Vote for SA Rugby player of the year

Ex SARugby.net

Rugby fans across the country will again be given a voice in the selection of the winners in the SARU Rugby Player of the Year Awards, SARU announced on Tuesday.

The public will be asked to cast their votes in the two main categories, Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year.

Media, coaches and players will also have a major say in determining the outstanding players of the season in a range of categories and competitions. Public polling for the top Award, South Africa’s Rugby Player of the Year, will open on 19 November 2013 with the awards due to be announced at a gala event on 12 February 2014 in Johannesburg.

A lucky participating fan will be drawn randomly and invited to the awards with a partner.

Jurie Roux, SARU CEO said: “It is again very pleasing that we are able to give our rugby fans a voice in the game, and the SARU Player of the Year Awards is an ideal platform to do so.

Last year proved that supporters have strong opinions on who should win and the feedback was great, hence the decision to make the public part of the polling process again,” said Roux.

Roux said that the fans’ vote would count for 50 percent of the final tally alongside the vote of the rugby media, who had exclusively decided on the winners in recent years.

Fans and media will decide on the marquee awards of Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year.

“The Awards are a highlight on the South African rugby calendar, and involving the fans and coaches more directly will no doubt add to the prestige of the event.”

The Public will make their vote for the top award on SARU’s Facebook page. Go towww.facebook.com/springboks and vote on the specially-designed app on the page.

Rules of the competition and terms and conditions are available on the page.

The voting mechanism for the Young Player of the Year Award is via e-mail and starts on Tuesday 19 November 2013. The public are encouraged to send their nominations to SARUPOY2013@sarugby.co.za.

Similarly to last year, the coaches will again exclusively decide the best players in Vodacom Super Rugby, the Absa Currie Cup Premier and First Divisions and the Vodacom Cup competitions.

They will also choose the Coach of the Year and share the responsibility for choosing the Referee of the Year with the Rugby Referees’ Society.

Bryan Habana is the reigning Player of the Year, having won the title in 2012 to add to the titles he claimed in 2005 and 2007.

The veteran Springbok wing is now one award short of legendary flyhalf Naas Botha’s record haul of four titles.

We asked two of our team members: Who should be named South Africa's Player of the Year?

DUANE VERMEULEN
JON CARDINELLI
(Chief Sports Writer)

The Springboks improved dramatically at the breakdown in 2013 and it would remiss not to acknowledge the back-row efforts of Francois Louw, Willem Alberts, and Duane Vermeulen. While all three players enjoyed a great season, it is Vermeulen who was the most consistent.

Kieran Read is the world's best No 8, and it would be an outrage if the All Blacks star missed out on the 2013 IRB Player of the Year award. There should be no argument that at this stage he is a more complete player than Vermeulen, although it should be accepted that the South African's individual strengths have contributed to an improved collective performance by the Boks in 2013.

(He has to be joking of course Vermuelen is the better player)

Vermeulen has been the money-man at the back of the lineout. With ball-in-hand, he has consistently breached the gainline. There have been a few examples of his underrated ball skills creating the space for team-mates to score, as was the case in the build-up to Bryan Habana's try against the All Blacks in Johannesburg. This is almost a bonus considering his real value to the Boks is in close-quarter combat.(Exactly and it doesnt get the attention Reid does out on the wing -this is nonsense!!)

From a defensive viewpoint, Vermeulen is the best No 8 on the planet (So he beats Reid at close quarters, ball steals and defensively and in the lineouts but Reid flopping over the line counts for more!!!!). In Alberts and Vermeulen, the Boks have two massive players whose strength in the tackle is enhanced by their impeccable timing and positioning. And while it is Louw and Bismarck du Plessis who so often receive the plaudits for steals on the deck, Vermeulen has used his strength and anticipation to effect some vitally important turnovers for the Boks over the course of the Test season.

There are a number of Bok forwards who have put their hands up these past six months, but none as consistently as Vermeulen. There is no doubt in my mind that the class of 2013 wouldn't have managed an impressive 83% win record had he not been available for the Rugby Championship or the tour to Europe.

JEAN DE VILLIERS
RYAN VREDE 
(Senior Sports Writer) 

Vermeulen is an incredible player and was central to the Springboks' success this season. He would undoubtedly be deserving of this award, but I feel like De Villiers has matched him for performance while having to deal with significantly greater pressure.

De Villiers spent the duration of 2012 trying to prove to Heyneke Meyer that he was not only the correct choice as captain, but that he was the best option at inside centre. He came through that examination brilliantly, only to be confronted with mounting speculation about his continued aptitude. The emergence of Jan Serfontein as a talent of note fuelled the anti-De Villiers sentiment, with many believing him to be a ready-made replacement. (Yes we all recall how snapster and ou maaaikie went on and on about Jean!! They even managed to win a  few converts briefly)

Never one to be making bold statements in the media, De Villiers took it all in his stride. His performances in a difficult campaign for the Stormers were consistently good, but the true measure of the man would come in the Rugby Championship. He finished the tournament as the best in the position in every key performance area and matched some world-class outside backs for metres made and defenders beaten. He followed that up with another strong European tour. 

In addition to his technical prowess, he has grown into a fine leader, one that commands the respect of his team and their opponents. Vermeulen can pretty much dedicate his full attention to his performance, while De Villiers has this challenge, as well as being sensitive to the plights of his team-mates, maintaining a strong professional relationship with Meyer, his appreciable off-field responsibilities as skipper, and the challenges that come with being a father to two infants.  

To survive under these circumstances would be commendable, but to thrive in the manner De Villiers has speaks of his immense talent and temperament. 

Vermeulen's time will come, but it isn't now.

Very difficult call to make. The world's best number eight versus the world best inside center. Perhaps the captaincy issue swings it Jeans way?