Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints)
Dingwall was nominated for the Premiership Rugby Cup’s Breakthrough Player award in 2019/20 and scooped Saints’ Young Player of the Season award for his efforts, which did not go unnoticed on the international stage, with the centre earning the call to England’s training squad ahead of the 2020 Six Nations and Autumn Nations Cup.
The Academy graduate continued his progress in 2021/22, making 25 appearances (with all but one of them from the start) and captained the side in the absence of regular skipper Lewis Ludlam during the 2022 Six Nations.
In the February of the 2022/23 season, Dingwall won the Premiership Player of the Month and in that same month the centre also picked up the Premiership Try of the Month. It was a successful season for Dingwall at the Club as he also won the cinch Supporters’ Player of the Season.
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Smith, grandson of former Scotland and British & Irish Lions loosehead prop Tom Elliot, arrived at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens from Worcester Warriors where he progressed through the Academy set-up, after beginning his club rugby at Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire before joining Warwick School.
After playing every match for Warriors in the Premiership Rugby Under-18s Academy League in 2019/20, he signed on full-time with Worcester’s Academy in the summer of 2020.
The talented outside-half became the youngest-ever player to start for Warriors in the Gallagher Premiership in March 2021, when he lined up against Bath at the age of just 18 years and 313 days.
He made 31 senior appearances for Worcester, and his form at Sixways earned him a selection for England Under-20s for the 2021 Six Nations in Cardiff. Smith – who has ten caps for England Under-20s so far – was influential in the Red Rose’s Grand Slam-winning campaign, scoring 31 points in five matches including a try against Scotland.
Smith was named again in England Under-20s EPS for 2022, but did not feature during the Six Nations as he instead held down the No.10 jersey for Warriors in the Gallagher Premiership, during a campaign which also saw him lift the Premiership Rugby Cup with Worcester.