The Springboks were left empty-handed in all the individual award categories, with only one South African securing a spot in the Test Dream Team, just a day after their Rugby World Cup triumph.
At the prestigious annual awards ceremony held in Paris on Sunday night, the Springbok players and their coach came up short in the major award categories.
Despite their outstanding performances, three key members of the Springbok team – Eben Etzebeth, Manie Libbok, and Jacques Nienaber – were contenders for various awards but ultimately missed out.
Etzebeth, a finalist for the World Rugby Player of the Year, lost out to All Blacks flanker Ardie Savea, who claimed the evening’s most significant accolade.
Libbok, nominated for Breakthrough Player of the Year, watched as the award went to South African-born All Blacks wing Mark Telea.
Nienaber, among the nominees for World Rugby Coach of the Year, was also overlooked, with the honor going to Ireland’s Andy Farrell.
Furthermore, despite their historic achievements, many of the Springboks’ star players were conspicuously absent from the Men’s Test Dream Team of the Year for 2023. Instead, France and Ireland had five representatives each, despite both teams exiting the World Cup in the quarter-finals, while the All Blacks secured four spots in the composite team.
The sole Springbok to earn a spot in the Dream Team was Etzebeth.
On a more positive note, other South Africans received recognition during the ceremony. Former Springbok captain John Smit was honored with a Special Merit Award for his contributions since retiring, and Bryan Habana was inducted into World Rugby’s Hall of Fame. Additionally, South African-born Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe’s try against England in the Six Nations was named the Try of the Year.
