The prestigious award crowns an outstanding season for the full-back who started every one of Leinster’s nine European games as the Irish club triumphed in the Heineken Cup for an unprecedented third time in four years. Kearney succeeds teammate, Sean O’Brien, as the winner of northern hemisphere rugby’s ultimate individual accolade.

The 26-year-old scored six tries during the campaign and pushed himself into contention for the honour with a series of high-quality displays in the tournament’s pool and knockout stages.

Kearney scored two tries in the quarter-final victory over the Cardiff Blues, then followed that up by creating a try for Cian Healy and landing a superb drop goal in the thrilling semi-final success against ASM Clermont Auvergne, before playing a key role in Leinster’s record-breaking 42-14 final win over Ulster Rugby at Twickenham Stadium last Saturday.

Kearney was presented with his award, a specially struck gold medal, by ERC Chief Executive, Derek McGrath, at a ceremony in ERC offices in Dublin today (Monday, 21 May 2012).

“Rob was both rock-solid in defence and inspirational in attack during what was another magnificent Heineken Cup campaign for our 2012 champions, Leinster,” said McGrath. “He scored six tries, ran powerfully, kicked superbly and the sheer all-round quality of his performances made him an excellent choice as ERC European Player of the Year 2012.”

“It really is an honour to have won this award,” said Kearney. “While I am delighted with the recognition, an individual player is powerless without the support of his teammates. So I owe this to the Leinster squad, to the management and to all the backroom staff at the club.”

The search for the best player from the 44 clubs in ERC’s two tournaments, the Heineken Cup and the Amlin Challenge Cup, was undertaken by a Judging Panel which comprised of:

Stuart Barnes (Sky Sports), Raphael Ibanez (2011/12 Heineken Cup Ambassador),  Stephen Jones (Rugby Correspondent, The Sunday Times), Emmanuel Massicard (Editor, Midi Olympique) and Gerry Thornley (Rugby Correspondent, The Irish Times).

The expert panel was presented with a longlist at the conclusion of the pool stages in both tournaments, and after the quarter-finals and semi-finals, that list was pared down to the following five players:

• Stephen Ferris (Back-row, Ulster Rugby) 
• Rob Kearney (Full-back, Leinster Rugby)
• Ruan Pienaar (Scrum-half, Ulster Rugby)
• Jonathan Sexton (Out-half, Leinster Rugby)
• Jonny Wilkinson (Out-half, RC Toulon)

The shortlist was also forwarded to the 44 clubs, and their recommendations, as well as those of European club rugby supporters who voted on Twitter @ercrugby and on the tournaments’ Facebook pages, were factored into the deliberations of the panel which reconvened in London, host city for the two European finals, to complete the selection process. The winner was then confirmed after the finals.

In 2010, ERC launched the highly-acclaimed ERC15 Awards, recognising the efforts of a number of outstanding contributors to the first decade and a half of European club rugby competition. Two-time Heineken Cup winner, Ronan O’Gara (Munster Rugby), was the inaugural recipient of the ERC European Player honour as the best player over the first 15 years of the two tournaments, and last year, Sean O’Brien (Leinster Rugby), was voted ERC European Player of the Year 2011.

ROB KEARNEY FACTFILE

Born: 26  March 1986, Dundalk, County Louth
Height: 1.85m / 6’1”
Weight: 95kg / 14st 13lbs
School: Clongowes Wood College
Province: Leinster Rugby

Club: University College Dublin

Heineken Cup appearances: 43

Ireland caps: 38

British & Irish Lions tests: 3 (v South Africa, 2009)

In the blue corner are Leinster, two times European rugby champions, seeking to become the only team to win back-to-back Heineken Cups since Leicester Tigers and also complete a European-domestic double, in what would be their third victory in four years, surely nailing on their status as one of the greatest Heineken Cup teams ever.

And in the white corner are Ulster, seeking to win for the first time this millennium and recent winners of sweet fanny adams. Uhm…

The first question any preview has to answer is ‘Can Ulster win this and is there any way Leinster can be stopped’, so great is the disparity in recent results between the two teams. Well, maybe my bias is misleading me, but the men from Ravenhill aren’t as far away as it may appear. It’s some challenge for only fifteen men to take on but it can be done and Ulster are an increasingly formidable team in their own right, although there’s no doubt that if both sides play to their best, Leinster simply have more about them.

