Irish provinces dominate 22/23 URC Team of the year

Irish provinces account for just over a third of the 2022/2023 URC Elite XV.

The team of the year was announced earlier today, with six of the 15 players selected hailing from Irish clubs.

Leinster have three players in the team, the most of any, with Scott Penny, Dan Sheehan and Ross Byrne representing Leo Cullen's side.

READ MORE: Leinster and Ireland winger Dave Kearney to retire at the end of the season

Connacht have a couple of representatives of their own, with Finlay Bealham and Niall Murray flying the flag for the Westerners.

Gavin Coombes is the sole Munster inclusion on the team, while no Ulster players were selected.

Of the remaining nine players, four hail from South Africa, two come from both Scotland and Italy, with Vaea Fifita of Scarlets the only Welsh based player included.

URC Elite XV

15: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls)

14: Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby)

13: Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors)

12: Daniel du Plessis (DHL Stormers)

11: Simone Gesi (Zebre Parma)

10: Ross Byrne (Leinster)

9: Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks)

1: Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers)

2: Dan Sheehan (Leinster)

3: Finlay Bealham (Connacht)

4: Niall Murray (Connacht)

5: Federico Ruzza (Benetton)

6: Vaea Fifita (Scarlets)

7: Scott Penny (Leinster)

8: Gavin Coombes (Munster)

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