Blitzbok sole SA player up for world award
IT WAS a stark reflection of the state of South African rugby that only Blitzbok star Seabelo Senatla was recognised with a nomination for World Rugby’s annual awards on Tuesday.
New Zealand players and their national team‚ the All Blacks‚ predictably dominated the nominations for the awards‚ which take place in London on November 13.
South Africa’s only other recognition came via nods for referees Jaco Peyper and Rasta Rasivhenge in the world referee of the year category.
They will compete with Jerome Garces of France and Spain’s Alhambra Nievas for the award.
Senatla is one of three nominees for World Rugby’s Sevens Player of the Year Award.
It is his second successive nomination for this honour‚ won last year by Blitzbok Werner Kok.
World Rugby announced on Tuesday that Senatla‚ who scored 66 tries in the 2015-16 HSBC World Sevens Series‚ was on the short list alongside Virimi Vakatawa (France) and Osea Kolinisau (Fiji).
The flying South African was already named top tryscorer for the season by World Rugby when the 2015-16 series concluded in London.
Senatla – last week named Springbok Sevens Player of the Year – will try to emulate Kok and Cecil Afrika‚ who was named the best sevens player on the planet in 2011.
The nominations for the prestigious World Player of the Year award for both men and women will be announced on Monday.
Nominations:
World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year: Osea Kolinisau (Fiji) Seabelo Senatla (South Africa) Virimi Vakatawa (France) World Rugby Women’s Sevens Player of the Year: Charlotte Caslick (Australia) Emily Scarratt (England) Portial Woodman (New Zealand) World Rugby Team of the Year: England Fiji Sevens New Zealand (All Blacks) World Rugby Coach of the Year: Steve Hansen (New Zealand) Eddie Jones (England) Ben Ryan (Fiji Sevens) World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year: Maro Itoje (England) Anton Lienert-Brown (New Zealand) Ardie Savea (New Zealand) Try of the Year: Jamie Heaslip (Ireland‚ v France) T J Perenara (New Zealand‚ v Argentina) Kaito Shigeno (Japan‚ v Scotland) World Rugby Referee Award: Jerome Garces (France) Alhambra Nievas (Spain) Jaco Peyper (South Africa) Rasta Rasivhenge (South Africa) – TMG Digital