Mack Hansen & Catherine Martin named 2021/22 Connacht Players of the Year

Mack Hansen and Catherine Martin were the big winners at last night’s annual Connacht Rugby Awards Ball, with the pair named Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year for 2021/22.
 
The accolade is the latest in a string of achievements for Hansen who has enjoyed a whirlwind first season at the club. The back three player scored 7 tries in 14 appearances for the province, and also started in four of Ireland’s five Guinness Six Nations games, scoring a famous try against France in the process.
 
His performances meant he was duly voted the Men’s Player of the Year by his fellow teammates, with Cian Prendergast and Conor Oliver also nominated for the award.
 
The Women’s Player of the Year award went to Catherine Martin after her excellent appearances for Connacht in this season’s Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship.
 
Meanwhile Cian Prendergast’s breakthrough season was deservedly acknowledged by the supporters, with the flanker named the Fans’ Player of the Year after a week of public voting on connachtrugby.ie.
 
Matthew Devine capped a brilliant season with the scrum-half named the Academy Player of the Year, largely thanks to his excellent performances for the Ireland U20s in their Grand Slam-winning Six Nations campaign.
 
There were also emotional scenes at the Clayton Hotel when the late, great Mick Grealish was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Contribution to Connacht Rugby Award, with his wife Maureen and family on hand to receive the accolade on his behalf.
 
The full list of winners and nominees is as follows (winners in italics):
 
U18 Men’s Player of the Year, sponsored by Sound to Light
Max Flynn – Corinthians RFC / CC Roscrea
Hugh Gavin – Galwegians RFC / The Jes
Ryan Roche – Galwegians RFC / St. Paul’s Oughterard
 
U18 Women’s Player of the Year, sponsored by RDJ
Molly Boote – Connemara RFC / Clifden Community College
Éabha Nic Dhonnacha – Corinthians RFC / Chuimsitheach na Chiaráin, An Cheathru Rua
Karly Tierney – Tuam/Oughterard RFC / Salerno Salthill
 
U19 Men’s Player of the Year, sponsored by Benchmark Recruitment
Harry West – Ballina RFC / King’s Hospital
John Devine – Ballinasloe RFC / Garbally College
Adam Hunter – Sligo RFC / Sligo Grammar
 
Academy Player of the Year, sponsored by Total Health
Matthew Devine
Cathal Forde
Diarmuid Kilgallen
 
Referee of the Year, sponsored by LK Shields
Andrew Fogarty
Siobhán Daly
Gerry Geraghty
 
Coach of the Year, sponsored by Deloitte
Charlie Couper – Buccaneers RFC
Martin Cummins – Dunmore RFC
Henry O’Toole – Connemara RFC
 
Women’s Club Player of the Year, sponsored by CityLink
Aoife Williams – Galwegians RFC
Noreen Coyne – Westport RFC
Hazel Kilduff – Buccaneers RFC
 
Men’s Junior Club Player of the Year, sponsored by Laya
Brian Diffley – Creggs RFC
Steven Conroy – Ballinrobe RFC
Ian Staunton – Connemara RFC
 
Men’s Senior Club Player of the Year, sponsored by Aerogen
Calum Quinn – Ballina RFC
Shayn Layden – Buccaneers RFC
Mark McDermott – Corinthians RFC
 
Club of the Year, sponsored by Bank of Ireland
Creggs RFC
Buccaneers RFC
Sligo RFC
 
Fans’ Player of the Year, sponsored by Intersport Elverys
Cian Prendergast
Jack Carty
Shane Delahunt
Mack Hansen
Conor Oliver
 
Lifetime Contribution to Connacht Rugby, sponsored by Heineken
Mick Grealish R.I.P.
 
Women’s Player of the Year, sponsored by Genesys
Catherine Martin
Orla Dixon
Fiona Scally
 
Men’s Player of the Year, sponsored by Genesys
Mack Hansen
Conor Oliver
Cian Prendergast