Early contenders named for ERC European Player of the Year 2013

Following the conclusion of the pool stages of the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup, ERC, the governing body of European rugby’s two tournaments, announced the longlist for the prestigious ERC European Players of the Year 2013 award.

Selected by a distinguished panel of rugby experts, the longlist for one of the most prized individual accolades in the game includes 15 outstanding players from the 44 participating clubs.

Steffon Armitage (Toulon) | Rory Best (Ulster Rugby) | Julien Bonnaire (ASM Clermont Auvergne) | Mike Brown (Harlequins) | Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers) | Owen Farrell (Saracens) | Wesley Fofana (ASM Clermont Auvergne) | Mamuka Gorgodze (Montpellier) | Charlie Hodgson (Saracens) | James Johnston (Harlequins) | Joe Launchbury (London Wasps) | Morgan Parra (ASM Clermont Auvergne) | Geoff Parling (Leicester Tigers) | Ruan Pienaar (Ulster Rugby) | Simon Zebo (Munster Rugby)

More info and the extended form guide here