Nominees announced for SA Rugby Awards

World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year for 2024, Springbok flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit, is one of five nominees for SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year for the past season, along with Damian De Allende, Eben Etzebeth, Cheslin Kolbe and Ox Nche.

Etzebeth – SA Rugby’s Men’s Player of the Year in the past two seasons – and Kolbe were also nominated for the World Rugby award, while De Allende and Nche, both members of World Rugby’s 2024 Dream Team, added their names to a star-studded shortlist for the top award in South Africa with consistently good performances in the green and gold.

SA Rugby announced the nominees – as voted for by members of the media and coaching staff from the governing body – in nine categories on Friday. The winners will be named early next year, along with the annual Referee of the Year, Provincial Women’s Player of the Year and Associate Member of the Year.

The five players nominated for SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year all played key roles helping the Springbok Women win the Rugby Africa Women’s Cup and qualify for next year’s Rugby World Cup in England. They are Aseza Hele, Libbie Janse van Rensburg and Nadine Roos, all previous winners of the award, as well as Chumisa Qawe and Vainah Ubisi.

Other categories

Five players who underlined their massive potential were nominated for the Young Player of the Year Award. Four of them – Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Cameron Hanekom, Jordan Hendrikse and Quan Horn – made their Test debuts in 2024 and the fifth, Henco van Wyk, played for the SA ‘A’ side two years ago.

The three players nominated for the Springbok Sevens Men’s Player of the Year Award all helped South Africa qualify for and win the bronze medal at the Olympic Games in Paris. They are Blitzbok captain Selvyn Davids, who is currently recovering from an injury, as well as Zain Davids and Ryan Oosthuizen.

Springbok head coach Rassie Erasmus has been nominated with Philip Snyman (Springbok Sevens) and Jake White (Bulls) for the Coach of the Year award, while the Springboks and Blitzboks are up against the Sharks for the Team of the Year.

“While the past year was not without its challenges, we saw again over most weekends how deeply ingrained rugby is in the South African psyche, and these nominations celebrate the best of the best in our teams in green and gold and on the domestic front,” said SA Rugby president Mark Alexander.

SA Rugby Awards nominees

Men’s Player of the Year

Damian De Allende

Pieter-Steph du Toit

Eben Etzebeth

Cheslin Kolbe

Ox Nche

Women’s Player of the Year

Aseza Hele

Libbie Janse van Rensburg

Chumisa Qawe

Nadine Roos

Vainah Ubisi

Young Player of the Year

Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

Cameron Hanekom

Jordan Hendrikse

Quan Horn

Henco van Wyk

Springbok Sevens Men’s Player of the Year

Selvyn Davids

Zain Davids

Ryan Oosthuizen

Junior Springbok Player of the Year

Bathobele Hlekani

Jurenzo Julius

JF van Heerden

Team of the Year

Sharks

Springboks

Springbok Sevens

Coach of the Year

Rassie Erasmus (Springboks)

Philip Snyman (Springbok Sevens)

Jake White (Bulls)

Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year

Renzo du Plessis (Lions)

Clinton Swart (Pumas)

Vincent Tshituka (Sharks)

Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year

Jayden Bantom (Eastern Province)

Ashlon Davids (Boland Kavaliers)

Thurlow Marsh (Boland Kavaliers)