Kieran Read named IRB Player of the Year

Kieran Read has been named World Player of the Year at the International Rugby Board awards.
Elected by a former internationals, this tops a sensational year by the No.8 with both the All Blacks and the Crusaders.
New Zealand, who set a new record in the professional era by winning all 14 of their Tests in 2013, won Team of the Year for the seventh time. Steve Hansen was named Coach of the Year for the second time in a row.
Read was picked ahead of Ben Smith, Leigh Halfpenny, Eben Etzebeth and Sergio Parisse. He is the third All Black to win the award, after Dan Carter (2005 and 2012) and Richie McCaw (2006, 2009 and 2010).
The winners were picked by a panel chaired by Australia's Rugby World-Cup winning captain John Eales including Will Greenwood, Gavin Hastings, Raphael Ibanez, Francois Pienaar, Agustin Pichot, Scott Quinnell, Tana Umaga and Paul Wallace.