Reihana receives top player award

1.00pm

New Zealand's influence on English premier club rugby continues to grow, with Northampton Saints back Bruce Reihana awarded the Professional Rugby Players' Association (PRA) Players' Player of the Year honour.

Among the finalists the former All Blacks winger beat for the award were clubmate and halfback Mark Robinson -- also a former All Black -- and Gloucester midfielder Henry Paul, who has played rugby league for New Zealand. Wasps duo Simon Shaw and Mark Van Gisbergen were the other nominees.

Reihana, 28, is currently the English Premiership's joint top try-scorer, having touched down 13 times to help Saints to third place in the table and into next year's Heineken Cup competition.

"It is a huge honour to be voted the PRA Players' Player of the Year," Reihana said.

"To win an award that is nominated by your contemporaries is the ultimate accolade for any sportsman.

"The Zurich Premiership is full of world class talent and an extremely competitive league making this award even more special."

New All Blacks coach Graham Henry has spoken this year of his disappointment that Reihana had left New Zealand rugby. He said last week that Reihana would have been a certainty for the upcoming All Blacks trial.

Another New Zealand honoured overnight was former All Blacks No 8 Zinzan Brooke, who was entered into the PRA Hall of Fame, along with former Scottish fullback Gavin Hastings.

- NZPA