The nominees for the 15th annual event were announced on Saturday, with Siya Kolisi, Makazole Mapimpi, Ronald Brown, Rassie Erasmus, the Springboks and the South African Rugby Union all featuring among the candidates in various categories.
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander has congratulated the six nominees from rugby nominated for the SA Sports Awards.
The nominees for the 15th annual event were announced on Saturday, with Siya Kolisi, Makazole Mapimpi, Ronald Brown, Rassie Erasmus, the Springboks and the South African Rugby Union all featuring among the candidates in various categories for their achievements between 1 September 2019 to 31 August 2021.
The winners will be announced on Saturday, 12 March in Durban.
Bok skipper Kolisi has been nominated in two categories – the Sports Star of the Year as well as the People’s Choice Sport Star of the Year.
Mapimpi is one of three nominees in the category for Sportsman of the Year, while Blitzbok star Brown has been nominated as one of the Newcomers of the Year.
The Springboks have been nominated as Team of the Year, Director of Rugby Erasmus is on the shortlist for the Coach of the Year, and SARU has been nominated in the category for Sports Federation of the Year.
“These nominations once again underline the success we’ve had on rugby fields all over the world in the last couple of years and we are very proud of all the nominees,” said Alexander.
“We are operating in challenging times in a difficult environment, but with everyone in the game prepared to pull in the same direction and to work for the same end-goal, anything is possible, as Rassie, Siya, Makazole and the Boks have proved over the last couple of years.
“And Ronald has once again shown us what can be achieved by good old resilience, belief and hard work.
“Our gratitude goes out to the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture for the recognition, and I would like to wish all the nominees well for the awards this weekend.”
The winner of the People’s Choice Sports Star of the Year will be determined by public vote. Kolisi is up against Ntando Mahlangu (Paralympic sprinter), Brad Binder (GP motorcycle racer), Bianca Buitendag (Olympic surfer) and Tatjana Schoenmaker (Olympic swimmer).
Fans can either vote online at www.sasportawards.co.za, or via text message by SMS’ing “SPORTS”, followed by the letter of their favourite athlete (Kolisi’s letter is “C”), to 32020.
Full SA Sport Awards 2021 Nominees
Sports Star of the Year: Tatjana Schoenmaker, Ntando Mahlangu, Siya Kolisi
Sport Awards People’s Choice: Ntando Mahlangu, Brad Binder, Siya Kolisi, Bianca Buitendag, Tatjana Schoenmaker
Sportsman of the Year: Greg Minnaar, Matthew Sates, Makazole Mapimpi
Sportsman of the Year with a Disability: Pieter du Preez, Ntando Mahlangu, Mpumelelo Mhlongo
Sportswoman of the Year: Tatjana Schoenmaker, Bianca Buitendag, Liezelle Lee
Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability: Anruné Liebenberg-Weyers, Louzanne Coetzee and Guides, Estean Badenhorst and Claus Kempen Sheryl James
Team of the Year: Springboks, Spar Proteas Netball, Men’s 4×100 Relay
Newcomer of the Year: Ronald Brown, Miné de Klerk, Janneman Malan
Coach of the Year: Neil Cornelius, Johan (Rassie) Erasmus, Rocco Meiring
Sport Administrator of the Year: Ndumiso Njabulo Nyawose, Cornelia Swanepoel, Anne Vermaak
Volunteer of the Year: Jodie Ellinor Dreyer, Owen Gabaotswe, Renuka Ramoop
Indigenous Games Team of the Year: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Western Cape
National Federation of the Year: SASAPD, Surfing, SA Rugby
Recreation Body of the Year: Local Surf Lounge Academy, Skateistan (Gauteng), Fight With Insight (Gauteng)
Photographer of the Year: Roger Sedres, Frennie Shivambu, Reinhardt Hamman
Journalist of the Year: Timothy Molobi, Thabiso Mosia, Robert Marawa
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