Pieter-Steph du Toit dominates Player’s Choice Awards [video]
World Rugby Player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit scooped three gongs at the Player’s Choice awards in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
Du Toit took home the top honour of the night being voted as the Players’ Player of the Year. He also picked up the Defender of the Year and Forward of the year awards.
Pieter-Steph du Toit – The best of the best
The flanker beat out fellow Rugby World Cup winners Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Brits and Cheslin Kolbe to the flagship award of the evening voted by professional rugby players.
Springbok hooker Malcolm Marx won the award in 2018 while Skipper Siya Kolisi received the honour at the inaugural awards in 2017.
Kolbe was named backline player of the year beating out Herschel Jantjies who bagged two awards on the night. Jantjies was named Best Off The Bench and won the #LoveChange award for the most improved player. Jantjies was nominated for World Rugby’s breakthrough player of the year but lost out to French flyhalf Romain Ntamack.
Bulls and Blitzboks winger Rosko Specman was named the Fan’s Player of the year.
South African rugby players’ organisation MyPlayers administered the voting process.
The players organisation also announced a R70 000 donation to the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Players’ Fund. The fund supports rugby players who have sustained catastrophic head, neck or spinal cord injuries while on the field.
“Playing the Bounce is all about embracing the ever-changing nature of rugby, and of life,” said Executive Director at BrightRock Suzanne Stevens.
“That’s why BrightRock is so excited to be involved with the awards for a third year. The concept of being empowered to navigate – and celebrate – change is central to our needs-matched life insurance, which is uniquely designed to change with clients as their needs change over their lifetime.”
Player Awards Winners
The Players’ Player of the Year
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Nominees: Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Brits, Cheslin Kolbe
Defender of the Year
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Nominees: Franco Mostert, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende
Forward Player of the Year
Pieter-Steph du Toit
Nominees: Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, RG Snyman
Backline Player of the Year
Cheslin Kolbe
Nominees: George Whitehead, Rabz Maxwane, Herschel Jantjies
Best off the Bench
Herschel Jantjies
Nominees: Steven Kitshoff, Bongani Mbonambi, Selvyn Davids
The #LoveChange Award (For the most-improved player over the past year – a true change agent on his way up)
Herschel Jantjies
Nominees: Joseph Dweba, Tyrone Green, Kurt-Lee Arendse
BrightRock Fan’s Choice Award
Rosko Specman (nominated charity – Be The Difference Foundation)
Nominees: Scarra Ntubeni (Newborns Trust), Chris Dry (Zanokhanyo Children’s Safety House), Rabz Maxwane (King William’s Town Youth Care Centre)
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