Irrepressible Kurt-Lee tussles with Bok veterans for SA Rugby Player of the Year award

Bulls and Springbok sensation Kurt-Lee Arendse will go up against a daunting group of national veterans for the SA Rugby Player of the Year award in a development that illustrates just how the former Blitzboks star has taken the 15-man format by storm.

SA Rugby on Wednesday announced the respective nominations for its annual awards in nine categories, with the winners being announced early next year.

Arendse's exploits are in contrast to the enduring excellence of Siya Kolisi, Lukhanyo Am, Eben Etzebeth and Frans Malherbe.

Perhaps the most fascinating battle will be for the Young Player of the Year accolade, a category brimming with brilliant rookies in Evan Roos, Jaden Hendrikse, Canan Moodie, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Henco van Wyk.

There's also excitement at stakeholders having been able to give input on the women's category.

"For the first time, media and SA Rugby stakeholders also voted for the Springbok Women’s Player of the Year, and the five nominees all played in the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand in October – last year’s winner Lusanda Dumke, 2019 winner Aseza Hele, as well as Zintle Mpupha, Aphiwe Ngwevu and Nadine Roos," SA Rugby's statement read.

Nominees for Coach of the Year is an eclectic mix with John Dobson and Jimmy Stonehouse, who won the URC title and Currie Cup with the Stormers and Pumas respectively, coming up against Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber.

Those three men's teams are also in contention for the Team of the Year award.

In a tribute to the fairytale that was the Pumas' first ever Currie Cup, Sebastiaan de Klerk, Willie Engelbrecht and Devon Williams all crack the nod for Currie Cup Player of the Year. 

“This list of nominees honour those players who performed brilliantly week in and week out