Tommaso Menoncello MVP of the Six Nations
Tommaso Menoncello MVP of the Six Nations
Tommaso Menoncello è has been proclaimed the best player of the Guinness Six Nations 2024. The Azzurri three-quarter, class of 2002 who plays for Benetton Rugby with 17 caps and 5 tries scored in a national team jersey, won this prestigious award by garnering 33 percent of the votes in a poll that saw the participation of some 146,000 fans. Menoncello surpassed the likes of Irish center Bundee Aki, England's Ben Earl and Scotland's Duhan Van der Merwe in the rankings.
With this result, Menoncello becomes the second Italian player to win the tournament MVP title after Andrea Masi in 2011. Moreover, he è the youngest player to score a try in the history of the "Championship", a record set during the France-Italy match in 2022, and now è also the youngest MVP of the Six Nations.
Menoncello, wearing number 12, è has been included in the ideal Six Nations 2024 XV, along with Italian captain Michele Lamaro, who wears number seven in the openside flanker role.
"This è a recognition that I share with the whole team. Every single member of the team gave their best to try to achieve the goals set. I am personally proud to receive this award. Since my injury in the pre-World Test Match in Ireland, I had set out to try to come back stronger than before. The constant support I received from staff and players helped me so much to get this far. In the tournament that just ended we achieved important results that for us are not a point of arrival but an important base to work towards the future" said Tommaso Menoncello after receiving the award.
"The award won by Tommaso Menoncello è a further recognition for a player who, after the disappointment related to his non-participation in the World Cup due to injury, has worked so hard to return to his top level representing Italy. I am happy and proud for this result he has achieved. This is an added value for a team that has expressed a great work ethic where everyone, staff and players, have made an incredible contribution to this historic Six Nations. All this for us è an additional stimulus to continue working and growing, going to improve our rugby and strengthen even more; our team identity and culture in view of the next challenges that await us in the coming months" commented Gonzalo Quesada, Technical Commissioner of the Italian Men’s National Team.
