Springboks flank Pieter-Steph Du Toit dives over to score against England. FILE - Springboks flank Pieter-Steph Du Toit won World Rugby’s Player of the Year award for a second time on Sunday night. 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.
An all-time great 🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) November 24, 2024
Pieter-Steph Du Toit is the 2024 Men's 15s Player of the Year #WorldRugbyAwards pic.twitter.com/LdFdp0C8xX
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.
The supreme XV of 2024 ⚔️
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) November 24, 2024
Presenting the Men's 15s Dream Team of the Year #WorldRugbyAwards pic.twitter.com/4Ub6KiK2Za
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.
France captain Antoine Dupont, who won the 15-a-side award in 2021, became the first man to win both categories when he was named Sevens player of the year for his role in helping France to the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Blitzboks captain Selvyn Davids was included in the Sevens Team of the Year.
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