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SIMPLY THE BEST: Pieter-Steph named World Rugby's Player of the Year

cricket24 November 2024 21:00| © SuperSport
By:Brenden Nel
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Pieter-Steph du Toit © Getty Images

Springbok flank Pieter-Steph du Toit was honoured as he was named World Rugby’s Men's Player of the Year in a glittering ceremony in Monaco on Sunday night.

Du Toit, who was the World Rugby Player of the Year when the Springboks won the World Cup in 2019, joined Beauden Barrett as the only other player who has won two Player of the Year awards, with two players in history having won three - All Blacks Richie McCaw and Dan Carter.

He is also the first South African player to have won it twice.

It was bittersweet as Du Toit beat out two other Springboks and an Irishman for the award.

Eben Etzebeth and Cheslin Kolbe were nominated alongside him with Ireland captain Caelan Doris being the only other player considered.

ERASMUS SNUBBED

On a night where Bok coach Rassie Erasmus was snubbed for the coach of the year award, there was also disappointment for Etzebeth, who has been nominated three times for the award without a win.

Many believe he should have won it last year when the Boks won back-to-back World Cups. Ardie Savea was the 2023 Player of the Year.

On form alone, it must have been close between Etzebeth and Du Toit but the never-ending engine of the Malmsbury missile may have clinched a close race for him in the end.

Given the Boks' domination in the test arena this year, any of the three would have been worthy winners.

In the end Du Toit was the sole individual winner for the Springboks, although several players did make the Dream Team in a nod to their dominance all season.

While the glittering ceremony in Monaco was supposed to be the pinnacle of a year of test rugby and showcase all that is good for World Rugby, it was inexplicable that the governing body chose not to broadcast their event, and told fans to follow for the winners “on social media or by press release”.

Inexplicably Erasmus was snubbed as the award for international coach of the year went to France 7s coach Jerome Daret for his side’s win in the Olympics.

Despite engineering two World Cup victories, and a British and Irish Lions series victory, Erasmus has only won the award after winning the 2019 World Cup, and it was assumed that this season would finally end that as the Springboks ended the year by dominating the Rugby Championship and ending the November tour unbeaten, sporting an 84 per cent win record to return to No 1 in the world rankings.

There is no doubt that Daret’s victory in the Olympics was something special, but last year World Rugby sent out a clear message that big tournaments aren’t the criteria for the award when Jacques Nienaber was snubbed, despite winning the World Cup.

In that case the award was given to Andy Farrell, who won the Six Nations with Ireland.

Nienaber’s snub was part of a wider snub where none of the World Cup winners were honoured at the awards last year.

SITITI BEATS FEINBERG-MNGOMEZULU

Further afield, Springbok wunderkid Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu was beaten to the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award by All Black sensation Wallace Sititi.

While Feinberg-Mngomezulu was a strong candidate, the injury that ended his season early probably cost him in the end, while Sititi has been a superb find for the All Blacks and easily their player of the season.

This was the second time in a row that an All Black beat a Bok to the Breakthrough award after Mark Telea won it last season ahead of Manie Libbok.

SEVEN IN WORLD RUGBY DREAM TEAM

The Boks were rewarded for their season form in the World Rugby Dream Team for the test year, dominating the side with no less than seven players in the Dream XV.

Ox Nche, who many feel should have been nominated for World Rugby Player of the Year, was at loosehead, while Malcolm Marx, Etzebeth and  Du Toit made up half the pack.

At the back Damian de Allende’s strong form was rewarded, as was Cheslin Kolbe and midfielder Jesse Kriel, the latter who has been in sensational form all season.

By contrast New Zealand and Ireland had four players apiece, with Pablo Matera being Argentina’s only representative in the dream team.

World Rugby’s romance with French captain Antoine Dupont continued with him winning the Sevens Player of the Year award, despite only playing three of the eight season tournaments, being on the bench for most of the Olympics and scoring two tries in the final.

Blitzbok Selvyn Davids was named in the Sevens dream team and SA Rugby won the Rugby for All Award, which celebrates impactful initiatives that uphold rugby’s core values.

HIGH PRAISE

SA Rugby President Mark Alexander lauded all the players for being honoured in such a remarkable year for the Boks.

