The World Cup-winning Springboks. Picture: Getty Images
Springbok World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi is one of four South African nominees for the 2024 sporting Oscars, the Laureus World Sports Awards, that take place in April.
Kolisi is joined by his Springbok team, sailing star Kirsten Neuschafer and the organisation Justice Desk Africa who are also in line to win awards at the ceremony.
The Springboks are nominated for this year’s Laureus World Team of the Year Award following their incredible World Cup triumph over New Zealand in October.
They won their quarter-final match against France, the semi-final against England and the final against New Zealand by one point on each occasion.
It was second straight World Cup win for the Boks, who also won in 2019, and their fourth World Cup win overall.
The Boks are up against Europe’s Ryder Cup golf team, Germany’s men’s basketball team, Manchester City football club, Red Bull’s F1 racing team, and Spain’s women’s football team.
Captain Kolisi, who now plays his rugby in France but previously played for the Stormers and Sharks, is nominated for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year Award, after recovering from a partial ligament tear in his knee to lead the Springboks to glory in France.
He is up against, among others, gymnastics star Simone Biles.
Neuschafer is shortlisted for the Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year Award, marking her extraordinary achievement of becoming the first female to win a solo round-the-world race via the three Great Capes.
Rounding off the South African nominees is Justice Desk Africa, a group in the running for the Laureus Sport for Good Award.
There are six nominees in each category, and the names of the winners will be revealed on April 22, following a vote by the Laureus World Sports Academy – the world’s ultimate sports jury, made up of 69 of the greatest sporting legends of all time.
In the leading categories, the sportsman of the year nominees are Novak Djokovic, Mondo Duplantis, Erling Haaland, Noah Lyles, Lionel Messi and Max Verstappen, and the sportswoman of the year nominees are Aitana Bonmati, Shericka Jackson, Faith Kipyegon, Sha’carri Richardson, Mikaela Shiffrin and Iga Swiatek.
Novak Djokovic (Serbia) Tennis – won three Grand Slams, finishing 2023 with a record-equalling 24
Mondo Duplantis (Sweden) Athletics – twice improved his own world pole vault record and won a second world title
Erling Haaland (Norway) Football – his 52 goals spearheaded Manchester City’s treble season
Noah Lyles (USA) Athletics – won the 100, 200 and 4 x 100 metres relay at the World Athletics Championships
Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football – a record eighth Ballon d’Or and a record 44th trophy win
Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Motor Racing – completed a hat-trick of Formula One World Championships
Aitana Bonmatí (Spain) Football – won the World Cup, Champions League and Liga F – plus Ballon d’Or Féminin.
Shericka Jackson (Jamaica) Athletics – won 200 metre gold at the World Championships
Faith Kipyegon (Kenya) Athletics – first woman to win 1,500 and 5,000 metre double at the World Championships
Sha’Carri Richardson (USA) Athletics – golds in 100 and 4 x 100 metre relay
Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) Alpine Skiing – became the all-time leader in World Cup wins
Iga Świątek (Poland) Tennis – won a third French Open and regained World No.1 spot at WTA Finals
European Ryder Cup Team – Golf – regained trophy with dominant display in Rome
Germany Men’s Basketball Team – FIBA World Cup champions after shock wins over USA and Serbia
Manchester City (UK) Football – treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League
Oracle Red Bull Racing Formula One Team (Austria) – second consecutive constructors’ title after winning all but one race
Springboks (South Africa) Rugby – winners of a record fourth men’s World Cup
Spain Women’s Football Team – World Cup winners after a game-changing tournament in Australia
Jude Bellingham (UK) Football – winner of Golden Boy Award for Real Madrid’s new star
Linda Caicedo (Colombia) Football – played in under-17, under-20 and senior World Cup in the same year
Coco Gauff (USA) Tennis – maiden Grand Slam title came in US Open, aged 19
Qin Haiyang (China) Swimming – swept the breaststroke events (50, 100 & 200 metres) at World Championships
Josh Kerr (UK) Athletics – stunned favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen to win 1,500 metre world title
Salma Paralluelo (Spain) Football – FIFA Young Player Award winner for best young footballer at the World Cup
Simone Biles (USA) Gymnastics – after a two-year absence, returned to win four World Championship golds
Sébastien Haller (Ivory Coast) Football – recovered from cancer diagnosis to return for Borussia Dortmund
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (UK) Athletics – won heptathlon gold at World Championships after multiple injuries
Siya Kolisi (South Africa) Rugby – came back from ACL tear to lead his country to World Cup glory
Jamal Murray (Canada) Basketball – after 18 months out, won NBA Championship with Denver
Markéta Vondroušová (Czech Republic) Tennis – won Wimbledon as an unseeded player after a series of injuries
Simone Barlaam (Italy) Swimming – six golds at the Para Swimming World Championships
Danylo Chufarov (Ukraine) Swimming – two world records, three golds at the Para Swimming World Championships
Diede de Groot (Netherlands) Tennis – third successive calendar Grand Slam in wheelchair tennis
Luca Ekler (Hungary) Athletics – golds in 200 and 400 metres, plus long jump, at the Para Athletics World Championships
Nicole Murray (New Zealand) Cycling – a champion on the road and the track in 2023
Markus Rehm (Germany) Athletics – a sixth world title and a 14th world record for the long jumper
Rayssa Leal (Brazil) Skateboarding – street golds at three major championships in 2023
Caroline Marks (USA) Surfing – first world title for emerging superstar
Kirsten Neuschȁfer (South Africa) Sailing – first woman to win a solo round-the-world race via three great capes
Bethany Shriever (UK) BMX – regained her world title in Glasgow
Filipe Toledo (Brazil) Surfing – defended his world title in California
Arisa Trew (Australia) Skateboarding – 13-year-old became first skateboarder to land 720 in competition
Programmes nominated by a specialist selection panel; Laureus Academy select the winner
Bola Pra Frente (Brazil) Multi-sport x Employability – using sport and education to increase opportunities for youth
Dancing Grounds (USA) Dancing x Social Integration – advocating for social justice through dance
Fundación Rafa Nadal (Spain) Tennis x Education – using sport in Mallorca and India to empower young people
ISF Cambodia Football x Education – breaking the cycle of poverty through the power of football
Justice Desk Africa (South Africa) Multi-sport x Human Rights – empowering youth to defend their human rights through sport
Obiettivo Napoli (Italy) Multi-sport x Inclusion – developing social skills in young people experiencing exclusion and hardship
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