Varsity Cup stars nominated
Two members of the Maties' 2008 Varsity Cup-winning squad, Juan de Jongh and Joe Pietersen, have been nominated for prestigious awards at the SA Rugby Player of the Year Banquet which will take place at Vodaworld, Midrand, on Monday, November 2.
De Jongh (pictured, right), who has had an outstanding Currie Cup debut season for Western Province, has been nominated as one of the five Young Players of the Year and will come up against Springbok stars Heinrich Brüssow and Frans Steyn in that coveted category.
Recent Young Player of the Year winners include Sevens Bok Robert Ebersohn (a Shimlas Varsity Cup representative last year - 2008), Steyn (2007), Springbok No.8 Pierre Spies (2006) and Bok wingers Jongi Nokwe (2005), Bryan Habana (2004) and Ashwin Willemse (2003).
De Jongh would not be in bad company were he to walk away with the honours in that category!
Centre De Jongh - who has also been nominated as one of five Currie Cup Premier Division Players of the Year - is being talked about as a possible Springbok tourist next month which would make him the first Varsity Cup player to graduate to full Bok colours.
Fullback Pietersen has also been nominated in the Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year category, whilst his superb performance against the touring British & Irish Lions earlier in the year has seen him earn a nomination for the brand new Lions Series Provincial Player of the Year Award.
De Jongh and Pietersen - key men in WP's Currie Cup rise this season - started in Stellenbosch's dramatic 16-10 Varsity Cup Final win over UCT in 2008; with both of them playing a starring role in their side's win. Their success in 2009, and subsequent nominations in their respective SA Rugby Player of the Year categories, is yet another feather in the cap of the Varsity Cup tournament.
Meanwhile, outstanding Springbok flanker Heinrich Brüssow has been nominated in five SA Rugby Player of the Year categories, whilst his Bok teammates, scrumhalf Fourie du Preez (four), Springbok captain John Smit (three) and flyhalf Morné Steyn (three), have also been nominated for multiple awards.
Two special awards will be made this year, to commemorate the Lions Series. It will be handed to the outstanding player in the seven non-Test matches (where Pietersen has been nominated), as well as in the three Tests.
The full list of awards and nominations:
SA Rugby Player of the Year:
Heinrich Brüssow, Fourie du Preez, Victor Matfield, John Smit, Morné Steyn.
Young Player of the Year:
Heinrich Brüssow, Juan de Jongh, Francois Hougaard, Lionel Mapoe, Frans Steyn.
Team of the Year:
Griquas (Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup), Springboks, Springbok Sevens, Bulls (Super 14), Western Province (Currie Cup).
Coach of the Year:
Allister Coetzee (Western Province), Peter de Villiers (Springboks), Frans Ludeke (Bulls), Dawie Theron (Griquas), Paul Treu (Springbok Sevens).
Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year:
Juan de Jongh (Western Province), Joe Pietersen (Western Province), Sarel Pretorius (Griquas), Stefan Terblanché (Sharks), Luke Watson (Western Province).
First Division Player of the Year:
Cecil Afrika (Griffons), De Wet Barry (Mighty Elephants), Ricardo Croy (Eagles), Allistair Kettledas (Pumas), Braam Pretorius (Pumas).
Lions Series Provincial Player of the Year:
Heinrich Brüssow (Free State Cheetahs), Willem de Waal (Western Province and Emerging Springboks), Mpho Mbiyozo (Southern Kings), Joe Pietersen (Western Province), Dewald Potgieter (Emerging Springboks).
Lions Series Test Player of the Year:
Heinrich Brüssow, Fourie du Preez, Tendai Mtawarira, John Smit, Morné Steyn.
Super 14 Player of the Year:
Heinrich Brüssow (Cheetahs), Fourie du Preez, Wynand Olivier, Pierre Spies, Morné Steyn (all Bulls).
Vodacom Cup Player of the Year:
Cecil Afrika (Griffons), Francois Brummer (Blue Bulls), Jonathan Mokoena, Naas Olivier, Riaan Viljoen (all Griquas).
Try of the Year:
Fourie du Preez - second try in the Super 14 Final, Bulls v Chiefs in Pretoria on May 30
Jaque Fourie - Second Test in the Lions Series in Pretoria on June 27
Bryan Habana - Second Test in the Lions Series in Pretoria on June 27
Fabian Juries - Currie Cup, Free State Cheetahs v Blue Bulls in Pretoria on September 26
John Smit - First Test in the Lions Series in Durban on June 20
Awards will also be made in the following categories: Coca-Cola Craven Week Player of the Tournament, Referee Award, Women's Achiever of the Year, Club Championship Player of the Tournament, SA U20 Player of the Year and Springbok Sevens Player of the Year.