Border women to shine at awards
BORDER Rugby Union will next week hold its end-of-year achievement awards at the Cambridge Hall in East London.
And the competition has never been this tight with a few surprises expected in the main awards.
This due to what was probably one of the best seasons for Border teams on the field and on the national stage – especially the women.
The Border women – junior and senior – made a clean sweep on the national stage, taking every trophy on offer.
The ladies senior side made history with their fourth successive interprovincial title and also victorious was the women’s sevens senior side in the national championships.
But this was also the year of resurgence for the Bulldogs who had their best season in more than a decade.
It therefore will give the panel of judges a headache having to select one winner among nominees in different categories.
Player of the Year (Masixole Banda, Johannes Jonker and Zintle Mpupha):
This category’s ultimate winner will depend on which gender bias the judges decide to lean towards but all three deserve to win.
While, on paper at least, 2016 Currie Cup First Division player of the year Banda looks to be a shoe in for the top award, it would come as no surprise if Mpupha came out tops.
But in all likelihood, Banda is likely to walk away with it, especially after he was bolstered
Bulldog of the Year (Banda, Jonker, Lunga Dumezweni and Makazole Mapimpi):
This should go to Banda but it will not be much of a shocker if Jonker pulls off an upset. This because Banda might have the stats on his side, but it was the hard work of the li–- a prop – that ensured that Banda was able to score those tries and penalties. this year, is unlikely to Mapimpi too is a dark emerge victorious ahead of horse but his Currie the other three. Cup First Division Border Women Player of form, although not the Year (Nolusindiso Booi, poor, was a big Nomaphelo Mayongo, Eloise dive from the top Webb, Mpupha): performances he Flyhalf Mphupha is the favourite displayed during to walk away with the qualifiers. this one. But, in Booi she is Dumezweni,facing stiff competition. much as The duo, both played a big he played role in the successes of Border a big part women in the 15s game in the and the sevens alike. The Bulldog’s judges will have heroics headache in deciding who must clinch this one.
Bulldogs Players’ Player of the Year (Lindokuhle Welemu, Masixole Banda, Johannes Jonker, Makazole Mapimpi):
Here it obviously will boil down to who is liked the most by their teammates. Although if performance is anything to go by, Banda should win it. But in this category in all sports, often surprises spring to life because it is about who is popular among their teammates. If it’s popularity in the change room, Welemu and Jonker would have the upper hand against Banda and Mapimpi who are probably the most shyest Bulldogs players of the 20116 crop.
Coach of the Year (Elliot Fana, Malibongwe Kradu , Sabelo Kolanisi):
This really is a two-horse race between Kradu and Kolanisi for coaches are judged on silverware.
And the duo brought those trophies home for the Border women XV and Sevens respectively.
As for Fana, as much as the Bulldogs improved under his guidance, his disadvantage will be that they won no trophy. — zingisam@dispatch.