Leinster have more about them than most mind. Joe Schmidt walked in on Cheika’s half-completed project and has turned them into probably the most complete side in Europe. People often remark most on their handling ability and lines, but their defence is incredible, their kicking game very strong, their set-pieces solid. When you look at the ferocity with which their backs hit tackles and the ease with which their forwards offload, you see a team who have blurred the distinction between forward and back as much as any other. They are masters of the fifteen man game and all the options it offers. They are masters of defence too, and the counter-rucking that the backs do is a large part of what makes them so difficult to score against. There’s been a list of injury worries since their slightly cagey victory over Glasgow in the ProDirect 12 semi-final, but thanks to the recuperative powers of cup finals Leinster will walk out at virtually full strength. Given Leinster’s strength in depth though, a few injuries was far from the end of the world for them. It also gives them, assuming all is well, a formidable bench containing six internationals.

Against this, Ulster have an up-hill struggle, if not up-mountain. But after the colossal defensive display they found to unseat Munster at Thomond Park, a performance that was more remarkable for the desire and mental resilience on show than any level of athletic and technical prowess, it’s not impossible. While its true the results card makes for bad reading, it won’t be registering much in Ulster minds, as it’s very rare for the provinces to meet 1^st XV to 1^st XV. Even last year’s playoff semi-final defeat saw Ulster much reduced with injury, starting with Stephen Ferris. Few men make as much difference to their side as Ferris and his mutant-esque levels of physicality and after very sparing use in recent weeks, he should be fit and raring to go. He’ll be the totem of an all-international pack that has asserted themselves recently as the equal of any in Europe with an abrupt abrasiveness. The set-piece is nigh flawless, it is rammed full with heavyweight carriers, and with Chris Henry back, it offers a fair bit of ruck disruption too. In the backs, Ruan Pienaar carries as much importance as Ferris up front, where so far he has turned in nerveless displays as general and goal-kicker in this tournament. He will probably first and foremost look to dictate territory before unleashing his back-line, but that does not mean the Ulster back-line should be overlooked. It has shown a few killer touches off its own this season, particularly when it links up with its mobile pack in a manner fairly reminiscent of their southern cousins. It may not have quite the same cachet as Leinster’s levy of Lions, but it is filled with talented players who yearn to show that they can be put in the same bracket.

Yearning is an appropriate word for Ulster’s emotional state right now, if anything a little mild. Years of struggle, of living as close to Connacht as to Munster and Leinster, has put an indelible mark on a senior core of players who have lived and breathed for a jersey that is a childhood ambition. It is a subject that has dominated interviews, an emotion that seemed to be made solid flesh at Thomond Park. In a game that will be decided as much by the mind as the body, properly channelled, this bellicose hunger will be a considerable weapon. In captain Johannes Muller, the perennial understudy to Victor Matfield who Andy Goode described as the best leader he’d seen other than Johnson, Ulster have one of the best possible men to do the channelling. Yet opposite him in the lineout will be a man nearly as well-respected for his leadership skills, Leo Cullen. Next to him is Brad Thorn, implacably bent on another trophy. And buzzing around in the backline like a pitbull on steroids will be Brian O’Driscoll. They will keep the desire levels ramped as high as possible. A surfeit of final experience would seem to point to Leinster, but Ulster aren’t short of players who’ve been in a big game or two. No advantage can really be seen at this point in the mental states of the players.

