“WHAT an honour to have been voted SA Rugby’s Player of the Year for the second time. I will forever cherish these moments for as long as I live,” says Eben Etzebeth.
He was talking to media post the SA Rugby awards ceremony held at the SuperSport head office, Randburg on Thursday evening.
The towering Etzebeth, in famous Boks green and yellow blazer, is the double Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok lock and becomes the only the second player to win back-to-back SA Rugby’s Player of the Year award.
On his preparedness for the forthcoming Test games, he alluded he’s fit, focused and looks set to work with the newly introduced technical team that has been beefed up ahead of the busy schedule.
“I’m in a good space, and my new baby born is super healthy as well,” said (32) with a broad smile.
Etzebeth made his Test debut in 2012 and was nominated for World Player of the Year last year, who dedicated the award to his Dad.
The auditorium was packed to rafters by players who swopped their sweaty jerseys’ for green and gold blazer and a tie, sans captain Siya Kolisi, who is currently playing abroad, and guests that included the minister of Sport- Zizi Kodwa, deputy minister of Finance David Masondo and SARU President Mark Alexander.
Teammate and winger Canan Moodie also did the double by again walking away with the Young Player of the Year Award, while Libbie Janse van Rensburg cleaned up in the women’s categories by being named Springbok Women and Provincial Player of the Year for 2023.
Other finalists were Pieter-Steph du Toit, the first player to win back-to-back awards in 2018 and 2019, as well as Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe and Damian Willemse.
Janse van Rensburg – the highest international points’ scorer in the history of South African rugby – featured for the Springbok Women in both 15s and sevens last year, and spearheaded the Bulls Daisies’ challenge to win the Women’s Premier Division.
The other nominees were former winners Nadine Roos (2022), Aseza Hele (2019), and Babalwa Latsha (2017), as well as Rights Mkhari, herself an international in 15s and sevens rugby.
Moodie was voted as the Young Player of the Year for a second successive season after another year of stand-out performances for the Springboks and the Vodacom Bulls, beating challenges from his fellow Boks in Jaden Hendrikse and Evan Roos, as well as Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Ruan Venter.
Following their triumph in France, Jacques Nienaber and the Springboks won the awards for Coach and Team of the Year, while Ricardo Duartee was named Springbok Men’s Sevens Player of the Year, and Corne Beets the Junior Springbok Player of the Year.
In a new category, voted for by supporters on social media, Cheslin Kolbe won the SuperSport Fans’ Moment of the Year award for his charge-down of a Thomas Ramos conversion in the RWC quarter-final, a match the Boks won by 29-28 against the hosts in Paris.
Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers – Vodacom URC Fans’ Player of the Season), Ruan Pienaar (Toyota Cheetahs – Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year) and Cameron Hufke (Sanlam Boland Kavaliers – Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year) also walked away with awards on the night for their performances at franchise and provincial level.
The award for Associate Member of the Year was re-introduced in 2023 and the SA Deaf Rugby Association (SADRA) were named the deserved winners.
South Africa finished fourth in the World Deaf Rugby Championship in Argentina and after an internal audit, SADRA was judged to be well-governed and growing their footprint in South Africa.
Mzwandile Stick- Boks assistant coach, was all praises to the players, admitting, they deserve the recognition all of them, also pointing out Damian Willemse as one the hardest working players.
Stick’s did not want to comment on the captaincy matter.
The evening would be incomplete without touching on the thorny of issue of Boks ‘privatization’ whom SA Rugby boss Rian Oberholzer, commented, this is a very delicate matter and that’s why today (Thursday) we had talks with all 14 unions, not four, but the entire members.
“Very soon a determination will be made on way forward to deal with uncertainties by our members by April or May.”
The very much awaited ‘Chasing The Sun’ season part 5 was also screened.
SA Rugby Awards 2023 winners and finalists
SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year: Eben Etzebeth
Finalists: Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe, Damian Willemse
Springbok Women’s Player of the Year: Libbie Janse van Rensburg
Finalists: Aseza Hele, Babalwa Latsha, Rights Mkhari, Nadine Roos
SA Rugby Young Player of the Year: Canan Moodie (Springboks / Vodacom Bulls)
Finalists: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu (DHL Stormers), Jaden Hendrikse (Springboks / Cell C Sharks), Evan Roos (Springboks / DHL Stormers), Ruan Venter (Emirates Lions)
Springbok Sevens Men’s Player of the Year: Ricardo Duarttee
Finalists: Christie Grobbelaar, Shilton van Wyk
Junior Springbok Player of the Year: Corne Beets
Finalists: Paul de Villiers, Damian Markus
Team of the Year: Springboks
Finalists: Toyota Cheetahs, DHL Stormers
Coach of the Year: Jacques Nienaber (Springboks)
Finalists: Hawies Fourie (Toyota Cheetahs), John Dobson (DHL Stormers)
Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year: Ruan Pienaar (Toyota Cheetahs)
Finalists: Tinus de Beer (Airlink Pumas), Devon Williams (Airlink Pumas)
Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year: Cameron Hufke (Boland Kavaliers)
Finalists: Keagan Fortune (Valke), Darian Hock (Boland Kavaliers)
SuperSport Fans’ Moment of the Year: Cheslin Kolbe
Finalists: Bongi Mbonambi, Manie Libbok, Damian Willemse
Provincial Women’s Player of the Year: Libbie Janse van Rensburg (Bulls Daisies)
OUTsurance Referee of the Year: Jaco Peyper
Vodacom United Rugby Championship Fans’ Player of the Season (announced last year): Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers)
SA Rugby Associate Member of the Year: SA Deaf Rugby Association
SA Rugby Player of the Year winners (since 1992):
1992: Tiaan Strauss
1993: Gavin Johnson
1994: Chester Williams
1995: Ruben Kruger
1996: André Joubert
1997: Os du Randt
1998: Gary Teichmann
1999: André Venter
2000: Breyton Paulse
2001: André Vos
2002: Joe van Niekerk
2003: Ashwin Willemse
2004: Schalk Burger
2005: Bryan Habana
2006: Fourie du Preez
2007: Bryan Habana
2008: Jean de Villiers
2009: Fourie du Preez
2010: Gurthrö Steenkamp
2011: Schalk Burger
2012: Bryan Habana
2013: Jean de Villiers
2014: Duane Vermeulen
2015: Lood de Jager
2016: Pieter-Steph du Toit
2017: Malcolm Marx
2018: Pieter-Steph du Toit
2019: Pieter-Steph du Toit
2020: Duane Vermeulen
2021: Siya Kolisi
2022: Eben Etzebeth
2023: Eben Etzebeth
Image SLM (Rugby Player of the Year winner Eben Etzebeth engaging with media corps post the awards on Thursday evening at Multichoice City, Randburg).
