Williams
Will Griffiths
James Ratti
Winner:
Will Griffiths
Fans Player of the Year, sponsored by Morganstone
Nominees:
Keelan Giles
Justin Tipuric
Sam Parry
Dafydd Howells
Winner:
Justin Tipuric
Ospreys Coaches' Player of the Year, sponsored by Spire Healthcare
Nominees:
Justin Tipuric
Alun Wyn Jones
Tom Habberfield
Winner:
Justin Tipuric
Ospreys Players' Player of the Year, sponsored by IJ Griffiths Ltd Building Contractors
Nominees:
Dan Baker
Justin Tipuric
Dan Evans
Winner:
Justin Tipuric
200th appearance presentations
Dan Biggar, Paul James and Alun Wyn Jones receive special award from Stephen Hughes Fine Diamonds to mark 200 Ospreys appearances
Social Media Player of the Year, sponsored by Worthington’s
Nominees:
Sam Davies
Keelan Giles
Justin Tipuric
Winner:
Justin Tipuric
Osprey of the Year, sponsored by Sony UK Technology Centre
Winner – Chris Towers
Honourable mentions-
Wayne Hall
Alyn Lake
Shaun Maculiffe
