As the Vodacom United Rugby Championship edges closer to crowning its 2023/24 champion, the winners of the annual URC Awards will be announced over the coming weeks.
The annual URC Awards recognise excellence both on and off the field, rewarding players, coaches, and clubs for their outstanding work throughout the season and for their contribution to the success of the league.
A total of 11 individual prizes are up for grabs, along with a place in the Elite XV.
While some of the awards are determined by URC StatMaster data provided by Oval Insights, others will be voted for by a panel of media representatives while Try of the Season powered by URC.tv, will be settled by a fans vote.
A new award for this season is the Elixirr Innovation Award, which will reward a club’s innovation in growing the love of the game.
The BKT Coach of the Season will be voted for by the coaches with the captains and vice-captains of each team deciding the winner of the coveted Players’ Player of the Season award.
Winners will be revealed via online announcements during the Vodacom URC Play-Offs.
Semi-finals week will see the Elite XV unveiled, as well as the Try of the Season announced along with the identity of the Next-Gen Player of the Season and the Elixirr Innovation Award.
The Vodacom URC Player of the Season, BKT Coach of the Season and Players’ Player of the Season round off the awards in the build-up to the Grand Final.
Follow the URC Awards winners announcements using #URCAwards.
Here is a full list of the awards on offer, the winning criteria and when the winners will be announced.
Tackle Machine
Criteria: Players who have made 150 or more tackles during the regular season will be eligible for the award, with the individual who boasts the highest accuracy taking home the prize.
Winner announced: Tuesday 11 June
Turnover King
Criteria: This award will be heading home with the player who has won the most turnovers during the regular season, with jackal turnovers used as the tie-breaker.
Winner announced: Tuesday 11 June
Gilbert Golden Boot
Criteria: The Gilbert 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.
Winner announced: Tuesday 11 June
OFX Top Try Scorer
Criteria: Awarded to the player who has scored the most tries during the regular season.
Winner announced: Wednesday June 12
Ironman
Criteria: Given to the player who has racked up the most minutes in the regular season.
Winner announced: Wednesday June 12
Next-Gen Player of the Season
Criteria: This award is open to players who were aged under 23 at the beginning of the 2023/24 season, and had earned no more than five international caps by the end of the 2022/23 season (incorporating the fact that it was a Rugby World Cup year).
Determined by a media vote and the nine-appearance threshold also applies here. This award is to recognise young up-and-coming talent.
Winner announced: Thursday June 13
Try of the Season powered by URC.tv
Criteria: A shortlist of six of the top tries of the season will be put out to a fans vote on social media. The try which receives the most votes from the fans will be the winner.
Winners announced: Thursday June 13
Elite XV
Criteria: Determined by a media vote, players must have made at least nine appearances to be considered, with the media panel provided a shortlist of 10 per position by URC StatMaster.
The player with the most votes in each position earns a place in the team.
Winners announced: Friday June 14
Elixirr Innovation Award
Criteria: Determined by a Panel appointed by Elixirr, a club will be rewarded for innovation by growing the game through digital fan engagement, match day experience, and social purpose.
Clubs who break the mold and demonstrate driving a real by increasing following and revenue will be considered.
Winners announced: Friday June 14
Vodacom URC Player of the Season
Criteria: Awarded to a player from one of the four South African franchises. This will form as part of the annual SA Rugby Awards and will be determined by votes from the South African media, the four South African franchise coaches, and the Springboks head coach.
Winner announced: Tuesday June 18
BKT Coach of the Season
Criteria: The Vodacom URC’s top coach will be voted for by the competition’s head coaches.
Winner announced: Wednesday June 19
Players’ Player of the Season
Criteria: This prestigious award will be voted on by the Captain and Vice-Captain of all 16 teams, with all nominees again required to have made a minimum of nine appearances.
Winner announced: Thursday June 20
URC Award Winners 2022-23
Tackle Machine: John Hodnett (Munster)
Turnover King: Thomas Young (Cardiff Rugby)
Gilbert Golden Boot: Johan Goosen (Vodacom Bulls)
Top Try Scorer: Tom Stewart (Ulster)
Ironman: Quan Horn (Emirates Lions)
Next-Gen Player of the Season: Tom Stewart (Ulster)
Vodacom Fans’ Player of the Season: Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers)
BKT Coach of the Season: Franco Smith (Glasgow Warriors)
Players’ Player of the Season: Dan Sheehan (Leinster)
Elite XV: Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby), Sione Tuipolutu (Glasgow Warriors), Daniel du Plessis (DHL Stormers), Simone Gesi (Zebre Parma), Ross Byrne (Leinster), Grant Williams (Hollywoodbets Sharks), Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers/Ulster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Niall Murray (Connacht), Federico Ruzza (Benetton), Vaea Fifita (Scarlets), Scott Penny (Leinster), Gavin Coombes (Munster)
holycombo
Rugby first appeared at the Olympics 1900 – Interestingly, rugby first appeared as an Olympic sport in 1900 when the games were held in Paris. Since then, it’s appeared intermittently until its formal reintroduction at the Rio De Janeiro Games 2016, with both a male and female 7’s tournament played. At those games, Fiji won the men’s tournament winning their first ever Olympic medal in the country’s history.
Prone
Sport Trivia: Who won the Comrades marathon in 1981? Answer: Bruce Fordyce – The Comrades marathon is widely recognised as the world\’s greatest ultra-marathon. Bruce Fordyce dominated this event in the eighties, winning in 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, and 1990. Sam Tshabalala won in 1989, becoming the first black winner of the Comrades. Fordyce didn\’t race that year.