Four Springboks received recognition for their impressive and consistent performances during the 2024 season after being nominated for the World Rugby Awards.
World Rugby announced the shortlists on Monday. The Awards will be hosted in Monaco on Sunday, 24 November, after the conclusion of the November internationals.
Nominated for the prestigious Men’s 15s Player of the Year are South Africa’s most capped player of all time, Eben Etzebeth – who broke fellow lock Victor Matfield’s record of 127 Test matches in September – Cheslin Kolbe (wing) and Pieter-Steph du Toit (utility forward), a former winner of the award. The Bok trio are up against Caelan Doris of Ireland.
Bok flyhalf Sacha-Feinberg Mngomezulu, who made a strong statement in his first foray into the Test team before a knee injury cut short his season, was nominated along with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (England), Jamie Osborne (Ireland) and Wallace Sititi (New Zealand) for the Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year award.
SA Rugby president Mr Mark Alexander congratulated all the players for being nominated for the world’s most prestigious awards.
“Having Springboks players feature in two categories is a testament to their hard work and dedication to the team and South Africa, and we are very proud of them,” said Mr Alexander.
“Each one of the Springbok players has shone out this season, and given the quality of the Springbok squad Rassie Erasmus has been building, I’m sure many more players could have been nominated.
“They all deserve this recognition, and we wish them luck for the awards ceremony in Monaco.”
Erasmus was equally proud of the nominated Bok players and said: “Congratulations to the players for being nominated and making their mark on the biggest stage in rugby this season. Making their nominations even more remarkable is that most of them have won two Rugby World Cup titles already and that they have continued to deliver the high standards we expect at the Springboks over several years.
“Over and above that, we have used 50 players in our Tests so far this season, and to see them shine among the best players in the world is fantastic. We are extremely proud of them, and we wish them luck when the winners are revealed.”
Etzebeth was nominated in 2013 and last year, while Kolbe and Du Toit were on the shortlist in 2019, the year the versatile Bok forward won the award. Only two other South Africans have walked away with top honours – Schalk Burger in 2004, and Bryan Habana in 2009.
Other South Africans who received nominations for the Men’s 15s Player of the Year Award in the last decade, are Willie le Roux and Duane Vermeulen (both in 2014), Faf de Klerk and Malcolm Marx (both in 2018), and Lukhanyo Am (2022).
South Africa’s nominees are:
Men’s 15s Player of the Year:
- Eben Etzebeth
- Cheslin Kolbe
- Pieter-Steph du Toit
Men’s 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year:
- Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu