The Leinster Rugby wing is the Heineken Champions Cup’s top try-scorer this season with 10, and should pose a major danger to Stade Rochelais’ defence in Saturday’s final.

Not only has Lowe crossed the whitewash 10 times in six matches, but he has also made more clean breaks than any other player in the competition with 12.

His impressive stats don’t end there either as Lowe is ranked fourth for defenders beaten with 23 and fifth for metres gained with 599.

Should Lowe land the EPCR European Player of the Year award, he would become Leinster’s third recipient after Sean O’Brien (2011) and Rob Kearney (2012).

Voting for one of the most prized individual accolades in world rugby has now reopened on epcrugby.com/epoty and the winner and recipient of the Anthony Foley Memorial Trophy will be announced following the Heineken Champions Cup final at the Stade Vélodrome on Saturday 28 May.

2022 EPCR European Player of the Year shortlist 

Grégory ALLDRITT (Stade Rochelais)
Caelan DORIS (Leinster Rugby)
Antoine DUPONT (Stade Toulousain)
James LOWE (Leinster Rugby)
Josh VAN DER FLIER (Leinster Rugby)

Judging panel
Erik Bonneval (beIN SPORTS), Bryan Habana (two-time Heineken Champions Cup winner), Lee McKenzie (Channel 4), Alan Quinlan (Virgin Media and two-time Heineken Champions Cup winner), Dimitri Yachvili (France Télévisions and EPCR Challenge Cup winner).

Roll of Honour
2021: Antoine Dupont (Stade Toulousain)
2020: Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
2019: Alex Goode (Saracens)
2018: Leone Nakarawa (Racing 92)
2017: Owen Farrell (Saracens)
2016: Maro Itoje (Saracens)
2015: Nick Abendanon (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
2014: Steffon Armitage (RC Toulon)
2013: Jonny Wilkinson (RC Toulon)
2012: Rob Kearney (Leinster Rugby)
2011: Sean O’Brien (Leinster Rugby)
2010: Ronan O’Gara (Munster Rugby – best player of first 15 years of European club rugby)

James Lowe’s try-scoring prowess and all-round attacking threat made him an obvious pick for the EPCR European Player of the Year shortlist.