Habana SA’s rugby player of the year

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    2 November 2012

    Springbok winger Bryan Habana was named South African Rugby Player of the Year for the third time in a glittering ceremony at Cape Town International Airport on Thursday evening.

    Springbok try scoring record

    During the course of the season, Habana extended his Springbok try-scoring record to 47. His feats included him scoring a hat-trick against Australia at Loftus Versfeld and finishing as the top try scorer in the Castle Rugby Championship.

    The speedster also played a big role in helping the Stormers finish top of the log in the Super Rugby competition.

    Habana previously won the award in 2005 and 2007. Only Naas Botha, with four Player of the Year awards, has been honoured more than him.

    Sadly, Habana was injured early in the Absa Currie Cup final and will miss the Springboks’ end of year tour to the UK.

    Voting for the Player of the year was done by the South African rugby media and by the public, who were able to make their choice on the Springboks’ Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Springboks). The other nominees were Eben Etzebeth, Keegan Daniel, JP Pietersen and Keegan Daniel.

    Western Province and the Sharks

    Western Province and the Sharks contested the final of the Currie Cup. The Stormers and the Sharks were also the best of the South African teams in the Super Rugby competition and this dominance showed up in a number of awards.

    Province flyhalf Demetri Catrakilis was named the Vodacom Cup Player of Year, while Province captain Dion Fourie picked up the Absa Currie Cup Player of the Season award.

    Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth, who turned 21 on 29 October, was named the Young Player of the Year.

    The Sharks, meanwhile, were named the Absa Team of the Year, while their coach, John Plumtree, was recognised as the Coach of the Year.

    Sharks’ captain Keegan Daniel was voted the Vodacom Super Rugby Player of the Year by the six franchise coaches.

    Under-20 Player of the Year

    Hard-running centre Jan Serfontein was named the SA under-20 Player of the Year, following on his winning the Player of the Tournament Award at the IRB Junior World Championship in June.

    Griffons’ utility back Hansie Graaff picked up the Absa Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year award.

    The Bltzbokke’s outstanding playermaker, Cecil Afrika, won the Sevens Player of the Year award for a second year in succession. A new voting system saw the media contribute 50 percent of the vote and the public the other half.

    The South African Rugby Players’ Association Players’ Player of the Year Award went to Springbok winger JP Pietersen, while Bryan Habana’s try against New Zealand in Dunedin was voted Supersport Try of the Year by the channel’s viewers.

    Junior world champions

    South African Rugby Union (Saru) president Oregan Hoskins congratulated the winners and applauded the achievements of local teams in 2012.

    “We saw our Junior Boks win the IRB Junior World Championship on home soil, beating New Zealand for the title at Newlands.

    “We had the DHL Stormers top the log of the Vodacom Super Rugby competition, which also had the Vodacom Blue Bulls and The Sharks in the top six, and then saw the latter reaching the final of the competition despite a very tough travelling schedule,” Hoskins said.

    “On the domestic front, the enlarged Absa Currie Cup First Division lifted the standard of play considerably and the six-team Absa Currie Cup Premier Division proved a massive success with every weekend delivering nail-biting action.”

    WINNERS AND FINALISTS

    Saru Rugby Player of the Year
    Winner: Bryan Habana
    Finalists: Keegan Daniel, Eben Etzebeth, Pat Lambie, JP Pietersen

    Absa Young Player of the Year
    Winner: Eben Etzebeth
    Finalists: Marcell Coetzee, Johan Goosen, Elton Jantjies, Raymond Rhule.

    Absa Team of the Year
    Winner: The Sharks (Absa Currie Cup)
    Finalists: DHL Stormers (Vodacom Super Rugby), EP Kings (Absa Currie Cup First Division), Junior Boks (IRB Junior World Championship), The Sharks (Vodacom Super Rugby)

    Absa Coach of the Year
    Winner: John Plumtree (The Sharks)
    Finalists: Allister Coetzee (DHL Stormers and Western Province), Pote Human (GWK Griquas), Alan Solomons (EP Kings), Dawie Theron (SA Under-20)

    Vodacom Super Rugby Player of the Year
    Winner: Keegan Daniel (The Sharks)
    Finalists: Marcell Coetzee (The Sharks), Bismarck du Plessis (The Sharks), Eben Etzebeth (DHL Stormers), JP Pietersen (The Sharks)

    Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year
    Winner: Deon Fourie (DHL Western Province)
    Finalists: JC Janse van Rensburg (MTN Golden Lions), Elton Jantjies (MTN Golden Lions), Louis Ludik (The Sharks), Raymond Rhule (Toyota Free State Cheetahs)

    Absa Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year
    Winner: Hansie Graaff (Griffons)
    Finalists: JW Jonker (Ford Pumas), Rudi Mathee (Ford Pumas), Paul Perez (EP Kings), Luke Watson (EP Kings)

    Vodacom Cup Player of the Year
    Winner: Demetri Catrakilis (DHL Western Province)
    Finalists: Marcel Brache (DHL Western Province), Jaco Kriel (MTN Golden Lions), Gouws Prinsloo (Sharks XV), Jan Serfontein (Vodacom Blue Bulls)

    SARPA Players’ Player of the Year
    JP Pietersen (The Sharks)

    Springbok Sevens Player of the Year
    Cecil Afrika

    Supersport Try of the Year
    Winner: Bryan Habana (Springboks v All Blacks, The Rugby Championship)
    Finalists: Johan Goosen (Toyota Cheetahs v Crusaders, Vodacom Super Rugby); Joe Pietersen (DHL Stormers v Highlanders, Vodacom Super Rugby); Paul Jordaan (The Sharks v Reds, Vodacom Super Rugby); Jaco Taute (MTN Golden Lions v Vodacom Blue Bulls, Absa Currie Cup)

    SA Under-20 Player of the Year
    Jan Serfontein (Vodacom Blue Bulls)

    Coca-Cola Craven Week Player of the Tournament
    Sergeal Petersen (Eastern Province)

    Marriott Referee Award
    Jaco Peyer

    Women’s Achiever of the Year
    Yolanda Meiring (Blue Bulls)

    SARU National Club Championship Player of the Tournament
    Nico Luus (Pretoria Police)

    SAinfo reporter

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