So where do the physical fault lines lie then, other than in Stephen Ferris’ non-existent knee? Ulster will certainly try to target Leinster at the set-piece, but they assuredly won’t be banking on this, particularly as Leinster are reportedly putting in a lot of time on this at training. The breakdown could therefore well be more important, and almost certainly more interesting, with both sides likely to adopt similar approaches in defence. What each team lacks for in jackals it makes up for in masters of the dark arts of slow ball. If the ref doesn’t grip the two teams, the spectacle may well up a victim of Irish excellence in the choke tackle – although if he judges one team to be doing it legally and the other not, he’s probably decided the match. Consistency will be very important here. If Ulster can get quick ball, they will fancy a cut. The normal Ulster tactic is for Andrew Trimble or Paddy Wallace to crash it up relatively narrow and secure quick ball, but you wonder whether Ulster won’t fancy going a bit wider this match. If Ulster can tie down O’Driscoll in the breakdown from first phase, then attacking Leinster’s backline looks far more inviting, particularly if they can get Stephen Ferris arriving onto the ball for the second. Leinster, by contrast, might well be tempted to go narrower than usual. The two Paddy’s – Jackson and Wallace – are excellent tacklers for small men, but they are rather small, and people like Sean O’Brien rather large. Even if they never manage a clean break there, continuous attacking of that channel may lead to Ulster becoming bunched in and vulnerable to the wide sortie. Of course, the danger is that in operating that close to Ulster’s pack, the quick ball necessary may never materialise. Leinster have the more to gain out of the game opening up due to their superior support lines and hands. It will be interesting to see which tactic appeals more, and when Jonathon Sexton will adopt each option. Whatever he picks, I’m expecting a fair few wide passes from both fly-halves, as neither back-three looks particularly inviting to kick to. There will be kicking of course, but it’s timing and execution will need to be spot on. Leinster might toy with repeating Edinburgh’s successful tactic of launching fairly short bombs for Rob Kearney to get on to as a back-up tactic, although both sides would rather wait to kick behind a winger rushing up. Here Ulster hold a minor advantage in that Paddy Wallace is a very accomplished tactical kicker and distributor. The ball in his hands will cause more thinking for opposition wingers than it will in Gordon D’Arcy’s. I feel I should mention the sub’s bench here. Ulster’s isn’t bad, containing a few potential game-changers and some steady performers, but it is nothing like the hidden armoury of internationals Leinster have waiting. To talk about this game’s intensity would be an understatement. Injuries and fatigue will happen. Barring bad luck, the process of attrition is likely to favour Leinster, simply because of their calibre of replacement. That must play a part in Schmidt’s thinking, particularly if he is tempted to play it loose and quick. Will Ulster be able to withstand eighty minutes of such treatment? Ulster need to protect themselves against such an eventuality by taking good care of the pill. Which brings us back to the breakdown again. Schmidt’s selection of McLaughlin over Shane Jennings makes sense, both in terms of safeguarding Leinster’s lineout and providing a physical presence. But it does keep Leinster’s dedicated ruckhog out of the opening exchanges.

Schmidt will probably not end up regretting that. He simply has too much firepower to level at Ulster and mistakes will be savagely punished. Leinster are also capable of operating at a level where they will simply blow Ulster away, unless Ulster find a new defensive level. Between these two facts, Leinster are deserved favourites. But Ulster are not devoid of hope. This match will be won up-front, where Ulster should be able to match Leinster blow for blow. Every minute that Ulster sucks Leinster into a battle there, every minute that Leinster can’t probe for gaps out wide, is a minute that improves Ulster’s chances. Ulster must choke Leinster at source as much as possible. Not an easy task, not at all, but doable. So too is the task of breaking down Leinster’s defence and generating a few scores of their own. McLaughlin must find a plan, his players a way, for no matter how firm the chokehold, Leinster will almost definitely wriggle away from it at some point. Defence will not be enough and it must be allied to ruthless finishing and ruthless ball protection. Do so, and Ulster can finish a shock of a season with the biggest shock of all. Anything else though, and Leinster will surely lift their second Heineken Cup in as many years, and in doing so enter the pantheon of greats.

The Clash to Watch – John Afoa vs. Cian Healy. Given the extreme familiarity between Tom Court and Mike Ross, it seems likely that any decisive swing in the in the scrum will come on the opposite side. Given the burden both Healy and Afoa bear in the loose, particularly in defence, if one man starts to take heavy physical punishment from the other then it could well prove a decisive advantage. Afoa would seem the favourite of the two to accomplish such a feat, but Healy is not a man lightly written off.

Adding to the extensive expansion behind the scenes both players join Connacht on one year contracts. Along with the Heineken Cup returning to Galway, the British & Irish Cup will add to the number of competitive fixtures in the season and there is a massive opportunity for exposure to rugby at the top level. Connacht Rugby are delighted to be able to provide genuine rugby experience to emerging, Irish-qualified talent and Harris-Wright and Murphy are the latest additions to that contingent.

24 year old hooker Harris-Wright is a product of the Leinster Academy and has 11 senior appearances for the club as well as four Heineken Cup matches under his belt including the 2011 final victory over Northampton Saints.

Jason was part of the Ireland U20 World Championship team that beat Tonga in 2008 and featured in all bar one of Ireland U20′s RBS 6Nations matches the same year.

Asked about joining Connacht he said:

"I would just like to say I’m delighted to have signed for Connacht Rugby and I’m really looking forward to being part of a great club who I believe are making huge strides both in Europe and in the domestic competition. I look forward to meeting all the lads and getting stuck into pre-season next month."

His inclusion in next season’s squad will strengthen the depth at hooker with the experienced Adrian Flavin and Ethienne Reynecke already in situ.

