Middlesex Rugby
London Wasps SH nominated
SIMPSON SHORTLISTED FOR IRB WORLD PLAYER AWARD
England Under 20 star Joe Simpson has been shortlisted for one of world rugby’s most prestigious awards.
The London Wasps scrum half is one of three players nominated for the International Rugby Board (IRB) Young Player of the Year Award alongside New Zealand’s Chris Smith and Luke Braid.
No higher honour is available to a young player with Gavin Henson (Wales), Luke McAlister (New Zealand), Isaia Toeava (New Zealand) and Lionel Beauxis (France) among the recent winners.
The winner will be announced when the 2008 IRB Awards in association with Emirates Airline take place at Old Billingsgate in London on November 26.
Simpson’s nomination, made by a panel of team managers at the IRB Junior World Championship, came at the end of an outstanding season with the national Under 20 side, who completed an RBS Under 20 Six Nations Grand Slam before beating Australia and South Africa to become the first England team to reach the final of an IRB age-group tournament.
The 20-year-old from Ealing, a product of St Benedict’s School, appeared in eight of England’s Under 20 internationals this season, scoring tries against Scotland and South Africa. He had previously represented England at Under-18 and Under-19 levels and played for the England in the IRB World Sevens Series.
“I’m very proud and excited to have been nominated and being selected as one of the three leading players from the Junior World Championship is a great feeling,” said Simpson.
“Although it’s me who’s been nominated it’s also a reflection of the team I’ve been playing in and particularly the England forwards. You can’t play well behind a pack that’s struggling and they’ve been awesome – it’s a tribute to all of them in the front row, second row and back row.
