JOHANNESBURG – The second annual BrightRock Players Choice Awards which recognises South Africa’s favourite rugby players will be held on Tuesday, December 11, at the Sandton Convention Centre.
This year’s flagship award will again be the coveted Players’ Player of the Year award, won last year by Bok captain Siya Kolisi who also won the 2017 Forward of the Year.
Fans will once again have their say by voting for their favourite players in the Fans’ Choice category, won by Francois Venter in 2017.
The list of categories and 2018 nominees are:
Defender of the year:
1 Franco Mostert
2 Pieter-Steph du Toit
3 Siya Kolisi
4 Werner Kok
Forward Player of the year:
1 Kwagga Smith
2 Malcolm Marx
3 Pieter-Steph du Toit
4 Siya Kolisi
Backline Player of the year
1 Aphiwe Dyantyi
2 Damian Willemse
3 Lukhanyo Am
4 Zenay Jordaan (Women’s 7s)
The Springboks Women Sevens' Zenay Jordaan is nominated in the Backline Player of the Year category. Photo: Springboks on facebook
Best off the bench
1 Akker van der Merwe
2 Marnus Schoeman
3 Steven Kitshoff
4 Zain Davids
Most-improved player over the past year:
1 Aphiwe Dyantyi
2 Damian Willemse
3 Lukhanyo Am
4 Selvyn Davids
Fans’ Choice Award – as voted by the fans
1 Werner Kok
2 Damian Willemse
3 Hacjivah Dayimani
4 Warrick Gelant
The Players’ Player of the Year:
1 Aphiwe Dyantyi
2 Kwagga Smith
3 Malcolm Marx
4 Siya Kolisi.