The Sharks held their end-of-season awards ceremony last night, with likable front-ranker Coenie Oosthuizen perhaps a somewhat unlikely recipient of the coveted “Player of the Year” award.
There is nobody who could have missed the marked improvement in the all-round standard of play from the big former Free Stater this year and his performance in Super Rugby were impressive indeed, doing the unfashionable work at the coalface in order to let others shine. Coenie is clearly a highly valued and respected member of the team, but as a contracted Springbok, it’s perhaps slightly baffling that he was marked as the Sharks’ best of the season, given that he played no part in Currie Cup.
There will be no such qualms about the player selected as Super Rugby Player of the Year, with Lukhayno Am a fitting recipient indeed. Am also picked up the Fans’ Player of the Year gong, which is a fitting tribute to a man who had established himself as the darling of King Park with his midfield exploits.
Currie Cup captain Ruan Botha was a worthy recipient of the Currie Cup Player of the Year award, while Jean-Luc du Preez also scooped a big prize as Players’ Player of the Year. Veteran Michael Claassens’ impact off the field and embodiment of the core team values – community, respect, pride, teamwork and work ethic – was recognised in the Ambassador Award, while S’bu Nkosi picked up a well-deserved prize for Breakthrough Player of the Year.
The full prize winners were as follows:
Cell C Sharks U/19 Player of the season: Jacques Ackermann
Cell C Sharks U/21 Player of the season: Courtney Winnaar
Cell C Sharks XV Player of the season: Hyron Andrews
Cell C Sharks Super Rugby Player of the season: Lukhanyo Am
Cell C Sharks Currie Cup Player of the season: Ruan Botha
Ambassador Award: Michael Claassens
Breakthrough Performer of the Year: Sbusiso Nkosi
Fan’s Player of the Year: Lukhanyo Am
Player’s Player of the Year: Jean-Luc du Preez
Player of the Year: Coenie Oosthuizen
A big congratulations to one and all.
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All awards well deserved, well done too all recipients,
yeah look – not meaning to pick on Coenie here – think he’s had a great season, but it is just not the call I would have made there.
@robdylan (Comment 2) : Likewise not my choice but the choice does have merit. The Coenie before and after the 2017 are worlds apart. Im really hoping he can kick on from this though as he does have all the attributes to be devastating. Thinking ahead a front row of Du Toit/Van Der Merwe/Oosthuizen would certainly make teams take notice.
@robdylan (Comment 2) : @SheldonK (Comment 3) : for me I’m glad and my opinion might be a bit (ag who am I’m kidding it’s hugely bias)…… The Sharks scrum without Coenie was a shadow of the power unit it was with him there! Also his overall play was up there with the best players!
@JD (Comment 4) : well, if the Sharks scrum hadn’t been absolutely posed in the final WITHOUT Coenie, I’m not sure he would have been quite so front of mind this week…. see what I mean?
@robdylan (Comment 5) : for sure but to be fair Coenie is doing one hell of a lot of work in the rest of the game. To be honest I’m glad one of the big boys got it but would not have been sad if Am or Botha got it.
Well there are a lot if guys who deserved it. He is one of them. He is a pleasure to watch. Really enjoys his game. I hope he makes a full recovery so we can have him back.
A tighthead getting a top award … nice!
Congrats Shrek! Happy to see the big guy get recognition! He has rightly taken a lot of flak for his scrummaging in the past. That said, he has come good and enjoying a pretty injury free run. Ruan also had a stellar season.
Bit disappointed in the sharks performance in the final, but I am still positive that the Sharks will have a better season next year.
@KingCheetah (Comment 9) : Funny that Rob hasn’t been reprimanded for calling Coenie a former free stater. If I remember correctly, he was blasted a few weeks ago for an article he wrote about “former Sharks coaches” Plum and GG