One of the Premiership’s greatest players has today been awarded the Gallagher Player of the Month crown for October 2022, creating a seasonal double for his club Saracens.
Alex Goode follows team-mate Theo McFarland in winning the monthly accolade and his key role in Saracens unbeaten start to their Gallagher Premiership Rugby campaign has been pinpointed by BT Sport pundit and Gallagher ambassador, Ugo Monye.
Monye says: “He’s been outstanding in what feels like quite a key period for a lot of Gallagher Premiership Rugby teams during the international matches and he is undoubtedly still playing at an international level.
“The appearance record which he broke just shows his level of consistency which has always been of an international quality, I think it was Mark McCall who said he believes him to be one of the best players to play in the Premiership in the last decade and he is still showing that form now 340 matches later.
“At Exeter Chiefs, his first kick of the season, he won them the match, that’s an immediate impact, then playing at fly-half, he is an organiser and a game leader, and he has all the skills and the mental rugby IQ to be able to deal with whatever is thrown at him.”
April Mayne, who presented the award to Alex on behalf of Gallagher, added: “Alex is an absolute stalwart of Saracens joining some 14 years ago and, as a Saracens fan, I am delighted to present him with this Player of the Month award. He is naturally talented and has a clear passion to win, which is obvious to see on the pitch, and he brings huge experience and talent to the team. This is a much deserved accolade for his performance in the Gallagher Premiership Rugby so far in this year’s season.”
Gloucester Rugby duo Louis Rees-Zammit and Val Rapava-Ruskin were the runners-up this month, both recording significant support from the judges and public alike.
One of Goode’s great qualities is his temperament. He never appears ruffled on the pitch and Monye adds: “He had a stint in Japan, came back and nothing ever phases him it would appear, regardless of who is on the team sheet, and that is credit to the staff there, the level of recruitment and their ability to be able to develop players. He is that one constant, all year round and this year is no different.
“He’s been incredibly unlucky not to get more caps, a player of his calibre and consistency, experience, skill, you’d expect to get more caps.
“I think that will be the one thing when he calls time on his career, he’ll look back and think, perhaps he deserved more, but equally, he has a bursting trophy cabinet and he has won pretty much everything else in the game, so I don’t think it will keep him up too much.”
As part of his prize for being named Gallagher Player of the Month, Goode wins a shirt signed by the whole Saracens squad and framed by Gallagher to gift to a charity of his choice, to help it raise funds for its chosen cause.
Goode was voted for by a panel of media professionals based on his performances in October 2022, alongside a public poll on the Premiership Rugby app. The judges were: Nick Mullins (BT Sport), Alastair Eykyn (BT Sport), Alex Lowe (The Times) Hugh Godwin (I), Andrew Baldock (Press Association), John Everly (Bristol Post and Bath Chronicle) Jill Douglas (Broadcaster), Craig Swayne (The Good, The Bad and The Rugby), Chris Jones (BBC 5 Live), David Rogers (Getty Images) and Tom Hamilton (ESPN). The panel was chaired by Paul Morgan, Premiership Rugby's Communications Director.
Winners in the 2022-23 season
- October – Alex Goode (Saracens)
- September – Theo McFarland (Saracens)
Winners in the 2021-22 season
- March - George McGuigan (Newcastle Falcons)
- February – Freddie Burns (Leicester Tigers)
- January - André Esterhuizen (Harlequins)
- December – George Ford (Leicester Tigers)
- November – Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
- October – George Ford (Leicester Tigers)
- September – Adam Radwan (Newcastle Falcons)
Winners in the 2020-21 season
- May – Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
- April – Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby)
- March- Danny Care (Harlequins)
- February – Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
- January – Piers O’Conor (Bristol Bears)
- December – Alfie Barbeary (Wasps)
- November – Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
Winners in the 2019-20 season
- August – Jack Willis (Wasps)
- May– Paul Hill and Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints)*
- April - Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs)
- March – Jamal Ford-Robinson (Gloucester Rugby)
- February – Charles Piutau (Bristol Bears)
- January – Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
- December - Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester Rugby)
- November – Tom O’Flaherty (Exeter Chiefs)
* Gallagher ran public polls while play was suspended to nominate a ‘Community Player of the Month’ in recognition of inspiring off-pitch performances made by players during lockdown to support their local communities and boost the morale of the wider rugby community.
Winners in the 2018-19 season
- April – Francois Hougaard (Worcester Warriors)
- March – Santiago Cordero (Exeter Chiefs)
- February – Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints)
- December – Cobus Reinach (Northampton Saints)#
- November – Ollie Thorley (Gloucester Rugby)
- October – Alex Goode (Saracens)
- September – Danny Cipriani (Gloucester Rugby)
Winners in the 2017-18 season
- April – Vereniki Goneva (Newcastle Falcons)
- March – Joe Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
- February – Jack Willis (Wasps)
- December – Josh Adams (Worcester Warriors)
- November – Ruan Ackermann (Gloucester Rugby)
- October – Jonny May (Leicester Tigers)
- September – Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
Winners in the 2016-17 season
- April – Taulupe Faletau (Bath Rugby)
- March – Christian Wade (Wasps)
- February – James Short (Exeter Chiefs)
- December – Tom Varndell (Bristol Rugby)
- November – Freddie Burns (Leicester Tigers)
- October – Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
- September – Jimmy Gopperth (Wasps)
Winners in the 2015-16 season
- April – Teimana Harrison (Northampton Saints)
- March – Francois Hougaard (Worcester Warriors)
- February – George Smith (Wasps)
- January – Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs)
- December – Maro Itoje (Saracens)
- November – Nathan Hughes (Wasps)
- October – Nick Evans (Harlequins)
Winners in the 2014-15 season
- April – Joe Simpson (Wasps)
- March – Elliot Daly (Wasps)
- February – Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
- January – Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
- December – Samu Manoa (Northampton Saints)
- November – Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs)#
- October – Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby)
- September – Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby)
Winners in the 2013-14 season
- April – Chris Ashton (Saracens)
- March – Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks)
- February – Vereniki Goneva (Leicester Tigers)
- January – Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
- December – Nick Easter (Harlequins)
- November - George Ford (Bath Rugby)
- October – Samu Manoa (Northampton Saints)
- September – Jacques Burger (Saracens)
