Bulls' Chris Smith earns URC's Golden Boot award

Bulls flyhalf Chris Smith added his name to the United Rugby Championship (URC) roll of honour after collecting the 2023/24 Gilbert Golden Boot.

Smith's award recognises the season's most accurate place-kicker, with all kickers who have attempted a minimum of 30 ranked by their success percentage.

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The 29-year-old Smith, who brought up his 50th URC appearance for the Bulls this season, finished with a 90% accuracy rate, having slotted 27 of his 30 kicks.

The winner of the 23/24 @Gilbert_Rugby Golden Boot Award goes to… Vodacom @BlueBullsRugby’s Chris Smith ????

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Ulster's John Cooney wasn't far behind him with 49 kicks and an accuracy of 88%, with Leinster Ross Byrne coming in third with an accuracy of 87% from his 31 successful kicks.

Meanwhile, Alessandro Izekor took this season's Tackle Machine award and Jamie Ritchie claimed the season's Turnover King award.

Izekor boasts the best tackle success rate among those who have attempted 150 or more over the course of the campaign, having made 188 tackles at a success rate of 98%.

Izekor edged out Stormers lock Ruben van Heerden, who made 224 tackles in the URC this season with a tackle accuracy of 97%.

Ritchie wins the turnovers won accolade convincingly with 22, four ahead of Connacht’s Shamus Hurley-Langton, who finished in second place with 18, and five ahead of third-placed JC Pretorius of the Lions, who made 17 turnovers.

The final three awards - the URC Player of the Season, Coach of the Season, and the Player's Player of the Season, will all be announced next week ahead of the final.

URC Awards