Johannesburg – Heinrich Brüssow, one of the stars of the 2009 season, has been nominated five times and heads the list of nominees with three of his Springbok team-mates for awards to be made at the SA Rugby Player of the Year banquet which will take place at a glittering event at Vodaworld, Midrand, on Monday, November 2.
Apart from Brüssow, Fourie du Preez (four), Springbok captain John Smit (three) and Morné Steyn (three) have also been nominated for multiple awards.
Springbok coach Peter de Villiers has been rewarded for his remarkable achievements with the national team with a nomination for the Absa Coach of the Year Award.
Paul Treu, who guided the Springbok Sevens team to glory in the IRB World Sevens Series, has also been nominated in this category.
Brüssow, who made his Test debut against England in November 2008, has been nominated for the prestigious SA Rugby Player of the Year Award, as well as the Young Player of the Year, Vodacom Super 14 Player of the Year, Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series Test and Provincial Player of the Year.
Du Preez has been nominated for SA Rugby Player of the Year, Vodacom Super 14 Player of the Year, Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series Test Player of the Year and Supersport Try of the Year.
Smit’s nominations are for SA Rugby Player of the Year, Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series Player of the Year and Supersport Try of the Year.
Steyn, a new Springbok in 2009 who contributed 114 points in their series victory over the British & Irish Lions as well as the successful Tri-Nations campaign, has three nominations – SA Rugby Player of the Year, Vodacom Super 14 Player of the Year and Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series Test Player of the Year.
The Springboks’ vice-captain, Victor Matfield, has been nominated along with Brüssow, Steyn, Smit and Du Preez for the SA Rugby Player of the Year award.
Two special awards will be made this year, to commemorate the Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series. It will be handed to the outstanding player in the seven non-Test matches, as well as in the three Tests.
All the nominations are (in alphabetical order):
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
GWK Griquas – Vodacom Cup and Absa Currie Cup
Springboks
Springbok Sevens
Vodacom Bulls – Vodacom Super 14
Vodacom Western Province – Absa Currie Cup
Absa Coach of the Year
Allister Coetzee – Vodacom Western Province
Peter de Villiers – Springboks
Frans Ludeke – Vodacom Bulls
Dawie Theron – GWK Griquas
Paul Treu – Springbok Sevens
The Absa Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year
Juan de Jongh – Vodacom Western Province
Joe Pietersen – Vodacom Western Province
Sarel Pretorius – GWK Griquas
Stefan Terblanche – The Sharks
Luke Watson – Vodacom Western Province
The Absa Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year
Cecil Afrika – Griffons
De Wet Barry – BA Mighty Elephants
Ricardo Croy – SWD Eagles
Allistair Kettledas – Pumas
Braam Pretorius – Pumas
Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series Provincial Player of the Year
Heinrich Brüssow – Vodacom Free State Cheetahs
Willem de Waal – Vodacom Western Province and Emerging Springboks
Mpho Mbiyozo – Southern Kings
Joe Pietersen – Vodacom Western Province
Dewald Potgieter – Emerging Springboks
Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series Test Player of the Year
Heinrich Brüssow
Fourie du Preez
Tendai Mtawarira
John Smit
Morné Steyn
Vodacom Super 14 Player of the Year
Heinrich Brüssow – Vodacom Cheetahs
Fourie du Preez – Vodacom Bulls
Wynand Olivier – Vodacom Bulls
Pierre Spies – Vodacom Bulls
Morné Steyn – Vodacom Bulls
Vodacom Cup Player of the Year
Cecil Afrika – Griffons
Francois Brummer – Vodacom Blue Bulls
Jonathan Mokoena – GWK Griquas
Naas Olivier – GWK Griquas
Riaan Viljoen – GWK Griquas)
Supersport Try of the Year
Fourie du Preez – second try in the Vodacom Super 14 Final, Vodacom Bulls v Chiefs in Pretoria on May 30.
Jaque Fourie – Second Test in the Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series in Pretoria on June 27.
