Sport Rugby

Pieter-Steph du Toit is alweer die World Rugby Player of the Year

John Goliath|Published

Springboks flank Pieter-Steph Du Toit dives over to score against England. Springboks flank Pieter-Steph Du Toit won World Rugby’s Player of the Year award for a second time on Sunday night. FIle Picture: Adrian Dennis / AFP

Springboks flank Pieter-Steph du Toit was crowned Men’s 15s Player of the Year for the second time in his career at the World Rugby Awards in Monaco on Sunday night.

The indefatigable loose forward had another stellar year, even featuring at lock against the All Blacks in Johannesburg because of injuries. He was very influential with ball and hand and off course tackled almost everything that moved.

Du Toit, who also won the award in 2019 following the Springboks’ Rugby World Cup win in Japan, beat countrymen Cheslin Kolbe and Eben Etzebeth, as well as Ireland’s Caelan Doris to the award.

Du Toit is also one of seven Springboks who were included in the Men’s 15s Dream Team of the Year, with Ox Nche, Malcolm Marx, Etzebeth, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel and Kolbe all making the team.

However, one of the controversial choices on the night was France’s Jerome Daret being named Coach of the Year. Daret beat Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus to the award after leading the home team to the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

Erasmus, however, can feel aggrieved after leading the Springboks to the Rugby Championship title, and snapping up almost every cup the Boks played for in 2024. The South Africans also only lost two matches this year, with one-point defeats against Ireland and Argentina the only blemishes in the 13 Tests they played in 2024.

Erasmus did all that by picking 51 players throughout the season, as he is trying to build towards the next World Cup.

All Blacks loose forward Wallace Sititi won the award for Breakthrough Player of the Year after beating the Springboks utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to the award.

Sititi was definitely the All Blacks’ best player this year, giving them that grunt and lots of skill in the No 6 jersey. He also played a few games at No 8, which could be his position going forward following the retirement of Sam Kane.

Oddly, though, Sititi didn’t make the Team of the Year, with Pablo Matera of Argentina getting the nod on the other flank.

@JohnGoliath82

Daily Voice

Related Topics:

francerassie erasmuscheslin kolbeeben etzebethpieter steph du toitox nchespringboks