SIMON ZEBO HAS been included on the longlist for the 2013 ERC Player of the Year.
The Munster winger, who scored a weekend hat-trick against Racing Metro, has been named on the 15-man list along with Rory Best and Ruan Pienaar of Ulster.
Voting was based on player performances during the pool stages of the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup.
Wesley Fofana of ASM Clermont Auvergne, the Harlequins’ full back, Mike Brown, Owen Farrell of Saracens and Pienaar, all who made last year’s longlist, are included again.
According to the ERC, the judging panel will also have the option to consider additional players who make major contributions during the knock-out stages of both tournaments.
They will then announce a five-man shortlist following the semi-finals with the overall winner named directly after the ERC European club finals in Dublin this May.
In addition to the decision of the panel, the 44 clubs in the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup will have the opportunity to vote for contenders nominated on the ERC European Player of the Year 2013 shortlist.
Supporters can also have their say on Twitter using #ERCPlayer2013, and on the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup Facebook pages.
The panel this season is made up of Stuart Barnes (Sky Sports), Will Greenwood (Daily Telegraph), Stephen Jones (Sunday Times), Emmanuel Massicard (Midi Olympique) and Gerry Thornley (Irish Times).
Leinster’s Rob Kearney won the 2012 ERC Player of the Year accolade.
ERC Player of the Year longlist
Steffon Armitage (Toulon), Rory Best (Ulster Rugby), Julien Bonnaire (ASM Clermont Auvergne), Mike Brown (Harlequins), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Wesley Fofana (ASM Clermont Auvergne), Mamuka Gorgodze (Montpellier), Charlie Hodgson ((Saracens), James Johnston (Harlequins), Joe Launchbury (London Wasps), Morgan Parra (ASM Clermont Auvergne), Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster Rugby), Simon Zebo (Munster).
As a Leinster fan who finds it extremely difficult to admit to like anything Munster I’ll say this much Zebo is pure class. a real finisher, I hope his form keeps up for the 6nations.
Speak for yourself, Zebo isn’t the full shilling and doesn’t deserve an Irish call-up.
Would like to see zebo win it …
Zebo has 8 tries in 11 hc games … Not a bad return … and how can you not like Zebo , my admoration for the man tripled when he turned down a move for toulouse so he could play munster , just shows the passion he has for his home club
No Leinster lads no? Well done Zebo you deserve it kid. F*ck the begrudgers!
Stephen Jones on the judging panel – The most impartial journalist in the business!
he tweeted me once. i think his sound. really hates ireland rugby all the same.
I don’t like Zebo, would love to see Rory Best win it.
Fully agree. Don’t like Zebo. Best is a class player, a real grafter.
@MrMagoo – love it, brilliant.
What is not to like about Zebo, he is Irish, a nice humble guy and a great player with a bright future. Is it a personal thing, as I cannot see fault in his performances for Ireland or Munster so far.
Stupid comment. Do you actually know him or is it just sour grapes
You are even more stupid to post it twice. Doh !
Read it again magoo, its not the same post. I posted it to 2 comments.
What do you mean you don’t like Zebo. You’re acting like you’re still in the school playground.
Nasty comments towards a Munster player. Usual stuff. Zzzzz.
Well done Simon Zebo if you don’t win it this year you definitely will in years to come.
Why begrudge our own well done zebo and best we should be proud.2 class players
He’s not “our own” though is he?
Not if by “our own” you mean “from Leinster”…
@ Aah ’tis himself. If you’re implying what i think you’re implying he’s more irish and contributing more to this country than you or any of your ilk would in a million years.
So good old-fashioned racism is still alive and well in 21st century Ireland…
*throws eyes to ceiling*
So it’ll be Owen farrell after looking at the judges (puts hand to face wondering why farrell is even there)
“Voting was based on player performances during the pool stages of the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup.” – So based on 6 matches (assuming only 2012) in the last three months. I see how that reflects a years worth of play. What a joke.
It the ERC player of the year award and the final shortlist of 3 won’t be announced till the end of the season. It’s not supposed to reflect a years worth of play, it’s about who’s the best player in this seasons european competition.
Must be a very long list. Only jokin fair play to them and more power to any Irish player doing well.
in like Flynn,
Adebayo
Zebo, Sherlock, Lynnot, the O’ Hailpín’s – great poster boys for the non- white Irish. Integration abú
Feel free to add to the list
I despair of the so called Irish people who cannot unite in support of Irish players.
That’s a random list filled with too many English players based on European comps
I’d venture that Parra is streets ahead on that list
Absolute top class
He’s not from Leinster you know!!!!
Where were you since Saturday – sulking?
Cannot understand those who say Zebo is not good. All his tries on Sunday were top class ; he is a big physical modern winger who plays for the Munster jersey that he loves evidenced by his reaction after his 3rd try against Racing. He loves the Irish jersey with the same passion, in case the misery bunch say anything. He is now a quality defender, especially as a last line sweeper and he can catch and kick the ball as well as Kearney.
What’s not to love about the guy.
I hope I am watching him for a long time to come in an Irish/Munster jersey
And to qualify all that , I am a Leinster fan for life and have followed them all over Europe for many years
Must be a very long list if Zebo is on it!
Any hassle getting tickets for the Wasps game??
I think he’s more of an armchair pundit than someone who actually goes to matches…
Fofana, armitage or brown for me
Someone is having a laugh, Zebo is a good player. But not one of the top 15 in Europe. Kidney will now pick him for the 6 nations against Wales.
I think its clear to any objective fan that Zebo is a bit of class. He has it all as a winger and I believe he has the potential to b a better FB.
Most exciting thing is… he’s only a boy in the scheme of things.
To those who say you don’t like him. Have you met him?? I have. Lives around the corner….. Sound fella.
The guy is a class act,he’s going to break all try scoring records in the heineken cup