O’Driscoll Voted World Player Of The Decade

Ireland’s 2009 Grand Slam-winning captain Brian O’Driscoll has been voted as Rugby World magazine’s World Player of the Decade.

Brian O’Driscoll announced his arrival on the world stage in 2000 with a stunning hat-trick in Ireland’s Six Nations victory over France in Paris.

The Leinster, Ireland and Lions centre finished the decade captaining Ireland to their first Grand Slam in 61 years and playing an instrumental role in Leinster’s long-awaited Heineken Cup triumph.

A three-time nominee for the International Rugby Board’s Player of the Year award, O’Driscoll has played on three British & Irish Lions tours, including one as captain.

O’Driscoll is the only Irishman included in Rugby World magazine’s Team of the Decade, which features seven players from the Northern Hemisphere and nine from the Southern Hemisphere.

RUGBY WORLD TEAM OF THE DECADE: Mils Muliana (New Zealand); Jason Robinson (England), Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland), Matt Giteau (Australia), Shane Williams (Wales); Dan Carter (New Zealand), Agustin Pichot (Argentina); Gethin Jenkins (Wales), John Smit (South Africa), Carl Hayman (New Zealand), Martin Johnson (England) (capt), Victor Matfield (South Africa), Richard Hill (England), Richie McCaw (New Zealand), Sergio Parisse (Italy).

Replacements: Rodrigo Roncero (Argentina), Mario Ledesma (Argentina), Sylvain Marconnet (France), Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe (Argentina), Fourie Du Preez (South Africa), Jonny Wilkinson (England), Yannick Jauzion (France), Juan Martin Hernandez (Argentina).