Top Catt lands player award

Mike Catt has been named the Guinness Premiership player of the season.

Mike Catt has been named the Guinness Premiership player of the season after a highly impressive season with London Irish.

The centre has helped the Exiles to their first Premiership play-off appearance, where they lost to Leicester, as well as the European Challenge Cup final, which ended in extra-time defeat by Gloucester.

The 34-year-old also earned a recall to the England set-up for the June tour to Australia having last played for his country in 2004.

Catt beat Bristol scrum-half Shaun Perry, Northampton fly-half Carlos Spencer, Wasps wing Tom Voyce and Sale Sharks flanker Jason White to the top award.

The league's leading tryscorer Tom Varndell of Leicester took the young player of the year, edging out fellow winger Tom Biggs of Leeds, Northampton centre Jon Clarke, Newcastle back Mathew Tait and Sale flanker Magnus Lund.

Sale boss Philippe Saint-Andre, who will lead his side against the Tigers in their first Premiership final on Saturday, picked up the director of rugby category while Bath number eight Zak Feaunati's landed the try of the season for his outstanding effort against Bristol in April.

Elsewhere Newcastle's Joe Shaw received a community player of the season award while Leicester claimed a performance of the season accolade for their work for the Matt Hampson Trust Fund.

Sky dream team: M Burke (Newcastle); T Varndell (Leicester), M Tait (Newcastle), M Catt (London Irish), T Voyce (Wasps); C Spencer (Northampton), J Marshall (Leeds); T Windo (Worcester), M Regan (Bristol), C Visagie (Saracens), D Grewcock (Bath), B Kay (Leicester), M Salter (Bristol, capt), M Lund (Sale Sharks), J-M Leguizamon (London Irish).