Murphy And Dixon Crowned Connacht Players Of The Year
Ben Murphy and Orla Dixon celebrate following their award wins at the 2025 Connacht Rugby Awards night in the Galmont Hotel in Galway ©INPHO/Andrew Downes
Ben Murphy and Orla Dixon were the big winners at the 2025 Connacht Rugby Awards, presented by Globalization Partners.
The pair won the coveted Men’s and Women’s Player of the Year awards, capping off an incredible year in the green of Connacht for the duo.
Murphy, Connacht’s top try scorer this season with nine tries, made the move to Galway from his native Leinster last summer, and kicked off his career out west with seven tries in his first five appearances.
The 24-year-old scrum half, who has signed a contract extension for the 2025/26 campaign, scored a hat-trick of tries against Lyon in the EPCR Challenge Cup in January before being brought into Ireland camp as a development player.
Murphy also won the Connacht Fans’ Player of the Year award, and said aftewards: “Obviously it was very nice to be recognised by both the supporters and the group itself.
“It’s come down to the enjoyment factor of being here, and the squad of players here is phenomenal as well, so I’m very lucky. What have I enjoyed the most? I think it’s the camaraderie of the squad and the staff.
“For me, this is the tightest group of players I’ve ever been involved in. Obviously we didn’t finish as far up the table as we would have liked, and we would have liked to go a bit further in Europe, but I think how we stuck in shows there’s a lot to look forward to in the future.”
Dixon received the Women’s Player of the Year award for the second time in three seasons. She played in all four of Connacht’s matches last summer as they finished third in the Vodafone Women’s Interprovincial Championship.
An ever-influential centre and a proud Galwegian, ‘Dixie’ ran in two tries in the home defeat to Munster. She was stunned to win the award, and looks set to feature again for the westerners when this year’s Interpros are held in August.
“I don’t think I can honestly explain how I’m feeling at the minute,” she admitted. “I was so overwhelmed to be nominated, and the girls that I was up against are phenomenal players – I can’t emphasise that enough.
“To come out and win Women’s Player of the Year, I actually can’t put it into words. There were a few talks, and bets put in place, that if I had won it, I would (stay on)…
“I had wholeheartedly said that I hadn’t a chance of winning it because there’s girls there that deserve it just as much as I did. But I think there might be one more season left in me!”
17 award winners were announced in categories across Connacht Rugby’s domestic, pathway, and senior set-ups, with nearly 600 people in attendance at the Galmont Hotel in Galway.
Finn Treacy, another former Pres Bray pupil like Murphy, scooped the Academy Player of the Year award, following his impressive introduction to senior rugby.
The 20-year-old winger has scored five tries in eight games, and has signed a professional contract with Connacht for next season as he makes the step up from the Academy ranks, alongside John Devine and Harry West.
Shayne Bolton, an Ireland ‘A’ debutant this season, picked up the province’s Try of the Year gong. He produced a powerful finish to run in a tremendous team effort against Benetton in March, with the attack starting with a JJ Hanrahan cross-field kick inside Connacht’s 22.
On the club and community front, it was a night to remember for Creggs RFC who took home five awards, including the prestigious Club of the Year accolade.
Creggs Men’s head coach Kolo Kiripati, who recently coached the Connacht Men’s Junior team, was named Coach of the Year, while Brian Diffley took home the Junior Club Player of the Year following his role in Creggs’ famous Connacht Junior League Division 1A and Cup double.
Jemima Adams Verling, a Connacht senior newcomer this season who caught the eye also in Clovers colours, won the Women’s Club Player of the Year award, and SÃofra Hession, the Connacht U-18 captain and Ireland U-18 out-half, was chosen as the Under-18 Women’s Player of the Year.
Two further highlights was the announcement of Gerry Kelly as a very deserving recipient of the Lifetime Contribution to Rugby award, while long-time Connemara RFC servant, Mary Lydon, was honoured as the Unsung Hero award winner.
CONNACHT RUGBY AWARDS – 2024/25 AWARD WINNERS:
Academy Player of the Year – sponsored by University of Galway
Winner: Finn Treacy
Nominees: Billy Bohan, John Devine
Under-18 Men’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Sound to Light
Winner: Andrew Henson (Buccaneers RFC/Marist College, Athlone)
Nomines: Leo Anic (Creggs RFC / CBS Roscommon), Dara Walsh (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Éinde)
Under-18 Women’s Player of the Year – sponsored by RDJ
Winner: SÃofra Hession (Creggs RFC/Mercy College Roscommon)
Nominees: Ailbhe Gannon (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Aoife Heaney (Claremorris RFC/Mount St. Michael Secondary School, Claremorris)
Under-19 Men’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Western Postform
Winner: Sean Walsh (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Éinde)
Nominees: Charlie Keane (Galway Corinthians RFC/Coláiste Bhaile Chláir), Diarmaid O’Connell (Galway Corinthians RFC/Sligo Grammar School)
Unsung Hero Award – sponsored by Aerogen
Winner: Mary Lydon
Referee of the Year – sponsored by Heineken
Winner: Cathal Roddy
Nominees: David Burke, Mark Harrigan
Coach of the Year – sponsored by Deloitte
Winner: Kolo Kiripati (Creggs RFC)
Nominees: Sean Breathnach (An Ghaeltacht RugbaÃ), Paddy Pearson (Sligo Rugby)
Women’s Club Player of the Year – sponsored by Screens on the Square
Winner: Jemima Adams Verling (Creggs RFC)
Nominees: Molly Boote (Tuam/Oughterard RFC), Louise Kelly (OLBC/Galway Corinthians RFC)
Men’s Junior Club Player of the Year – sponsored by Laya Healthcare
Winner: Brian Diffley (Creggs RFC)
Nominees: Dylan Keane (Ballinrobe RFC), Shane Purcell (Creggs RFC)
Men’s Senior Club Player of the Year – sponsored by HAS Integration
Winner: Joey Tierney (Galway Corinthians RFC)
Nominees: Stephen Mannion (Galwegians RFC), Corey Reid (Buccaneers RFC)
School of the Year – sponsored by University of Galway
Winner: Marist College, Athlone
Nominees: Sligo Grammar School, Rice College, Westport
Club of the Year – sponsored by Bank of Ireland
Winner: Creggs RFC
Nominees: Carrick-on-Shannon RFC, Galway Corinthians RFC
Fans’ Player of the Year – sponsored by Murty Rabbitt’s
Winner: Ben Murphy
Nominees: Paul Boyle, Dave Heffernan, Shamus Hurley-Langton, Sean Jansen
Try of the Year – sponsored by Globalization Partners
Winner: Shayne Bolton (v Benetton)
Nominees: Ben Murphy (v Scarlets, v Ulster), Finn Treacy (v Benetton), Cathal Forde (v Hollywoodbets Sharks)
Women’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Globalization Partners
Winner: Orla Dixon
2nd: Beibhinn Gleeson
3rd: Faith Oviawe
Nominees: Ella Burns, Méabh Deely
Men’s Player of the Year – sponsored by Genesys
Winner: Ben Murphy
2nd: Cian Prendergast
3rd: Finlay Bealham
Nominees: Darragh Murray, Josh Ioane
Lifetime Contribution to Rugby Award – sponsored by Galway Crystal
Winner: Gerry Kelly