England U20 captain Jack van Poortvliet has been named Six Nations player of the tournament after leading his side to the Grand Slam.
The Leicester Tigers scrum-half started all five contests for England and earned the player of the match award in the 38-22 win over France in the opening round of the tournament.
Tries against Scotland and Wales also made the Six Nations one to remember for the 20-year-old, a latecomer to the England camp due to the Premiership season concluding on June 12.
Van Poortvliet is the first recipient of the award, with Ireland captain Alex Kendellen, France flanker Matthias Haddad and England hooker Sam Riley also strong contenders.
“I’m very honoured,” van Poortvliet said. “I’m delighted to have received this award but I can’t take any credit away from the team. I wouldn’t have been able to do anything I’ve done without everyone else around me.
“They’ve put the ball on a plate for me and I’ve been very lucky to have the opportunity to play with a pack like mine and a backline like mine.
“It’s been a great Championship and a couple of big moments stand out. The turnaround against France was huge, and I think the Ireland game really set the tone for our defence.
“I’m just grateful I’ve been able to experience it with such a brilliant group of guys, and come out on top.
“With the year we’ve all had there have been a lot of camps and not many official games, so I’m super proud of how everyone’s pulled together and performed like we have.
“We didn’t know much about the other teams and I hadn’t been with the squad much prior to the tournament, but as soon as I joined the group I knew we had a good chance. We’ve shown an ability to win games throughout the series and I’ve loved playing with the boys.”
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