Duane Vermeulen named SA Rugby Player of the Year as the Bulls win big

Vermeulen walked off with two awards, including the overall gong for SA Rugby Player of the Year, while the Bulls, champions of Super Rugby Unlocked and the Currie Cup, won in almost every other category.

Stedman Gans, who made a successful transition from the Blitzboks to star for the Bulls after the World Rugby Sevens Series was cancelled, was named Springbok Sevens Player of the Year, for his role as the Blitzboks’ won two tournaments out of six to finish second overall on the standings.

The 34-year-old Vermeulen, who led the Bulls to two titles last season, including the Currie Cup for the first time since 2009, also won the Super Rugby / Unlocked Player of the Year Award for 2020.

It was therefore no surprise that the Bulls were named Team of the Year and their Director of Rugby, Jake White, was Coach of the Year.

Cornal Hendricks capped a brilliant season by walking away with the accolade for Currie Cup Player of the Year, and Jaco Peyper was named the Referee of the Year.

“It was a very tough season but Duane was superb – not only on the field, where his performances were on par with the very high standard we’ve become accustomed to from him, but he also led the Bulls with aplomb as our teams had to navigate numerous new curve balls and challenges,” said Mark Alexander, President of SA Rugby.

“The pandemic has been disruptive to people from all walks of life and apart from the hard work done in training, first at home and later back at their team bases, it was heartening to see our players rolling up their sleeves and also helping fellow South Africans who are not as fortunate. 

“This was no ordinary rugby season, and Duane showed himself to be no ordinary player. In the most challenging of times, he still found a way to unlock his talent and passion for rugby, and in so doing helped to keep us all connected in our shared passion for the game.”