Wade nominated for player award

Prolific try-scorer Christian Wade has been recognised for an outstanding campaign with Wasps by being nominated for this season's Aviva Premiership player of the season award.

The 21-year-old wing has scored 11 Premiership tries this term - a figure bettered only by his Wasps colleague Tom Varndell - and he is viewed as a possible selection bolter for this summer's British and Irish Lions tour to Australia.

Two current England internationals join Wade on a shortlist of six that has been unveiled by Premiership Rugby.

Leicester hooker Tom Youngs and Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care - both strong Lions contenders - feature among the nominations, along with Saracens skipper Steve Borthwick, Leicester's Australian flanker Julian Salvi and Gloucester's Fijian back-row forward Akapusi Qera.

The winner will be announced at an awards dinner in London on May 9.

"We have enjoyed another breathtaking season on the pitch with so many matches going down to the wire," said Phil Winstanley, Premiership Rugby's rugby director.

"The length of the deliberations for the awards reflects the current standard of Aviva Premiership rugby. We had so many compelling candidates."

Previous winners of the Premiership player award include current England captain Chris Robshaw, Saracens wing Chris Ashton and Leicester prop Martin Castrogiovanni.