South African rugby players Cheslin Kolbe and Pieter-Steph du Toit have been nominated for the World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year 2019 award.
Kolbe, 26, has started in six test matches for the Springboks in 2019 scoring five tries. He dotted down twice in a man of the match performance in South Africa’s 49-3 win against Italy in the RWC2019 Pool B game.
Du Toit, 27, has started eight of South Africa’s 10 tests in 2019. He was a central figure in the 19-16 win over Wales in the Rugby World Cup semi-final.
The other nominees for the award are Alun Wyn Jones of Wales, Ardie Savea of New Zealand, Joe Taufete’e of the United States and Tom Curry of England.
Only two South Africans have won the award before: Schalk Burger in 2004 and Bryan Habana in 2007.
In other categories, Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus is one of five coaches who have been nominated for the World Rugby Coach of the Year 2019 award.
The other nominees in the category include: outgoing Wales coach Warren Gatland, outgoing New Zealand coach Steve Hansen, England coach Eddie Jones and Jamie Joseph of Japan.
Two-time champions South Africa are also on the five-team shortlist for the World Rugby Team of the Year 2019.
The other teams are 2019 Rugby World Cup finalists England, Japan, three-time World champions New Zealand and Six Nations Grand Slam champions Wales.
Springbok scrum-half Cobus Reinach’s hat-trick try against Canada is one of four contenders for the International Rugby Players (IRP) Try of the Year 2019.
The winners will be announced at the World Rugby Awards at The Prince Park Tower in Tokyo, Japan, on November 3, a day after the 2019 Rugby World Cup final.
