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Irish midfielder Stuart McCloskey and Scottish winger Kyle Steyn have been shortlisted for the 2026 Six Nations Player of the Year award.
Italian Tommaso Minoncello and Frenchman Louis Piel-Pierre, who won last year’s award, were also nominated.
After an injury-hit autumn campaign, McCloskey helped Ireland achieve a fourth Triple Crown in five years and finish second in this year’s championship.
Steyn started all of Scotland’s matches scoring three tries and was influential in the team’s third-place finish.
The award winner will be determined by a public vote which will close on Thursday 26 March.
McCluskey recorded the highest combined assist attempts (six) and tournament wins (eight) in the tournament.
He also led Ireland in carries (74), offloads (eight), defenders hit (20) and post-contact counters (105).
The 33-year-old was also named in the Six Nations Championship team alongside Irish strikers Tadhg Byrne, Caelan Dorris and Jack Coonan.
McCloskey plays his club rugby for Ulster, who are third in the United Rugby Championship [URC] table.
Two of Steyn’s three tries came during Scotland’s impressive 50-40 win over Six Nations winners France at Murrayfield.
Steyn is also in the Championship team with teammates Finn Russell and Rory Darge.
The 32-year-old scored 185 points from 103 games for the Glasgow Warriors, and is the first player to be nominated since 2017.
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