Schoenmaker, Springboks big winners at SA Sports Awards as Kolisi highlights gender inequality

The Springboks and Tatjana Schoenmaker were the big winners at the SA Sports Awards held in Durban on Saturday night, with Siya Kolisi using the platform to highlight gender inequality. 

Schoenmaker, who won gold and silver in the 200m and 100m breaststroke at the Tokyo Games last year, won the Sportswoman of the Year award and the overall Sports Star of the Year. 

Kolisi, meanwhile, accepted the award on behalf of the SA Rugby Union for Federation of the Year, before he was named the People’s Choice Sports Star Of The Year, a result of the public vote.

"It’s always awkward getting an individual award when playing a team sport, but thank you to all my coaches and teammates and to all who support me," Kolisi said in his acceptance speach.

"Now, to all the men: Let’s talk about gender equality in sport. We (men) get all the money, but the women work has hard as we do. If we don’t speak up about it nothing will change. We (men) must use our platform to speak up for women."

Another Springbok World Cup winner, Makazole Mapimpi, won the Sportsman of the Year award, the Springboks won Team of the Year and Rassie Erasmus won Coach of the Year.

"Thank you so much, thanks to the coaches. This is because of the coaches … thanks to everyone," Mapimpi said.

Earlier, when accepting the Sportswoman of the Year award, Schoenmaker said: "What an honour. I always get the question, 'how much does my team contribute to my success?' Well, my team everyone is everyone supporting me and who has my back. So, it’s an easy question to answer. They are my success.

"This doesn’t feel real."

The full list of category award winners:

Sport Administrator of the Year

Ndumiso Njabulo Nyawose

National Federation of the Year

South African Rugby Union

Indigenous Games