Saints' Pollock on Champions Cup award shortlist
Pollock scored two tries in Saints' Champions Cup quarter-final win over Castres
- Published
Northampton flanker Henry Pollock's breakout season has been rewarded with a nomination for the Champions Cup Player of the Year.
The 20-year-old has scored six tries in six games during Saints' run to a second consecutive semi-final.
Leinster and New Zealand centre Jordie Barrett also makes the eight-strong shortlist, along with Toulouse's English back row Jack Willis.
Ireland and Leinster pair Caelan Doris and Jamison Gibson-Park are nominated, with Willis' club team-mate Thomas Ramos and Bordeaux-Begles pair Maxime Lucu and Damian Penaud also in the running.
Northampton face Leinster in Dublin on Saturday, 3 May before holders Toulouse face Bordeaux Begles in an all-French face-off the following day.
Pollock had made only one Premiership appearance before the start of this season, spending much of last campaign on loan at Championship side Bedford.
However, the departure of back rows Courtney Lawes and Lewis Ludlam has accelerated his progress, and, after winning the under-20 World Cup with England last summer, he has become a key part of the first team.
Pollock scored two tries off the bench on his Test debut against Wales at the end of England's Six Nations campaign and has been touted as a possible bolter for British and Irish Lions squad selection in May.
Lyon to host 2027 European finals
Wales' win over Australia and France's thrashing of Italy were among the pool-stage games played at OL Stadium at the 2023 Rugby World Cup
Lyon has been selected as the host for 2027 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals.
The 59,186-capacity OL Stadium, home to the French city's football team, won out over six rival bids.
Lyon staged the 2016 Champions Cup final when Saracens beat Racing 92 to win their first title in the continent's premier club competition.
More recently, it put on five pool-stage games at the 2023 Rugby World Cup and hosted France's 33-31 win over England in the 2024 Six Nations while Olympic preparations ruled out the use of the Stade de France.
This year's European finals will take place at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on the weekend of 23 and 24 May, while the 2026 showpieces will be played in Bilbao at the San Mames Stadium.