Speaking about Jason joining the club Assistant Coach Dan McFarland said:

"I’m delighted to be working with Jason again; since I worked with him last with Ireland U20′s team he has gained a lot of experience including RaboDirect PRO12 and Heineken Cup with Leinster. He’s a good strong, aggressive athlete and this is a great opportunity for him to develop his game even further."

Meanwhile 26 year old Brian Murphy earns his first professional contract having joined from Ulster Bank All Ireland League club side Galwegians. Murphy was voted the iRadio Senior Club Player of the Year at the recent Connacht Annual Awards having performed consistently over the course of the season. The versatile centre/fullback, who came through the Connacht age-grade system, was part of the 2006 Connacht U21 side that beat Leinster in Donnybrook. He went on to represent Connacht at Junior level before moving from Corrib RFC to Galwegians RFC and has been rewarded for his consistently high level performances in the All Ireland League this season.

Their 19-15 home semi-final win over Glasgow Warriors not only earned them a ticket into the Final, but also guaranteed them home advantage after they finished as the No1 seed from the regular season.

The Ospreys beat reigning champions Munster 45-10 at the Liberty Stadium on Friday night to book their ticket into their second Final in three seasons. They were champions in 2010, beating Leinster at the RDS, and semi-finalists last season.

The two teams will be eligible for up to 50% of the tickets in each category and details of sales will be issued by both clubs asap.

RaboDirect PRO12 Final, 2012

Sunday, 27 May – 4.00pm

LEINSTER RUGBY v OSPREYS

RDS, Dublin

Leinster outside half Johnny Sexton was named as the RaboDirect PRO12 Man of the Match against Glasgow after scoring 14 points, but Ospreys No 10 Dan Biggar toped that with a 25 point haul against Munster to pass 300 for the season and 1,000 in his career at the Ospreys.

"The Ospreys were pretty outstanding against Munster and it’s going to be a difficult game". said Jonny Sexton, "They beat us in Dublin two years ago in the final, and they beat us at the RDS this season as well.”

The RaboDirect PRO12 Final will bring down the curtain on one of the great professional careers when Ospreys wing Shane Williams plays his final game for the Welsh region. Williams has already won three titles in this competition, two Grand Slams and been named the IRB World Player of the Year.

He scored a record 58 tries in 87 Tests for Wales and also scored two tries for the British & Irish Lions in four Tests on two tours. He was the RBS 6 Nations Player of the Tournament in 2008.

“It has been great been involved in some small way with Shane’s career and it would be wonderful to send him into retirement with another title. But we know that Leinster are the best team in European rugby and the RDS is one of the toughest places to go and play,” said Biggar.

“It was great to play so well in beating Munster, but you don’t win anything in a semi-final. We are under no illusions as to how hard it is going to be in Dublin and how well we are going to have to play.”

Leinster will be hoping it will be third time lucky in the Final having been beaten 17-12 by the Ospreys in 2010 and going down 19-9 to Munster at Thomond Park last year.

Leinster v Glasgow Warriors

BBC ALBA – Saturday 12th May 19:30 – 21:25

BBC ALBA will this weekend screen live coverage of RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final showdown between Leinster and Glasgow Warriors.

Coverage from the Royal Dublin Society will begin on Saturday at 7.30pm. The match itself will begin at 7.35pm and commentary will be provided by Hugh Dan MacLennan.

Saturday’s clash will see Warriors and the Leinstermen bid to secure a place in the end of season PRO12 showpiece final.

Sean Lineen’s side will enter the game in a positive mood following last weekend’s comprehensive 24-3 win over Connacht and Warriors will be hoping they can progress one step further than they did in 2010 when they lost away to Ospreys at the semi-final stage.

The match will see Warriors come up against a formidable Leinster side who are aiming for a European and PRO12 double and who have reached the play-offs for the last three seasons.

However, Glasgow will take confidence from their unbeaten PRO12 record against Leinster this season.

Their first league meeting was in September when tries from Peter Horne and Nick Campbell, plus kicks from Duncan Weir and Scott Wight, helped Warriors to a famous 23-19 win in Dublin.

Their last league meeting was at Firhill in February in a match that ended in a 10-10 draw, with Glasgow’s points coming through a converted penalty try plus a penalty from Scotland stand-off Ruaridh Jackson.

As well as all the live action, we’ll have half-time features including interviews with Warriors skipper Al Kellock and departing head coach Sean Lineen.

