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Nominees Announced for 2023 SA Rugby Awards

Rugby

Five key members of the Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok squad have been nominated for the prestigious 2023 SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year award. The nominees, determined through votes from media members and key stakeholders within the governing body, include Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe, and Damian Willemse.

Player of the Year Contenders

Previous award winners, Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit, and Siya Kolisi, stand among the contenders for the Men’s Player of the Year accolade. The winners will be announced early next year, along with other categories such as Referee of the Year and Provincial Women’s Player of the Year.

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“Etzebeth won last season’s award, while Du Toit (2019) and Kolisi (2021) are also former winners.”

Springbok Women’s Player of the Year

Nadine Roos, the current titleholder, will defend her Springbok Women’s Player of the Year title. She faces strong competition from former winners Aseza Hele and Babalwa Latsha, along with contenders Libbie Janse van Rensburg and Rights Mkhari.

Young Player of the Year

Two standout performers from the Bok World Cup, Canan Moodie and Jaden Hendrikse, are nominated for the Young Player of the Year category. They will contend with Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Evan Roos, and Ruan Venter for the prestigious honor.

Coach of the Year

Bok coach Jacques Nienaber is in the running for the Coach of the Year award, competing against John Dobson (Stormers) and Hawies Fourie (Cheetahs). The winners will be recognized for their contributions to South African rugby in the 2023 season.

“All the names on the list of nominees can look back at the year and be proud of their performances.”

List of Nominees for respective categories

SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year

Pieter-Steph du Toit

Eben Etzebeth

Siya Kolisi

Frans Malherbe

Damian Willemse

Springbok Women’s Player of the Year

Aseza Hele

Libbie Janse van Rensburg

Babalwa Latsha

Rights Mkhari

Nadine Roos

SA Rugby Young Player of the Year

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (Stormers)

Jaden Hendrikse (Springboks/Sharks)

Canan Moodie (Springboks/Vodacom Bulls)

Evan Roos (Springboks/Stormers)

Ruan Venter (Lions)

Springbok Sevens Men’s Player of the Year

Ricardo Duarttee

Christie Grobbelaar

Shilton van Wyk

Junior Springbok Player of the Year

Corne Beets

Paul de Villiers

Damian Markus

Team of the Year

Cheetahs (Currie Cup)

Springboks

Stormers (URC)

Coach of the Year

John Dobson (Stormers)

Hawies Fourie (Cheetahs)

Jacques Nienaber (Springboks)

Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year

Tinus de Beer (Pumas)

Ruan Pienaar (Cheetahs)

Devon Williams (Pumas)

Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year

Keagan Fortune (Valke)

Darian Hock (Boland Kavaliers)

Cameron Hufke (Boland Kavaliers)

Acknowledging a Remarkable Year

SA Rugby president, Mark Alexander, commended all the nominees for their outstanding performances during the year and their contributions to the local rugby landscape. He expressed gratitude to everyone involved in making the 2023 season memorable, acknowledging the success of national teams and the achievements of local teams in various competitions.

“A special word of thanks and congratulations to Jacques, Siya, and the Springboks though – you were great ambassadors for South Africa and by defending the Webb Ellis Cup in France, you have ensured that the name of the Bok team of 2023 will forever be written in the annals of our game as one of the greatest.”

The anticipation builds as the rugby community awaits the announcement of the winners in various categories, recognizing the outstanding contributions and achievements in South African rugby during the remarkable 2023 season.

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