Marx a deserved winner for province and nation

MALCOLM Marx has heaped praise on his team- mates and coaches at the Lions and Springboks after being named the 2017 South African Rugby Player of the Year.

The Lions hooker was also named Young Player of the Year (under 23 years of age) and Super Rugby Player of the Year.

“I’m thankful and humbled,” he said yesterday. “But, I couldn’t have done anything without my team-mates and coaches and this goes out to them as well.”

Marx was named best player in 2017 ahead of other nominees Eben Etzebeth, Jaco Kriel, Siya Kolisi and Jan Serfontein.

The 23-year-old also won the Young Player of the Year award in 2016 and is the first player since Ashwin Willemse in 2003 to win both the Player and Young Player award.

SA Rugby Union president Mark Alexander said Marx was a deserved winner, even though the Springboks battled through the 2017 season. “Malcolm was also honoured by the Lions with a number of awards last week, and selected himself through his performances. He was a rock for the Lions and the Boks and he is one of our top young players who will go on to still accomplish big things.”

Marx said he was hoping for another big year. “There is always room for improvement and if I can get better by just one percent then that’s good,” said the hooker, who pointed to the first Test against France at Loftus last June (his first starting for the Boks) and the Test against New Zealand at Newlands as his highlights.

Springbok Sevens coach Neil Powell was named Coach of the Year, while his team – who won the World Rugby Sevens Series – got the award for Team of the Year. Rosko Specman was named Sevens Player of the Year.