Updated at 20:00
THE NOMINEES FOR RTÉ’s Sport Team of the Year have been announced with 12 outfits in contention for the award after their heroics in 2016.
The Irish rugby team are nominated after a year of historic wins over New Zealand and South Africa, while PRO12 champions Connacht are also in the running.
From soccer, both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland teams are in the running after featuring in Euro 2016 in France. Dundalk have also been nominated after their SSE Airtricity League triumph and exploits in Europe.
On the GAA front there are four All-Ireland champions nominated in the Dublin footballers, the Tipperary hurlers, the Cork ladies footballers and the Kilkenny camogie team.
Finally the Irish Paralaympic cycling and athletics teams will contest the award along with Olympic silver medal rowing winning O’Donovan brothers, Paul and Gary.
Connacht rugby
Cork ladies footballers
Dublin senior football
Dundalk soccer
Ireland Paralympic cycling
Ireland Paralympic athletics
Ireland rugby
Kilkenny camogie
Northern Ireland soccer
The O'Donovan brothers - Gary and Paul
Republic of Ireland soccer
Tipperary senior hurling
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The 2016 nominees in full are:
- Connacht rugby
- Cork ladies footballers
- Dublin footballers
- Dundalk soccer
- Ireland’s Paralympic cycling
- Ireland’s Paralympic athletics
- Ireland rugby
- Kilkenny camogie
- Northern Ireland soccer
- The O’Donovan brothers – Paul and Gary
- Republic of Ireland soccer
- Tipperary hurlers
The RTÉ Sport Awards 2016 are live on RTÉ One on Saturday 17 December at 9pm.
Which team do you think should win?
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Connaught or dundalk I’d imagine
@michael coghlan:
I agree
@Just Some Guy: My thinking too…
@Cowboy Paddy: Just to point out…
Dundalk won it last year…
Personally would select between Dundalk or Connacht, and considering where Connacht have come from in terms of nearly going out of business, and then winning the Pro12 in wonderful style, they’d get my own vote.
How do we vote?!
RTE website
Connacht. Dundalk or the O’Donovan brothers
What the heck did the Irish soccer team achieve? They shouldn’t be there. Connacht rugby for me.
Beat the world champions, qualified for euro 16, beat Italy, qualified from a difficult group. Ran France close. Top of WC 18 group. Nothing much really.
To be pedantic, we beat Germany and qualified in 2015……
@(((Jason))): Did Ireland not beat World Champs and qualify for 2016 in 2015??
Connacht for me for this award.
*qualify for Euro 2016
True, sorry.. still a good 2016 but not deserving of team of team of the year. But a great year for the soccer team none the less.
Connacht just about shading it over Dundalk
Have to hand it to Dundalk. They should be in with a good chance.
Dundalk all day long for me, and I’m a City fan.
Ireland or Connacht
Irish Rugby team? They won 2 friendlies, right?
No.
…and got their arses handed to them in the only competition they played in
Is Austin Gleeson not on this list?
He didn’t make the individual list and he sure as hell won’t be on this as Waterford did nothing of note this year!
I .O. C best selling ticket team on the planet
Dublin deserve it. Won everything again
Dundalk to win it
Northern Ireland lol . Dundalk deserve it most with Connacht second maybe
Ireland or The O Donavan brothers. The O Donavan brothers probably as the Olympics up to then was nothing short of a disaster for Ireland, they were like a breath of fresh air. Ireland beating the All Blacks captured the nation also.
I would be voting for Tipperary hurlers because I’m a big fan also bias comes into play. But on achievement I would have to go for Connacht
Should be Connaught but got a feeling the brothers will win. Similar story they got nothing from the state either and kind of put rowing on our map
If any other county did wat the Dubs did it would be a foregone conclusion but alas, begrudgery is alive and well. Well as a non Dub they get my vote
What did they do?
Dublin were brilliant this year but hardly best team of 2016, walked a piss poor Leinster championship and then won the all Ireland as favourites which has been done many times before.. connacht on the other hand won the pro 12 when nobody gave them a chance and bet the other 3 provinces in a calendar year wasn’t too long ago people wanted connacht scrapped as a professional team
Lee Keegan will get another sympathy vote to sneak it
Connacht deserve it for the performance in the final alone!
Dublin footballers, back to back All-Ireland’s, League & Leinster titles.
Cork ladies footballers much more impressive record!
I think it should be given to the Dubs.
Got to be the Dublin senior football team. Back to back leagues, Leinsters and Sams. Great achievement and going for the treble treble now. Dundalk also in with a shout.
Kilkenny Hurlers should have gotten it every year for the last 10 years so going by that standard.
Yeah but who plays hurling, realistically? Kilkenny people, Tipp people and people from Cork when the mood takes them.
Where’s Dundalk??
Didn’t read the article just the list…. My bad!
Ask slab Murphy about it haha
Cork hurlers and footballers and Cork City should all win a trifecta. Cork
Dundalk for me, amazing not even a mention of the Shels ladies team?
Who’s on the panel picking it ?
Our Olympic boxing team did not quite make the short list this year.
Ireland rugby by a country mile
Munster to Honour Axel
Connacht for me.
I think if Irish Rugby won the 6 nations this year, they would’ve won (two successful test series added). It’s Connacht for me this year but a massive shout to the Cork Ladies Gaelic Footballers winning an 11th title in 12 years!!
Has to be Olympians
What about Tom Barr? First Irishman to run under 48s for the 400 m hurdles , finished 4th in the Olympic Final while doing so! Best athletics achievement at the Rio Games, apart from Pat Hickey that is!
Connacht!! Simple
Tipp hurlers or Dub footballers without a doubt