Stalward prop is Player of the Year
Vincent Koch received top honours at the annual Mpumalanga Rugby Union (MRU) 2015 Awards on Thursday.
The prop won the Steval Pumas Player of the Year trophy.
A year of hard work was celebrated at a fabulous gala dinner at the Emnotweni Arena.
The Forward of the Year award went to loose forward Marnus Schoeman who was also the top try scorer of the season. The former Griqua dotted down 14 tries in competitive matches.
The Backline Player of the Year trophy was won by scrum half, Faf de Klerk.
Fly half JC Roos was the top points scorer with 118 in the Vodacom Cup and 59 in the Absa Currie Cup.
The SupaPuma of 2015 was team manager, Marius van Rensburg. He joined the Pumas in 2009 and has managed the squad in 145 matches.
South African Rugby Union president, Oregon Hoskins was the guest speaker and he gave insight to the coming 2016 season and shared his thoughts on the success and challenges of 2015.
Hoskins emphasised the importance of accelerating transformation in South African rugby. He said 2016 would be a year of change in the national rugby set-up.
Other recipients of the awards were
• Steval Pumas Absa Currie Cup Player of the Year: Hoffmann Maritz
• Vodacom Cup Player of the Year: Lambert Groenewald
• Most Improved Player of the Year: Jason-Colin Fraser
• Players’ Player of the Year: Jason-Colin Fraser
• Lowveld Amateur Player of the Year: Jacques Kotzé
• U/19 Player of the Year: Ian Truter
• U/21 Player of the Year: Dylan du Buisson
MRU referees
• Ricus van der Hoven received his provincial colours
MRU development
• Pumas u/16 Women’s Player of the Year: Kefile Nkosi
• Pumas u/18 Women’s Player of the Year: Zanele Nkosi
• Pumas Women’s Player of the Year: Nonhlanhla Mntambo
MRU Sevens
• Pumas 7s Player of the Year: Gerhard Munro
• Steval Pumas Player of the Year: Tyler Fisher.
