Saracen's Billy Vunipola has been nominated for the Premiership's Player of the Year award after a stellar campaign with the Men in Black.

The 22-year-old England international has scored 20 points in 13 league outings for Sarries this term.

Vunipola joins Bath pair Jonathan Joseph and George Ford, as well as Wasps' Nathan Hughes and Elliot Daly on the five-strong shortlist.

Phil Winstanley, director of rugby at the Premiership, commented: “As in all other seasons, the task of identifying any single individual performer in the Aviva Premiership is a tough one.

"This year is no different and the panel has identified some outstanding players. What is so striking this year is the relatively young age of these players.

“There has been significant investment of time and resource by Premiership Rugby and the RFU, so it isn’t surprising to see so many young, talented English players grace this list alongside Fijian Nathan Hughes.”

The shortlist was compiled by a panel of media professionals and chaired by Paul Morgan, Premiership Rugby’s communications director.