BBC ALBA has signed an exclusive deal to show live RaboDirect PRO12 rugby in Scotland until the 2013/14 season. The channel is committed to showing at least eight Edinburgh or Glasgow home matches per season, and has teamed up with Irish and Welsh broadcasters to also provide live coverage of selected away matches for both sides.

Isa Nacewa will make his 100th appearance for the province as the two sides shape up for their fifth meeting this season.

Nacewa, 29, has to date scored 358 career points for Leinster and he starts at full-back in a back three which features Fergus McFadden – who replaces the injured Luke Fitzgerald – and David Kearney who lines up on the wing.

Rob Kearney (back) and Brian O’Driscoll (knee) picked up niggles in training this week and have been ruled out for this weekend’s game. The Ireland duo will be further assessed by the Leinster medical team over the coming days

Gordon D’Arcy – capped 204 times for the province to date – partners the fit again Eoin O’Malley at centre, with Eoin Reddan linking up at half back alongside Jonathan Sexton.

Jamie Heaslip leads the team and the Naas man is named in an all-Irish back-row alongside Shane Jennings and Sean O’Brien who makes his 70th appearance for the province. Devin Toner forms a second row partnership with All Black Brad Thorn.

Leo Cullen is named amongst a strong replacements bench.

Over 14,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday’s game and tickets are still on sale from www.leinsterrugby.ie, the Leinster Rugby Store (Donnybrook), Spar (Donnybrook) as well as Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. There will also be tickets on sale on the day on both Simmonscourt Road and Anglesea Road from 4pm.

Meanwhile, with a number of events taking place in and around the RDS on Saturday, supporters are advised to use Public Transport. Gates open at 6pm.

LEINSTER:

15: Isa Nacewa

14: Fergus McFadden

13: Eoin O’Malley

12: Gordon D’Arcy

11: David Kearney

10: Jonathan Sexton

9: Eoin Reddan

1: Cian Healy

2: Richardt Strauss

3: Mike Ross

4: Brad Thorn

5: Devin Toner

6: Sean O’Brien

7: Shane Jennings

8: Jamie Heaslip CAPTAIN

REPLACEMENTS:

16: Sean Cronin

17: Heinke van der Merwe

18: Nathan White

19: Leo Cullen

20: Kevin McLaughlin

21: Isaac Boss

22: Ian Madigan

23: Andrew Conway

REFEREE: George Clancy (IRFU), ASSISTANT REFEREES: John Lacey (IRFU), Leo Colgan (IRFU), 4th OFFICIAL: Mark Patton (IRFU), 5th OFFICIAL: Richard Kerr (IRFU), TMO: Marshall Kilgore (IRFU)

As stated at the start of the season, and in accordance with the way the final venues were determined in the previous two seasons, the top ranked team from the regular campaign will enjoy home advantage.

The final rankings from the 22 rounds of RaboDirect PRO12 matches were as follows:

1. Leinster

2. Ospreys

3  Munster

4  Glasgow Warriors

This means the three possible venues for the RaboDirect PRO12 Final at RDS, home of Leinster, the Liberty Stadium, home of the Ospreys, and Thomond Park, home of the reigning champions Munster.

One of the three venues will be ruled out after the first semi-final in Swansea tonight, when the Ospreys host Munster. Whichever team wins will still have a chance of hosting the Final.

However, if Leinster beat Glasgow Warriors at the RDS on Saturday night then they will host the Final due to their No1 ranking.

“Ever since we introduced the Play-Off system at the start of the 2009/10 season we have wanted to reward the team finishing in the top two positions in the regular season. This means they get home advantage in the semi-finals and then, possibly, in the Final,” explained Feehan.

“We have enjoyed full houses at both previous Finals – 19,500 for Leinster v Ospreys in 2010 and 26,100 for Munster v Leinster in 2011 – and look forward to another world class, capacity occasion at the end of this month. Each team will be able to ask for up to 50% of the tickets for the Final.

“Due to the Republic of Ireland international football match against Bosnia at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 26 May, PRO12 decided, after discussions with both Leinster and our TV partners, to avoid any potential clash and switch a Dublin Final to Sunday, 27 May.

“It was also felt by all parties that due to the tight turn-around between the semi-finals and Final, it would be better to confirm the RDS as Leinster’s home venue, rather than consider a possible switch to the Aviva Stadium, to help with the ticketing, policing, travel and administration of the Final.”

