Pieter-Steph du Toit named SA Rugby player of the year
Pieter-Steph du Toit has added another SA Rugby Player of the Year award to his growing list of accolades.
The World Rugby Player of the Year has been named SA player of the year for the third time in four years.
Du Toit had another stellar year in 2019 culminating in the international award following the Springboks’ success at the Rugby World Cup in Japan last year.
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus and the Springboks were also honoured for a brilliant 2019‚ when they won the RWC and Rugby Championship‚ as well as the World Rugby Awards for Coach and Team of the Year‚ by walking away with the same awards in South Africa.
The 27-year-old Du Toit scooped the local award ahead of Damian de Allende‚ Cheslin Kolbe‚ Makazole Mapimpi and Duane Vermeulen.
In the process‚ the Springbok looseforward became only the third player‚ behind Naas Botha and Bryan Habana‚ to take the title for a third time‚ after he also won it in 2016 and 2018.
“Pieter-Steph led the charge for the Springboks and he deserves this accolade to go with his World Player of the Year Award‚” said SA Rugby president Mark Alexander.
“The 2019-season will be ingrained in our memories for decades to come‚ thanks to Rassie‚ Siya and the Springboks‚ but all our national teams did well and we are proud of all the winners.
“At franchise and provincial level we also saw an upward surge which bodes well for the forthcoming season. Congratulations to all the winners and to all our teams‚ coaches and players across all levels here in South Africa‚ best of luck for the 2020 season – may we continue to spread hope and happiness.”
Du Toit’s Bok teammates Herschel Jantjies (Young Player of the Year) and Handré Pollard (Super Rugby Player of the Year) also scooped awards.
The 23-year-old Jantjies‚ played in 10 of Boks’ Tests in 2019‚ while Pollard was the top points’ scorer at the RWC in Japan.
His 194 points topped the scoring charts in last year’s competition.
Springbok Sevens Player of the Year‚ Siviwe Soyizwapi‚ had a stand-out year for the Blitzboks‚ finishing the 2018/19 season as leading try-scorer and playing in all 10 tournaments.
He took over the captaincy from injured Philip Snyman halfway through the season and in that capacity lifted trophies in Vancouver and Singapore.
Top awards: SA Rugby Player of the Year: Pieter-Steph du Toit SA Rugby Young Player of the Year: Herschel Jantjies Team of the Year: Springboks Coach of the Year: Rassie Erasmus Junior Springbok Player of the Year: Jaden Hendrikse Springbok Sevens Player of the Year: Siviwe Soyizwapi Super Rugby Player of the Tournament: Handré Pollard (Bulls) Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year: Joseph Dweba (Free State Cheetahs) Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year: Cody Basson (Griffons) SuperSport Rugby Challenge Player of the Year: George Whitehead (Griquas) SA Rugby Associate Member of the Year: SA Wheelchair Rugby (SAWR) Referee of the Year: Aimee Barrett-Theron Springbok Women’s Achiever of the Year: Aseza Hele Craven Week Player of the Tournament: Dylan Alexander (WP) Club Player of the Year: Leon du Plessis