Bryan Habana – Second Test in the Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series in Pretoria on June 27.
Fabian Juries – Absa Currie Cup, Vodacom Free State Cheetahs v Vodacom Blue Bulls in Pretoria on September 26.
John Smit – First Test in the Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series in Durban on June 20.
** Awards will also be made in the following categories – Coca-Cola Craven Week Player of the Tournament, Marriott Referee Award, Women’s Achiever of the Year, SAA Club Championship Player of the Tournament, SA U20 Player of the Year and Springbok Sevens Player of the Year
Courtesy of Sport 24

Contrats to all the nominees! 😯 Where are the Sharks players, only TT’s Hero has been nominated.
@JarsonX (Insomniac) (Comment 1) : ja it is a bit strange for the TOP OF THE LOG currie cup team
@JarsonX (Insomniac) (Comment 1) : oh and Smit 😳 but not for playing for the Sharks and I meant ‘congratulations’ not ‘contractions’
@war1 (Comment 2) : maybe they are used to having the Sharks topping the log 😛 my votes go to the Griquas, much deserved
i see the Sharks u/21’s made the semies as well, good luck guys
Coach of the year – Coetzee could finish as knocked out in the semis of the CC, while Ludeke could well be Super 14 and CC champ coach, how could they be in the same group?
@JarsonX (Insomniac) (Comment 4) : for sure, but they made a mess up with this award last year with the Sharks super 14 team winning the team award of the Sharks Currie Cup team which by the end of that tournament would have thrashed the Sharks super 14 team if that match-up were possible
Boks surely have to be team of the year
one random award is the lions series provincial player of the year 😕
I think FDP should win the SA Player of the Year Award as well as the S14 Player of the Year award.
Brussow – Newcomer of the Year
Steyn – Lions Series Player of the Year
Currie Cup Player of the Year – Luke Watson
Coach of the Year – Peter de Villiers
Team of the Year – Springboks
I wonder when the Players’ Player of the Year nominees will be announced
@wpw (Comment 10) :
i doubt if L 😯 😯 k will get a nomination for that one..
@GI Ice (Comment 11) :
hahahaha
I know he won’t.
I reckon it will be between FDP, Steyn and Brussow!! 😐
What a crock of #$#t
Are these awards a joke?
Team of the year – WP
Coach of the year – Allister Coetzee
These are clearly 2 biased nominations and detract from the credibility of all the other nominees.
They deserve to be nominated, yes, but only in a category of “most improved team and coach”
Oh amd congrats to alll the nominee’s including the undeserving.
@Salmonoid (Comment 13) : i dare say that the awards to be given at a banquet at VODAWORLD are dominated by Vodacom Western Prowince, Vodacom Cheetahs and Vodacom Blue Bulls. (The latter one deservedly.)
Do you remember last year the Sharks team was nominated as CC team and Vodacom S14 team. And guess which one won.
@rekinek (Comment 14) :
Yes, I was just getting psyched up to post regarding that, but you did it for me, thank you.
Its so damn blatant, these people are shameless.
Has it ever occured to you Sharks fans that WP have improved dramatically over the last year and the 3 players nominated did indeed have outstanding CC seasons??
Allister Coetzee has done a great job and deserves to be nominated.
Sheesh. Talek about sour grapes!! 🙄
@wpw (Comment 16) : can i reply on Monday ❓
but seriously, I don’t think that you can say that WP improved – they finally stopped disappointing.
@rekinek (Comment 17) :
😈
@rekinek (Comment 17) :
I don’t agree.
I think we needed to rebuild since Kobus VD Merwe and Nick Mallett managed to screw up.
We went backwards while they were in charge!! 🙄
@wpw (Comment 16) :
They have improved, and thats where they deserve to be in a categoty for most improved team and coach,(but there is no such category) not in a category of team of he year and coach of the year where they lay second to a team and coach who are not even nomintaed, a team who by the way gave up the bulk of heir players to the Springboks but still maanaged to top the log having only lost 2 games.
