Cristiano Ronaldo recorded back-to-back wins in 2007 and 2008, while Ryan Giggs was handed the honours last season.

BBC: Man Utd striker Wayne Rooney shortlisted for PFA award

Worcestershire were close to honours last season but just missed out on promotion to division one with a fourth-place finish in the championship.

BBC: Hick extends contract

It was launched amid claims Labour had broken the law preventing the sale of honours, ahead of last year's election, and has since been widened to cover the activities of other parties.

BBC: Trish Law said her MP husband Peter came under pressure

Federer, who won Wimbledon but lost the Olympic final last year, may be vying for the top honours with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray but his chances of success are threatened by being nearly five years more senior than the next oldest.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Last year saw a Dutch squad take home the top honours.

BBC: Egg Russian roulette

The first seat was unveiled in 2010 and honours Flossie Lane the former landlady of the last parlour pub in the UK, which is in Lentwardine.

BBC: Hereford & Worcester

For sure, the boundaries are being blurred, as both codes seek to encroach on each other's territory. (Last year, for instance, the Sydney Swans won last year's AFL grand final, while the Melbourne Storm took the honours in rugby league, which would have been unthinkable twenty years ago).

BBC: Australia: What the rest of the world gets wrong

The trio gained places in the Blues senior squad, then Wales honours, and in Roberts' case became British and Irish Lions man of the series last year in South Africa.

BBC: Home-spun wisdom seals Cardiff Blues' European glory

White-Cooper won full international honours against Canada 12 months ago, and was also part of the Quins side which beat Narbonne in last year's European Shield final.

BBC: Vos joins Quins