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No Bok player among nominees for world player of the year
There are also no New Zealand All Blacks players among those named for the big individual award.
The Springboks, having not played any Test rugby in 2020, and since winning the World Cup in 2019, beat the British and Irish Lions in a three-Test series in July and August, but for the most part have been snubbed by World Rugby in their awards lists. Picture: MB Media/Getty Images
World Rugby on Monday announced the four names of the finalists to be crowned Player of the Year for 2021.
And, there are no Springboks or All Blacks players on the list.
This, after the Springboks won the series against the British and Irish Lions and also won against the All Blacks away from home in the Rugby Championship, while the New Zealanders won the Rugby Championship.
The four men vying for the title World Player of the Year are Frenchman Antoine Dupont, Wallabies Michael Hooper and Samu Kerevi, and England’s Maro Itoje.
Among the Springbok players who will feel they may have been in with a shout are Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi and Damian de Allende.
Previous South Africans to have won the award are Pieter-Steph du Toit, Bryan Habana and Schalk Burger.
The four men who’ll be up for the award of Breakthrough Player of the Year are Wales’ Louis Rees-Zammit, England’s Marcus Smith, Andrew Kellaway of Australia and New Zealander Will Jordan.
Springbok centre Lukhanyo Am, however, is in the running for Try of the Year, following his score for SA ‘A’ against the British and Irish Lions in July, but he’s up against some serious competition.
There was also no nomination for Boks boss Jacques Nienaber for the award of coach of the year, despite leading the national team to a rare series win against the British and Irish Lions, and winning away from home against the All Blacks, while his team are so far two out of two on the UK tour.
The Springboks play England, in a repeat of the 2019 Rugby World Cup final, in their last tour match at Twickenham this weekend.
The awards will be virtually handed to the respective award winners from 6 to 10 December.
