FOUR LEINSTER players have earned nominations for the 2024 Investec Player of the Year.
Caelan Doris, James Lowe, Dan Sheehan and Jamison Gibson-Park take up half of the eight nominations.
This is the third year in-a-row that Doris has been nominated and will be hoping to finally take home the award for the first time.
Doris lost out to his teammate Josh van der Flier in 2022, with La Rochelle’s Greg Alldritt beating him to the accolade last year.
Lowe was also nominated in 2022 and has earned his place on the list this year despite missing the opening two Champions Cup matches with injury.
Three tries in four games was the response Lowe needed to make up for his absence but he isn’t the top scorer of the Leinster men.
Gibson-Park has touched down five tries so far this campaign which leaves him second in the rankings, only behind Bordeaux’s Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
The other nominations include Fin Smith and Courtney Lawes from Northampton Saints – who Leinster meet in the semi-final at Croke Park.
Toulouse captain Antoine Dupont and Marcus Smith of Harlequins are the other two nominations.
A public vote will decide the winner.
Leinster’s semi-final clash won’t be the last Croke Park visit for Leo Cullen’s side in the near future.
With the RDS due to be redeveloped, Leinster are moving into the Aviva Stadium for the next season and some games will be at GAA HQ.
Despite the move to the higher-spec stadium, Leinster have announced there will be no increase in the cost of season tickets.
They are also introducing a cheaper entry level ticket, student tickets and family tickets for a family of five.
The existing season ticket-holders – of which there are more than 12,800 – will be able to renew from Tuesday April 23, with sales open to the current waiting list on May 1 ahead of a public sale on May 3.
The province has also confirmed that season-ticket holders will have priority purchase on tickets for when they return to the RDS.
Leinster Rugby CEO Shane Nolan said: “This a hugely exciting update for everyone associated with Leinster Rugby and we look forward to supporting the RDS in its ambition to regenerate.
“We are very fortunate to be able to relocate to Aviva Stadium, a stadium that we are very familiar with as an organisation and as a supporter base, and where we have enjoyed many brilliant days together. Last Saturday’s win was another one to add to a long list of great days.
“I’d like to put on record my appreciation and indeed the Leinster Rugby Branch’s appreciation to the Boards of the RDS, the IRFU, the FAI and the Aviva Stadium for all their help in facilitating this move and indeed to the GAA for their help in securing Croke Park for a number of games next season.
“It will be a season like no other, of that there will be no doubt, and while we acknowledge that there will be some inconvenience in any stadium move, we are also very excited to bring a full season of Leinster Rugby matches to venues of the quality of the Aviva Stadium and Croke Park, two of the finest stadia in Europe.”