| This year the inductee into the IRUPA Barker Hall of Fame is the Connacht & Ireland stalwart Eric Elwood. Eric has played 168 times for the western province, a record number of games by any player for any of the four provinces. Eric made the transition from amateur to the professional era with ease due to his dedication and passion for the game.
He represented Ireland on 35 occasions scoring 296 points. He made his international debut against Wales in 1993 and followed that up with superb performances to defeat England in 1993 & 1994. He played in both the 1995 & 1999 Rugby World Cups and is retiring at the end of this season after 17 years in the green of Connacht & Ireland.
Niall Woods, Chief Executive of IRUPA said today “I am delighted that such a true great is to be inducted into the IRUPA Barker Hall of Fame. Having played alongside Eric on many occasions I saw first hand the huge commitment he gave to the sport of rugby both on & off the pitch”.
Eric Elwood added ³I am very proud to be accepting this award and joining the former players¹ already inducted into the IRUPA Barker Hall of Fame. I have been very lucky to enjoy such a lengthy career and this will be a great way to finish it off and I¹m looking forward to receiving the award on the night².
This is the third year of the BT IRUPA Rugby Players Awards, the only awards ceremony voted for by the players themselves. As well as the Barker Hall of Fame there are six categories including the prestigious BT IRUPA Players Player of the Year, the Hooke & MacDonald Unsung Hero of the Year, the Green Giant Newcomer of the Year, the Tyrone Crystal Try of the Year and the Irish Life Special Merit Award.
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