Bulls sharpshooter named URC’s kicking king
Chris Smith won the Golden Boot award with 30 successful kicks and an accuracy of 90%.
A Vodacom Bulls fly-half has added his name to the United Rugby Championship Awards roll of honour by collecting the Golden Boot prize as the season’s most accurate place-kicker.
Alessandro Izekor, Jamie Ritchie, and Chris Smith were announced today as the winners of the Tackle Machine, Turnover King, and Golden Boot awards respectively.
They become the first award winners of the 2023/24 season as the red carpet is rolled-out ahead of the semi-finals, with the Top Try Scorer, Ironman, Try of the Season, Next-Gen Player of the Season, Elite XV, and Innovation Award winners all set to be announced this week.
The final three awards – the Vodacom URC Player of the Season, Coach of the Season, and the Player’s Player of the Season, will all be announced next week ahead of the Grand Final.
The Golden Boot is awarded in recognition of the most accurate place-kicker, with all kickers who have attempted a minimum of 30 ranked by their success percentage.
Smith wins the award with 30 successful kicks, and an accuracy of 90%.
The winner of the 23/24 @Gilbert_Rugby Golden Boot Award goes to… Vodacom @BlueBullsRugby’s Chris Smith
3⃣0⃣ Attempts
2⃣7⃣ Successful
9⃣0⃣% Accuracy#URC | #URCAwards #GilbertGoldenBoot— Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) June 11, 2024
Ulster’s John Cooney wasn’t far behind him with 49 kicks and an accuracy of 88%, with Leinster’s Ross Byrne coming in third with an accuracy of 87% from his 31 successful kicks.
Nowhere else to be THIS Saturday!
BUY YOUR TICKET NOW: https://t.co/gwQNRqgMu2 #FillUpLoftus | #HomeAdvantage pic.twitter.com/AAawMAjq7C
— Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) June 11, 2024
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