Couldn’t they wait till after the CC finals?
Team of the year : Springboks
Coach of the year : PdV…
@wpw (Comment 19) : i am talking about rassie’s time.
S14 last year they looked like business just missed a BP (against guess who) to get to semis. They missed CC semis last year and this year S14 was …
and they finally got to semis and that suddenly makes them eligible.
@blackshark (Comment 21) :
No.
It makes too much sense to do it that way.
@blackshark (Comment 21) :
Agree on your choies
@Salmonoid (Comment 20) : maybe beating the sharks alone twice makes them team of the year. 😈
@blackshark (Comment 21) : That’s not SAB banquet. 😈
But I agree with your prediction. However in such case all our souering about Cotzee would be pointless. So shhhh – don’t spoil the fun. 😉
@Salmonoid (Comment 20) :
And yet we beat your ‘table topping’ team twice this season!! 🙄
@wpw (Comment 27) :
Well done, Im glad you recognise the Sharks as the yardstick of excellence. This is how it should be.
Just dont forget about the losses to teams that did’nt make the semis, those should ultinately be the one that tell the story.
@Salmonoid (Comment 28) :
I must say I am yet to come across a Sharks supporter who hates WP as much as you do.
@Salmonoid (Comment 28) :
@wpw (Comment 29) :
And you must be the most sensitive WP supporter out there, and thats saying alot 9especially if you know my brother in law)
How does me pointing out facts, that the whole (unbiased) world can see, be construed as hate for the WP.
@Salmonoid (Comment 31) :
You are’nt my brother in law are you? 😯
@Salmonoid (Comment 31) :
How can you be objective in this matter??
You are a Sharks supporter after all… 😉
@Salmonoid (Comment 32) :
Well, that depends if your sister is PHAT like I’ce.
PHAT = Pretty Hot And Tempting!!! 😈
@wpw (Comment 34) :
Nah, its my wifes brother.
Ill tell you what, I wouldnt mind if Ice was my sister, we would talk lekker rugby and download cheap Russian music.
PHAT – I will try that out on my wife, only problem is if I dont explain quickly enough then I might as well go and pick a fight with Bakkies.
@wpw (Comment 34) :
So ‘nbek moet jam kry!!

@Salmonoid (Comment 35) :
Can we add some redwine to that?? 😆
@GI Ice (Comment 37) :
Sure can sis.
@Salmonoid (Comment 20) : You tell it like it is………….
@Salmonoid (Comment 38) :
Thanks, OuBoet – I am sure you will provide, seeing that you are in the right Valey?? 😉 😆
@GI Ice (Comment 40) : Don’t forget Me2 when pouring the red wine 😉
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 41) :
I ALWAYS have a few on you!! 😉
@GI Ice (Comment 42) : NMary’s birthday today…so going to have steak, egg & chips for supper…washed down with the red stff…want to join us 🙂
@GI Ice (Comment 40) :
I will provide but then you must bring @Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 41) : with for her share.
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 43) :
Off Course yes!! I am all alone with the kids..D in Namibia.. Happy Birthday to M!!
@Salmonoid (Comment 44) :
What is a kuier now without our Ma??
@GI Ice (Comment 45) : Chaperon?? 😈
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 46) : D gets around, doesn’t he?
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 46) :
NOOOO – he’s my BROTHER!! She’s I stay far far away from THAT side of town! 😆
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 47) :
Yes he does…but this week in particular is NOT good…handling all the extra classes and school concerts and dress fittings with two kids on my own while working a full day and travelling far to get home …So, you can imagine…I am not particularly impressed with his company right now.. 👿
@GI Ice (Comment 48) : Don’t blame you…Cheers I’m off to pay the telephone account!
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 49) :
Bye!
@Me2 aka Mama Shark (Comment 49) :
You never heard of Internet payment?? 😉