Gloucester’s Charlie Beckett is one of six Aviva Premiership Rugby players who is in line for the Aviva Community Player of the Season award.

The award celebrates those who go the extra mile to make a difference in their local community through charity work – emphasising how much good Aviva Premiership Rugby stars do in their own time.

And this year’s shortlist certainly highlights that with experienced players such as Bath Rugby’s Freddie Burns, Nili Latu of Newcastle Falcons and Mark Lambert of Harlequins being joined on the shortlist by up-and-coming talents Beckett, Saracens’ Joel Kpoku and Jocob Umaga from Wasps.

Rugby players are often seen as role models in their local communities, and the work they do can make a huge difference – especially with young people, which is why Aviva and Premiership Rugby have teamed up to recognise the differences players can make.

The six shortlisted players will now wait to see who takes the crown from last year’s winner Chris Pennell of Worcester Warriors at the glittering Aviva Premiership Rugby Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel on Wednesday May 16.

Other former winners of the award include Saracens’ Jamie George, Dom Waldouck of Northampton Saints, Dean Schofield from Worcester Warriors and Bob Casey of London Irish, who won the award in 2012 – and this year’s panel were impressed with the wide range of ages of those who are shortlisted.