Jersey's James Freeman has topped the poll and been named as the Greene King IPA Player of the Month for March 2016.
The Reds' back-row man secured the highest number of votes to take the award ahead of three rivals on the shortlist - Barney Maddison of Rotherham Titans, Doncaster Knights' Will Hurrell and Andy Saull of Yorkshire Carnegie.
After impressing in three successive league wins for his side during the qualification period in March and early April, James was nominated for the four-player shortlist by a panel of experts. The flanker scored two tries at St Peters during the home side’s 44-27 victory over Rotherham, one after running onto a high kick and charging home from 30 metres; the other from an impressive maul.
James, 25, was also a leading player among the powerful Reds' pack whose late penalty tries helped narrowly overcome Nottingham at the start of March and London Scottish on Good Friday. The former Loughborough Students' back row man, approaching the end of his first season with Jersey, played all 240 minutes of these games, and impressed with his teak-tough defence and skilful breakdown work.
James was delighted to get confirmation that he had topped the poll.
"It's a massive honour to be named on the shortlist, let alone to win," he said. "I think it shows the way Jersey have come on during the season - we've picked up a few wins recently and worked our way up the table and that's probably helped me to get recognised. I've scooped up a few tries along the way, but it comes down to the efforts of the whole squad.
"I'll look forward to celebrating the award, but there's an important game first and we will be going all out to finish the season on Saturday with a win against Yorkshire Carnegie in front of our home supporters, just as a 'thank you' to them for voting for me."