Below are he confirmed dates and kick-off times of all possible combinations for the RaboDirect PRO12 Final, the broadcasters will be announced once the two finalists are known:

SATURDAY, 26 MAY

Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors– Liberty Stadium (20,000 capacity)

Kick-Off: 6.00pm

Munster v Glasgow Warriors– Thomond Park (26,000 capacity)

Kick-Off: 6.00pm

SUNDAY, 27 MAY

Leinster v Ospreys / Munster– RDS (18,200 capacity)

Kick-Off: 4.00pm

Glasgow Warriors head coach Sean Lineen has challenged his players to take their game to the next level in Saturday’s RaboDirect PRO12 semi-final against Leinster at the RDS (kick-off 7.35pm, live on BBC ALBA).

The play-off match will see the Warriors seek to become only the second team to defeat the reigning European champions twice this season, Glasgow having recorded a 23-19 success in the first RaboDirect PRO12 meeting between the teams in Ireland last September.

Leinster have since lost just once in all competitions, with the Warriors one of only two teams to take points off them in the RaboDirect PRO12 this calendar year, courtesy of a 10-10 draw at Firhill back in February.

The Dubliners underlined their class in the Heineken Cup head-to-heads, inflicting a 38-13 defeat on the Warriors at the RDS before edging a tighter affair 23-16 in Glasgow.

Lineen believes it will take “something truly special from all 23 players” to see off a team who have booked another Heineken Cup final date for the following week, but has emphasised the belief underpinning his squad’s approach.

The head coach commented: “We’ve shown great consistency and character to reach the semi-finals, but this is where the hard work really begins.

“We’re not satisfied just to be in the play-offs; we’re absolutely determined to keep our run going, and that means finding a way to beat a side who are the benchmark for every other team in Europe.

“Leinster’s record in both the RaboDirect PRO12 and Heineken Cup these past few years speaks for itself, and you only need to look at the statistics to see how hard it is to beat them.

“But we have confidence in ourselves, our game plan and each other and while we have huge respect for Leinster, we won’t be standing back and admiring them.

“To win, we need every player to be better than they’ve ever been before. That’s a big ask, but it’s what it will take, and we’ve every confidence the players will deliver. They’ve risen to every challenge we’ve put in front of them this season, and this is undoubtedly the biggest yet.”

The Warriors team for Saturday’s match will be confirmed tomorrow morning. Lineen said: “Training has been excellent all week. As you would expect, the hunger and intensity have been right out of the top drawer, with everyone absolutely desperate to get into the 23 for the weekend.

“It promises to be another fantastic occasion, and the players will soak up the experience. But most of all they will be inspired by it and work to show the wider audience just how good a team they are.”

Glasgow Warriors fans heading to Saturday’s semi-final can take advantage of some great saver ferry packages offered in partnership with Stena Line.

For just £60 per person, supporters can travel from Glasgow city centre to Dublin via Belfast, with all coach and ferry transfers included.

The cost is just £199 for a car + four passengers on the Cairnryan to Belfast route, while great value ferry plus hotel packages are also available.

Please head to www.stenaline.co.uk/warriors for full information and to book.The  be running a fan zone for supporters in the Ballsbridge Hotel, just a 10 minute walk from the RDS. Full information will be provided on our official website, www.glasgowwarriors.org, and Twitter feed @glasgowwarriors later today.

For those unable to make the trip, Warriors have arranged a special screening of BBC ALBA’s live coverage at Waxy O’Connor’s on West George Street.

Three big screens in the city centre bar will be showing the game, snacks will be available at half-time, and Warriors players will be in attendance to take in the action with you.

Under-18s can attend the screening, provide they are accompanied by an over-18.

19-year-old Hogg, who has enjoyed a tremendous campaign in the black and blue, has been recognised for his outstanding form with the RaboDirect PRO12 Young Player of the Year award.

The Hawick man, a key figure in the Warriors’ progress to the semi-finals, fought off strong competition from Scarlets No.8 Ben Morgan and Leinster’s Ian Madigan.

Hogg was last week named Glasgow Warriors Young Player of the Season and Players’ Young Player of the Season.

The Warriors as a collective, meanwhile, are the inaugural Rhino Collision Kings, an award given to the team that a panel of experts judge has been most clinical at the breakdown in the RaboDirect PRO12 this season.

Points were awarded for ball retention, speed of clearance, dynamic movement, and the ability to counter-ruck effectively.

The awards were presented at a ceremony in Cardiff on Sunday night, six days out from the Warriors’ semi-final against Leinster at the RDS in Dublin.

