Sport

Bulls, Stormers in line for Super 14 awards

15 June 2010

Strong seasons by the Bulls and Stormers, the 2010 Super 14 finalists, have resulted in the two South African rugby franchises dominating the nominations for the Vodacom Super 14 Player of the Year award.

The South African Rugby Union announced the names of five players on Tuesday: three of them from the title-winning Bulls and two of them from the first-time finalists, the Stormers.

They included 2009 winner, flyhalf Morne Steyn of the Bulls, his halfback partner Fourie du Preez, and flying winger Gerhard van den Heever.

The nominated players from the Stormers were lock Andries Bekker, who came on in leaps and bounds during the competition, and Springbok centre Jaque Fourie, who made a significant difference to the team's backline.

Twenty-six players were nominated, with the five polling the most votes from that list.

Record

Steyn set a record by totalling 263 points during the Super Rugby season as the Bulls captured their third title in four seasons.

Van den Heever, aged 21, scored eight tries, one behind the competition's leading scorers, Joe Rokocoko and Drew Mitchell.

Du Preez, regarded by many as the best scrumhalf in the world, pulled the strings from behind the Bulls' pack and was highly influential in helping steer them to another title.

Bekker starred for the Stormers with his excellent performances all around the field, while Fourie dotted down seven tries, including a candidate for try of the year in a 42-14 shellacking of the Crusaders at Newlands.

Vodacom Cup

Meanwhile, the Vodacom Blue Bulls' last-gasp win in the Vodacom Cup was also reflected in the nominations for the competition's Player of the Year award.

Team captain Gerrit-Jan van Velze, fullback Tiger Mangweni and flyhalf Francois Brummer, who kicked an after-the-hooter drop goal against the luckless Vodacom Cheetahs to clinch the R1-million first prize for the Bulls, were all among the nominees.

Free State flyhalf Louis Strydom and Sharks' flyhalf Monty Dumond, who edged the Strydom as the competition's top scorer, completed the nominations.

The winners of the awards, as well as the rest of the SA Rugby Player of the Year awards, will be announced at the Springbok Banquet on 2 November.

SAinfo reporter