Racing 92’s Leone Nakarawa has been rewarded for an outstanding European campaign by being named EPCR European Player of the Year 2018.
The Fijian helped Racing 92 to the Champions Cup final in which they were narrowly defeated by Leinster in front of a near-capacity crowd at Bilbao’s San Mamés Stadium.
Leone Nakarawa is the EPCR European Player of the Year 2018 – presented by @TurkishAirlines. pic.twitter.com/IyiQNOnsy0
— Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) May 12, 2018
The outcome was determined by a combination of a public vote and the verdict of a panel of renowned rugby experts. There was a new record established for fans’ engagement with over 21,000 votes registered since the initial list of nominees was named at the end of January.
Nakarawa edged out club colleague Maxime Machenaud for one of the most prized individual accolades in the world game, while Leinster’s trio of Scott Fardy, Tadhg Furlong and Johnny Sexton also made the shortlist for the award.
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His success is the first for a player representing a Top 14 club since 2015 when Nick Abendanon of Clermont won. Nakarawa collects one million air miles courtesy of official tournament partners Turkish Airlines as well as a specially-struck commemorative medal. He also becomes the second recipient of the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy.
His performances in the Champions Cup received widespread acclaim throughout the season with his try in Racing’s quarter-final win at Clermont voted as the best of the knockout rounds.