Springbok No 8 Jasper Wiese has been crowned the Premiership Players’ Player of the Year at the 2023 RPA (Rugby Players’ Association) awards.
The formidable Leicester Tigers loose forward emerged triumphant at a ceremony on Wednesday night after receiving the highest number of votes from his fellow professionals, affirming his outstanding contributions to the game.
His exceptional season saw him play a pivotal role for the Tigers. With 14 appearances in the Premiership, the 20-Test-cap Bok scored six tries and made 130 tackles, 11 offloads, and 218 carries – the fourth-highest in the league.
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The winner of the @eterlast Players’ Player of the Year is…
Jasper Wiese – @LeicesterTigers#EterlastRPAAwards pic.twitter.com/QJCCtK4EEu
— The RPA (@theRPA) May 17, 2023
He faced stiff competition from fellow nominees Mateo Carreras, Ben Earl, Alex Mitchell, and Tom Pearson, and the 27-year-old South African acknowledged the recognition, stating: “It’s very humbling to be named the winner of such a prestigious and special award.
“I’d like to thank the players from around the competition for voting for me, and I just want to thank my Leicester teammates for their support too.”
Pearson was honoured as this year’s Young Player of the Year, while Freddie Steward claimed the England Men’s Player of the Year Award for the second consecutive year. Dan Cole, Owen Farrell and Emily Scarratt, who were honored with the RPA Special Merit Award for reaching 100 appearances for England.
Photo: Geoff Sellars for Malcolm Couzens/Getty Images