Current SA Player of the Year Malcolm Marx and 2016 SA Player of the Year Pieter-Steph du Toit are two of five nominees for this year’s South African Rugby Player of the Year award.
Du Toit has been a stellar performer for the Boks all year‚ and was also impressive during Super Rugby.
The other three nominees are headed by Lions wing Aphiwe Dyantyi‚ who recently won the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award.
Lions and now Gloucester lock Franco Mostert and Bulls flyhalf Handré Pollard complete the nominations.
Dyantyi‚ Mostert and Marx are also nominated in the 2018 Super Rugby Player of the Year category.
The Young Player of the Year category sees Springbok lock RG Snyman against four backs in Aphelele Fassi‚ Sbu Nkosi‚ Embrose Papier and Damian Willemse.
Two teams and their coaches were nominated in the categories for Team and Coach of the Year – Blitzbok mentor Neil Powell of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series champions‚ and Swys de Bruin of the Lions‚ who finished as runners-up in Vodacom Super Rugby.
They are joined by SA Rugby’s director of rugby, Rassie Erasmus (Coach of the Year nomination), and Currie Cup Premier Division champions‚ The Sharks (Team of the Year nomination).