“On behalf of SA Rugby, I’d like to extend our sincere congratulations to Pieter-Steph and all the players named in the Dream Team for receiving this recognition for all the hard work they’ve been putting in on and off the field this year, as well as Selvyn for his consistently great performances during a challenging season for the Blitzboks,” said Alexander.

“For Pieter-Steph to become the first South African to win the World Rugby Player of the Year award twice is a notable achievement, and to have seven Boks in total feature in the Dream Team is simply remarkable.

“Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has built something special with the Bok team and the way the players give their all week-in and week-out is an inspiration to us all and shows that hard pays off.

“We are very proud of them and the entire Springbok coaching and management team for their tireless efforts to ensure that our players continue to shine on the international stage.

“Furthermore, the Rugby for All Award is testament to the hard work done away from the playing field by our staff at SA Rugby. It’s a project that has been ongoing for a number of years and we are humbled to be in a position to make a difference to the lives of South Africans who struggle to make ends meet.”

RASSIE PRAISES PLAYERS

Erasmus was also full of praise for the players and entire Springbok team and said: “To have so many of our players feature in the awards is a testament to their hard work and dedication to the team and the Springbok brand, and that’s what makes this such a special group.

“What makes this achievement even significant is that we used 50 players in total this season and rotated our squad regularly, which shows the calibre of players they are. But rugby is a team sport, and it takes each one of the squad members to do their bit to place one another in positions to shine.

“With the vast player depth in our squad, I’m sure a few more players were close to being nominated, but each one of these players certainly deserves this recognition and we are very proud of them.”

Erasmus also thanked the entire Bok squad for their efforts this season: “It takes each person in a squad to perform their role proficiently to ensure that the players can deliver on the field, so thank you to the winners and Dream team players, as well as every other player who has been part of the squad this year, not to mention the coaches, medical team, and team management for their commitment to the cause and for allowing us to build such a special team. This is all thanks to the collective effort and well done to all involved.”

The bulk of the Springbok squad will arrive in Johannesburg on Monday afternoon, and while the coaches will enjoy a well-deserved break, the players will return to their franchises and clubs to participate in their respective competitions.

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

MEN

Player of the year: Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa)

Coach of the year: Jerome Daret (France)

Breakthrough player of the year: Wallace Sititi (New Zealand)

Try of the year: Nolan Le Garrac (France)

Sevens Player of the year: Antoine Dupont (France)

Men’s XV Dream Team: Ox Nche (South Africa), Malcolm Marx (South Africa), Tyrell Lomax (New Zealand), Eben Etzebeth (South Africa), Tadgh Beirne (Ireland), Pablo Matera (Argentina), Pieter-Steph du Toit (South Africa), Caelan Doris (Ireland); Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland), Damian McKenzie (New Zealand), James Lowe (Ireland), Damian de Allende (South Africa), Jesse Kriel (South Africa), Cheslin Kolbe (South Africa), Will Jordan (New Zealand)

Sevens Dream Team: Selvyn Davids (South Africa), Antoine Dupont (France), Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang (France), Terry Kennedy (Ireland), Nathan Lawson (Australia), Papati Loganimasi (Fiji), Matias Osadczuck (Argentina)

WOMEN

Player of the year: Ellie Kildunne (England)

Breakthrough Player of the year: Erin King (Ireland)

Try of the year: Marine Menager (France)

Sevens Player of the year: Maddi Levi (Australia)

Special merit award: Vickii Cornborough (England)

Women’s XV Dream Team: Hope Rogers (USA), Georgia Ponsonby (New Zealand), Maud Miller (England), Zoe Aldcroft (England), Laetitia Royer (Canada), Aoife Wafer (Ireland), Alex Matthews (England), Sophie de Goede (Canada), Pauline Bourdon Sansis (France), Holly Aitchison (England), Sylvia Brunt (New Zealand), Alex Tessier (Canada), Katelyn Vahaakolo (New Zealand), Ellie Kildunne (England), Abby Dow (England)

Sevens Dream Team: Olivia Apps (Canada), Michaela Blyde (New Zealand), Kristi Kirche (USA), Maddison Levi (Australia), Ilona Maher (USA), Joria Miller (New Zealand), Seraphine Okemba (France)

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