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Rugby enjoyed a stellar night at the South African Sports Awards in Durban on Saturday, collecting five titles - in the Team, Coach, Player, Federation and People's Choice categories - to underline a period in which the Springboks claimed the title of world champions and won a pandemic-ravaged Castle Lager Lions Series.
SA Rugby was named Sports Federation of the Year, the Springboks were named Team of the Year while individual awards were collected by Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus (Coach of the Year), Springbok speedster Makazole Mapimpi, (Sportsman of the Year), and Springbok captain Siya Kolisi was voted the People's Choice Sports Star of the Year.
Olympic 200m breaststroke champion and world record holder Tatjana Schoenmaker was the other big winner on the night being named as Sports Star of the Year and Sportswoman of the year.
Springbok Sevens rising star, Ronald Brown, was also nominated in the Newcomer of the Year category, which was won by athlete Mine de Klerk.
Surfing came 2nd to rugby as Federation of the year in a year in which Bianca Buitendag picked up the silver medal in surfing's debut at the Olympics.
"We are judged on administration, results, corporate governance, training and development, and our entry into the Olympics also did not go unnoticed. We are very excited and honoured at the recognition we received," said Surfing South Africa President Johnny Bakker. Surfing was named Recreational Federation of the Year.