Three Glasgow stars, lock Tom Ryder, stand-off Duncan Weir and prop Jon Welsh had already been named in the RaboDirect PRO12 Dream Team.

Managing Director Nathan Bombrys said: “Glasgow Warriors have already enjoyed a very positive weekend, and Stuart Hogg and the team being recognised with these awards caps a truly memorable 24 hours.

“Stuart thoroughly deserves to be named Young Player of the Year. He has been consistently excellent for us, and has the potential to develop into an even more fantastic asset in the years ahead.

“The quality of player in the RaboDirect PRO12 is such that he has beaten off some very strong competition for the award, and that’s testament to the form he has shown for Glasgow Warriors.

“Our season to date has been built on a great team ethic and hard-working spirit within the group. Those qualities have been the difference between winning and losing in a number of big games, and we’re delighted to see the consistency and intensity of our work at the breakdown recognised with the Rhino Collision Kings award.

“It will take another huge collective effort from the players, coaches and support staff to beat Leinster in their home stadium on Saturday, but everyone is up for the challenge and well aware of what’s at stake.”

Visser, who qualifies to play for Scotland this summer, is once again the leading try scorer in the RaboDirect PRO12 and has bagged 36 tries in 56 appearances for Edinburgh up to Round 22 of the 2011/12 campaign this weekend.

That total has worked him into third place in the PRO12 all-time try scoring list level with Nikki Walker and just behind Shane Horgan (39) and Tommy Bowe (46). He picked up 15 out of a possible 28 votes for the two wing positions, with his nearest rivals way back on four.

There are five players in the 2011/12 Dream Team who have retained their place from the previous year. A panel of 14 journalists from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales were canvassed to select the team after 19 rounds of the tournament and four of the returning players were in the back line.

Leinster’s utility back Isa Nacewa once again won the full back shirt, beating off the strong challenge of Glasgow Warriors rising star Stuart Hogg, while Ruan Pienaar was the overwhelming choice at scrum half with 10 of the 14 votes.

Cardiff Blues centre Casey Laulala was the other player to make it two in a row as he won the race to join the Ospreys’ Ashley Beck (8 votes) at centre. His Blues team mate, Wales Grand Slam wing Alex Cuthbert, took the left wing spot on try count over Munster’s Simon Zebo.

It was also tight at outside half, where Glasgow Warriors’ Duncan Weir just pipped Leinster’s Ian Madigan for the No 10 jersey after both players received four votes. In the end, Weir’s superior scoring record earned him the half-back berth alongside Pienaar.

Only one forward survived from the 2010/11 Dream Team, Leinster hooker Richardt Strauss. He polled eight votes with the Ospreys’ Richard Hibbard his nearest rival with three.

There was another close call at loose head prop, where Glasgow’s Jon Welsh and Leinster’s Heinke van der Merwe were locked on three votes each. In the end, the decision went to Welsh on the basis he had scored three tries to Van der Merwe’s one.

Munster’s BJ Botha beat off the challenge of Ospreys’ Adam Jones and Ulster’s John Afoa to complete the front row as the tight head choice. There were 15 different players put forward for the two second row positions, but Ulster’s Dan Tuohy and Glasgow’s Tom Ryder were the clear favourites over some illustrious candidates.

Tuohy topped the poll with six votes, while Ryder had four, and their elevation into the Dream Team was a reflection on their reliability and durability at the heart of their respective packs over the season.

The back row comprises three players who failed to make their nation’s World Cup squads, yet all featured in the RBS 6 Nations. Edinburgh’s Dave Denton took the blindside flanker position ahead of nine other candidates, while new England No 8 Ben Morgan, of the Scarlets, crowned his great season by polling twice as many votes as his nearest rival.

The No 7 jersey went to the Ospreys outstanding openside flanker Justin Tipuric, who received the third highest number of votes of any player – Visser 15, Pienaar 10 – with nine to leave the 2011 nominee, Sam Warburton, trailing in his wake.

