Springbok loose-forward Pieter-Steph du Toit.

• World Cup winners Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe and Damian Willemse have been nominated for the SA Rugby Player of the Year accolade.
• Bok coach Jacques Nienaber is nominated in the Coach of the Year category, while the Springboks could win Team of the Year.
• The winners will be named in early 2024.
• For more sports news, go to the News24 Sport front page.

Five members of the Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok squad have been nominated for the 2023 SA Rugby Men’s Player of the Year accolade.

The five players, who were voted for by members of the media and key stakeholders within the governing body, are Pieter-Steph du Toit, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe and Damian Willemse.

The winners will be named early next year, along with the annual Referee of the Year and the Provincial Women’s Player of the Year.

READ | ‘Nervous’ Springbok skipper Kolisi helps Racing to Top 14 summit on debut

Etzebeth won last season’s award, while Du Toit (2019) and Kolisi (2021) are also former winners.

Elsewhere, Nadine Roos will defend her title as Springbok Women’s Player of the Year. She’ll be pitted against former winners Aseza Hele and Babalwa Latsha, as well as Libbie Janse van Rensburg and Rights Mkhari.

Two more Bok World Cup heroes, Canan Moodie and Jaden Hendrikse, were nominated in the Young Player of the Year category. They are up against Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Evan Roos, and Ruan Venter.

Bok coach Jacques Nienaber is up for Coach of the Year, alongside John Dobson (Stormers) and Hawies Fourie (Cheetahs).

“We had a wonderful year culminating in the Rugby World Cup victory, and I would like to congratulate all the nominees not only for their performances during the year, but also for their contribution to the local rugby landscape,” SA Rugby president, Mark Alexander, said in a statement.

“All the names on the list of nominees can look back at the year and be proud of their performances. Rugby is a team game, and I’m sure all of them will agree that nothing is possible without the player next to you, but they stood out and deserve these nominations.

“All of our national teams were in action this year, with varying degrees of success, but every single player put their country first whenever and wherever they took the field, and I would like to thank them for that.”

Siya Kolisi receives the Webb Ellis Cup from Bill Beaumont. (Photo by Juan Jose Gasparini/Gallo Images)

Getty Images

The SA Rugby boss added: “A special word of thanks and congratulations to Jacques, Siya and the Springboks though – you were great ambassadors for South Africa and by defending the Webb Ellis Cup in France, you have ensured that the name of the Bok team of 2023 will forever be written in the annals of our game as one of the greatest.

“Locally, the Stormers hosted their second consecutive URC final, the Cheetahs dethroned the  Pumas in the Currie Cup Premier Division, the Boland Kavaliers and Valke stood out in the First Division and Mzansi Challenge, and the Bulls Daisies were unbeaten in the season to secure the Women’s Premier Division title.

“I would like to sincerely thank every player, coach, administrator, referee, sponsor and all other significant role players for playing their part in making the 2023 season one for the ages.”