BOD scoops Six Nations gong

O'Driscoll sees off competition from Parisse and O'Connell to win

Last updated: 27th March 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

BOD scoops Six Nations gong

O'Driscoll: Winner

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Ireland's Grand Slam-winning captain Brian O'Driscoll has been named Player of the RBS Six Nations.

It is the third time the Leinster centre has won the award following honours in 2006 and 2007 and is the icing on the cake after guiding his country to its first clean sweep for 61 years.

O'Driscoll's four tries made him joint-top scorer in the tournament with England's Riki Flutey and he saw off competition from team-mates Paul O'Connell and Jamie Heaslip, full-backs Lee Byrne of Wales and Delon Armitage of England, and Italy loose forward Sergio Parisse.

More than 24,000 fans took part in an online poll and O'Driscoll garnered nearly 30 per cent of the votes.

Parisse, runner-up to Wales winger Shane Williams last year, was a close second again with 27.9 per cent, an impressive achievement after a campaign where Italy lost every game. O'Connell finished third.

"It has been such an immense week already and to be named the player of the championship is a fantastic end to what has been a phenomenal championship," O'Driscoll said.

"This year's Six Nations has been a special tournament for me and the team for lots of reasons - it's been fantastic for Irish rugby and for the whole country."