No fewer than 89 players from all 12 clubs in the RaboDirect PRO12 received votes and the final make up of the team is as follows:

RaboDirect PRO12 Dream Team 2011/12: Isa Nacewa (Leinster), Tim Visser (Edinburgh), Casey Laulala (Cardiff Blues), Ashley Beck (Ospreys), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues); Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster); Jon Welsh (Glasgow Warriors), Richardt Strauss (Leinster), BJ Botha (Munster), Dan Tuohy (Ulster), Tom Ryder (Glasgow Warriors), Dave Denton (Edinburgh), Justin Tipuric (Ospreys), Ben Morgan (Scarlets)

Teams (8):Glasgow Warriors 3, Cardiff Blues 2, Edinburgh 2, Leinster 2, Ospreys 2, Ulster 2, Munster 1, Scarlets 1

RABODIRECT PRO12 DREAM TEAM 2011 / 12

• FULL BACK – ISA NACEWA (LEINSTER)
• RIGHT WING – TIM VISSER (EDINBURGH)
• OUTSIDE CENTRE – CASEY LAULALA (CARDIFF BLUES)
• INSIDE CENTRE – ASHLEY BECK (OSPREYS)
• LEFT WING – ALEX CUTHBERT (CARDIFF BLUES)
• OUTSIDE HALF – DUNCAN WEIR (GLASGOW WARRIORS)
• SCRUM HALF – RUAN PIENAAR (ULSTER)
• LOOSE HEAD PROP – JON WELSH (GLASGOW WARRIORS)
• HOOKER – RICHARDT STRAUSS (LEINSTER)
• TIGHT HEAD PROP – BJ BOTHA (MUNSTER)
• LOCK – DAN TUOHY (ULSTER)
• LOCK – TOM RYDER (GLASGOW WARRIORS)
• BLINDSIDE FLANKER – DAVE DENTON (EDINBURGH)
• OPENSIDE FLANKER – JUSTIN TIPURIC (OSPREYS)
• N0 8 – BEN MORGAN (SCARLETS)

Dream Team 2010/11:Isa Nacewa (Leinster); Fionn Carr (Connacht), Casey Laulala (Cardiff Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Tim Visser (Edinburgh); Ronan O’Gara (Munster), Ruan Pienaar (Ulster); Iestyn Thomas (Scarlets), Richardt Strauss (Leinster), Mike Ross (Leinster), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Richie Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Sean O’Brien (Leinster), Sam Warburton (Cardiff Blues), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)

Teams (9):Leinster 5, Blues 2, Scarlets 2, Ospreys 1, Connacht 1, Glasgow Warriors 1, Edinburgh 1, Munster 1, Ulster 1

Dream Team 2009/10:Ben Blair (Cardiff Blues); Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster), James Hook (Ospreys), Tim Visser (Edinburgh); Dan Parks (Glasgow Warriors), Tomas O’Leary (Munster); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Leo Cullen (Leinster), Ali Kellock (Glasgow Warriors), Jerry Collins (Ospreys), John Barclay (Glasgow Warriors),

Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)

Teams (7):Ospreys 4, Glasgow Warriors 3, Leinster 3, Blues 2, Edinburgh 1, Munster 1, Scarlets 1

Dream Team 2008/09:Lee Byrne (Ospreys); Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Brian O’Driscoll (Leinster), Lifeimi Mafi (Munster), Leigh Halfpenny (Cardiff Blues); Ronan O’Gara (Munster), Mike Phillips (Ospreys); Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Jerry Flannery (Munster), Adam Jones (Ospreys), Paul O’Connell (Munster), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Rocky Elsom (Leinster), Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)

Teams (4):Ospreys 5, Munster 4, Leinster 3, Blues 3

Dream Team 2007/08: Ben Blair (Cardiff Blues); Tommy Bowe (Ulster), Lifeimi Mafi (Munster), Nick de Luca (Edinburgh), Shane Williams (Ospreys); Felipe Contepomi (Leinster), Mike Blair (Edinburgh); Ollie Le Roux (Leinster), Bernard Jackman (Leinster), Stan Wright (Leinster), Malcolm O’Kelly (Leinster), Leo Cullen (Leinster), Ryan Jones (Ospreys), Martyn Williams (Cardiff Blues), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)

Teams (6):Leinster 7, Blues 2, Edinburgh 2, Ospreys 2, Munster 1, Ulster 1

Dream Team 2006/07: Ben Blair (Cardiff Blues); Denis Hickie (Leinster), Regan King (Scarlets), Gordon D’Arcy (Leinster), Shane Williams (Ospreys); Felipe Contepomi (Leinster), Mike Phillips (Cardiff Blues); Iestyn Thomas (Scarlets), Matthew Rees (Scarlets), Euan Murray (Glasgow Warriors), Justin Harrison (Ulster), Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys), Simon Easterby (Scarlets), Colin Charvis (Dragons), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster)

Teams (7):Leinster 4, Scarlets 4, Blues 2, Ospreys 2, Ulster 1, Dragons 1, Glasgow 1