By BEN JAYCOCK
Exeter Chiefs and England star Henry Slade has picked up the 2023/24 Premiership Rugby Player of the Season award following a standout campaign.
The outside centre enjoyed a memorable season from start to finish as he bounced back from the disappointment of missing out on Steve Borthwick’s World Cup squad last year to lead a new-look Exeter side to within touching distance of the play-offs.
Slade, 31, took over the full-time goal-kicking duties and slotted numerous match-winning kicks to bring his end of season tally to 152 which meant he was also awarded his second trophy of the night, finishing as the Premiership Rugby top points scorer.
The 57-time capped Red Rose international, whose blistering domestic form caused head coach Borthwick to reinstate him as the starting 13 for all five of England’s Six Nations outings earlier this year, scored five tries in 16 Premiership starts.
Slade beat Northampton Saints duo Courtney Lawes and Fin Smith, as well as Bath’s Finn Russell to the award.
Player of the Season winners in recent years include Jack Willis (2021), Ben Earl (2022) and Ollie Lawrence (2023).
Meanwhile, Exeter teammate Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was named the Breakthrough Player of the Season after the 21-year-old winger scored 10 tries in just 14 Premiership outings this term.
Other contenders for the breakthrough award were Harlequins pair Fin Baxter and Chandler Cunningham-South, and Newcastle‘s Guy Pepper.
Northampton Saints’ Phil Dowson was awarded the Director of Rugby of the season after guiding his side to a top of the table finish and beat Bath’s Johann van Graan, Sale‘s Alex Sanderson and Saracens‘ Mark McCall to the award.
Andy Christie of Saracens was named the Community Player of the Season as he was recognised for his work as an ambassador of the Sporting Roots project.
Northampton winger Ollie Sleightholme took home the Premiership Rugby Top Try Scorer award with 14 tries in a stellar season for the league leaders.
While referee Wayne Barnes was given a Special Recognition Award after retiring this season on the back of officiating the Rugby World Cup 2023 final in addition to a record 272 Premiership Rugby matches and 111 Tests.
The judges for the Premiership Rugby Awards 2023/24: Ali Eykyn (TNT Sports), Ugo Monye (BBC, TNT Sports), Jill Douglas (ITV, BBC), Ashleigh Wilmot (Eurosport, TNT Sports), Rugby Inside Line, Alex Lowe (The Times), Hugh Godwin (i), Nick Mullins (TNT Sports), and Chris Jones (BBC).
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