Kolbe and Roos step up to clinch top SA Rugby Awards
Springbok speedster Cheslin Kolbe became the first backline player since 2013 to take the prestigious SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year title.
Kolbe was honoured at a glittering SA Rugby Awards ceremony at the International Convention Centre in Cape Town on Thursday evening, while Nadine Roos took home the top women’s award for a second time.
The winger was up against an impressive field of nominees, which included previous winners Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit, as well as Damian De Allende and Ox Nche.
His contributions played a pivotal role in the Springboks’ triumphant season, which saw the team secure 11 victories in 13 Tests and recapture the Rugby Championship and Freedom Cup titles.
As a result, the Springboks and Rassie Erasmus were named Team and Coach of the Year, respectively.
The versatile Roos was honoured as SA Rugby Women’s Player of the Year for the second time in three years after also taking the award in 2022 for her outstanding contributions to both the fifteens and sevens formats of the Springbok Women’s game.
Emerging star Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu received the Young Player of the Year award, recognising his breakthrough season; Jurenzo Julius was named Junior Springbok Player of the Year for his impressive form for the SA U20s before making a rapid rise in senior rugby; and Selvyn Davids, who was included in World Rugby’s Dream Team, was named the Springbok Sevens Player of the Year, playing a key role as they won bronze at the Olympic Games in Paris.
The South African Schools Rugby Association (SASRA) was named Associate Member of the Year for its significant contributions to rugby development, and the KwaZulu-Natal Rugby Union received the inaugural President’s Award for its exceptional achievements in access to the game, development, governance, and performance.
Mark Alexander, President of SA Rugby, hailed Kolbe’s achievement as a milestone for backline players while he also praised the contributions of all the other award winners.
“Cheslin’s recognition is a testament to his skill, dedication, and impact on the field,” said Alexander.
“It’s amazing to think that the last backline player to win the top award was former Springbok captain Jean de Villiers in 2013, and to have Cheslin take the top prize this year is just a reward for the amazing things he’s done for the Springboks in the last six years.
“He truly embodies the spirit of excellence that defines South African rugby. We are blessed with incredible talent in South African rugby, as evidenced by the accomplishments of national players such as Nadine, Sacha, Jurenzo and Selvyn.
“Cheslin may have led the charge, but everyone involved with the Springboks deserves recognition for one of our best seasons ever, and Rassie’s role in this resurgence from where we were under a decade ago has to be applauded.
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