Vermeulen, Bulls dominate SA Rugby nominations
The list of nominations for the SA Rugby Player of the Year Awards has a distinct blue tinge to it, with the Bulls underlining their dominance of the season with a host of names on the shortlists.
The Bulls accumulated 11 nominations out of a possible 22 for which they were eligible, with Springbok No 8 Duane Vermeulen leading the individual lists with three nominations, in the categories for overall SA Rugby, Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked, and Carling Currie Cup Player of the Year.
Vermeulen, the SA Rugby Player of the Year in 2014, is up against his Bulls team-mate Cornal Hendricks, the Sharks’ Curwin Bosch, Steven Kitshoff from the Stormers and Cheetahs veteran Frans Steyn for the main award.
ALSO READ: Emotional Grace snatches Puerto Rico PGA win
Bosch, the top points’ scorer of the season, is also a nominee in the Young Player of the Year Award, along with the Bulls duo of Stedman Gans and Ruan Nortje, as well as Durban-based Dylan Richardson and the Lions’ Wandisile Simelane.
Jake White and the Bulls have also been recognised for their successful Super Rugby and Super Rugby Unlocked and Currie Cup campaigns with nominations in the categories for Coach and Team of the Year.
Other nominees in these categories are Sean Everitt and the Sharks, runners up in the Currie Cup, as well as Neil Powell and the Blitzboks, winners of two tournaments in the shortened World Rugby Sevens Series for 2019/20, and overall silver medal winners in the series.
The winners will be revealed on Thursday.
