Sports Personality of the Year 2017 nominees announced: Guess how many rugby players?! - Ruck

Sports Personality of the Year 2017 nominees announced: Guess how many rugby players?!

Rugby players have been controversially snubbed on the BBC Sports Personality of the Year shortlist for the second successive year.

The list of 12, which the public will select a winner was revealed to be includes: Elise Christie, Sir Mo Farah, Chris Froome, Lewis Hamilton, Anthony Joshua, Harry Kane, Johanna Konta, Jonnie Peacock, Adam Peaty, Jonathan Rea, Anya Shrubsole and Bianca Walkden.


Embed from Getty Images


Jonny Wilkinson remains the only rugby player to be named Sports Personality of the Year — winning in 2003 after kicking England to glory at the World Cup — while Wales full back Leigh Halfpenny was the last to be nominated for the award in 2013.

Owen Farrell and Maro Itoje failed to earn recognition for helping England secure back-to-back Six Nations triumphs for the first time since 2001.

Their clubs side Saracens also became only the third club to win successive European Cups while they also played integral roles British & Irish Lions’ historic drawn Test series in New Zealand.


MORE STORIES:

England Women players, meanwhile, were ignored despite winning the Grand Slam and reaching the World Cup final.

The snub also came barely 24 hours after the World Rugby Awards, at which Farrell and Itoje were nominated for the Player of the Year prize and Lydia Thompson was shortlisted for the women’s equivalent.