Gloucester wing man nets top award

Gloucester winger James Simpson-Daniel has pipped Bath's Olly Barkley to the title of Guinness Premiership player of the season.

Simpson-Daniel will be playing alongside Barkley at Gloucester next season, but gained some early bragging rights with the announcement that he was the best player in the league during the course of this season. Another Gloucester player, Akapusi Qera, took third position at the awards ceremony.

Wasps' Danny Cipriani, currently sidelined for six months with a fractured dislocation of his ankle, was named Discovery of the Season to go with his title as Professional Rugby Association young player of the year. Sale's Ben Foden came second with Harlequins' Danny Care in third spot.

The best director of rugby award was handed to Gloucester's Dean Ryan due to him keeping his side top of the table for 21 of the 22 rounds, while ensuring they ended the season as second-highest try scorers.

Sale's Charlie Hodgson won the kickers' Golden Boot while Leicester's Tom Varndell was named top try-scorer of the season for the second time in three years.

The Try of the Season award went to Worcester's Kai Horstmann for finishing off a length-of-the-pitch effort against Sale.