Castrogiovanni is the second overseas player to win the award

The 25-year-old becomes the second overseas player to land the award, following Gloucester's South African flanker Jake Boer in 2003.

Tigers team-mate Shane Jennings was runner-up while Bristol lock Roy Winters took third place.

Wasps and England flanker Tom Rees took the young player honour while Pat Howard won the director of rugby award.

Castrogiovanni has already helped Leicester win the EDF Energy Cup this season.

The Tigers are also through to both the Premiership final and Heineken Cup final.

"In his first season in the Guinness Premiership, Martin has been a rock for Leicester in what may yet be the most successful season in the club's history," said Premier Rugby's rugby manager Phil Winstanley.

List of awards

Guinness Premiership player of the season: Martin Castrogiovanni (Leicester); runner-up - Shane Jennings (Leicester); third Roy Winters (Bristol).
Discovery of the season: Tom Rees (Wasps); runner-up James Haskell (Wasps); third Dominic Waldouck (Wasps).
Director of rugby of the season: Pat Howard (Leicester). Try of the season: Mark Foster (Gloucester) versus Harlequins.
Golden boot award: Glen Jackson (Saracens).
Community player of the season: Matt Perry (Bath).
Team performance of the season: Bristol for Bristol versus Gloucester (November 24).
Dream team: M Brown (Harlequins); D Strettle (Harlequins), S Mapusua (London Irish), T Flood (Newcastle), D Lemi (Bristol); G Jackson (Saracens), H Ellis (Leicester); M Castrogiovanni (Leicester), G Chuter (Leicester), D Crompton (Bristol), R Winters (Bristol), M Bortolami (Gloucester, capt), J M Fernandez Lobbe (Sale Sharks), A Hazell (Gloucester), D Ward-Smith (Bristol).