Hooker Ian Oosthuizen was the star of the show, albeit in absentia, when Brakpan Rugby Club held its senior prize-giving to mark the end of 2016 at the club on the night of Friday, December 2.
Oosthuizen, currently plying his rugby trade in Scotland with Selkirk, was the winner of three top awards following a highly successful season in the number two Brakpan jersey.
Read: Oosthuizen set for Scotland
The 2016 South African Rugby Union (Saru) Gold Cup Forward Player of the Year claimed a hat trick of trophies as the Players’ Player of the Year, the Forward Player of the Year and the Senior Sportsman of the Year Award.
Utility back Gido Horn was named as the Backline Player of the Year as well as the Top Points Scorer of the Year, after scoring 145 points during the 2016 campaign.
Armand Jordaan was announced as the club’s Junior Sportsman of the Year as well as the Up-and-coming Player of the Year while Jaco Lotter scooped the Loose Forward of the Year prize.
Veteran clubman Theo Bekker was acknowledged as the Most Loyal and Committed Player of the Year, having played in all 80 minutes of every game of the season, while loose forward Ricky Menezes was presented with the “Stoutgat” (naughty) and Spirit Trophy.
Overall, the club were the Valke Peregrine Champions for 2016, following an epic 35-34 win over Vereeniging in August.
Read: Nerves shattered as golden Brakpan win Valke League, qualify for Gold Cup
This guaranteed their spot in the elite community club rugby competition – the Gold Cup, where they lost out on a final berth to Rustenburg Impala by 44-32 in the semi-final of the tournament in October.
The club also received a prestigious award from the Valke Referee’s Society for the Best Club on the Field.
Brakpan were also rewarded for the most tries (98) during the Valke season.
Club chairman Harry Nieuwenhuis said: “I am really satisfied with what we achieved as a club this year.
“There is still a lot that we have to do if we want to tick all the boxes and make a clean sweep of league wins in 2017.”
The club’s second side (“The Lilywhites”) finished as runners-up in their league while the young gun u-21 side finished third overall in their league.
The chairman added that the award from the Valke Referee’s Association was a special one for the club.
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