Rugby

Boks named Team of the Year

2009-11-28 20:50
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IRB honour (File)

Dublin - South Africa has been named the International Rugby Board Team of the Year.

The award was announced following the Test between Six Nations champions Ireland and Tri-Nations champions South Africa at Croke Park, Dublin on Saturday.

Ireland won 15-10.

South Africa have enjoyed a silverware-laden 2009, emphatically claiming the Tri-Nations title for the first time in five years and winning a compelling British & Irish Lions series in the summer.

The world champions reclaim the IRB Team of the Year Award from New Zealand, having previously won the prestigious honour in 2004 and 2007, and for captain John Smit the Award is recognition of a fantastic team ethic.

"It's been a huge year for us and to top it off with a recognition like this, to secure the top prize is massive.

It was a huge ambition of many of the guys to beat the British & Irish Lions, it was a goal to be victorious so that was a great highlight for us during the year," said Smit.

"I'm very proud to be associated with these guys, it has become a family of guys and hopefully we can keep it going for another two years."

IRB chairperson Bernard Lapasset added: "It has been a compelling year of international Rugby. South Africa have demonstrated this year exactly why they are world champions, winning the Tri-Nations and a truly memorable Lions series."

In May, England captain Ollie Phillips was named IRB Sevens Player of the Year, while Aaron Cruden was named IRB Junior Player of the Year in June after leading New Zealand Under-20s to the IRB Junior World Championship title.

Australia's Debby Hodgkinson was named IRB Women's Personality of the Year in August, L'Aquila Rugby Club received the Spirit of Rugby Award in September and this month Francis Palmade received the IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service.

Previous Winners of IRB Team of the Year :
2001 - Australia
2002 - France
2003 - England
2004 - South Africa
2005 - New Zealand
2006 - New Zealand
2007 - South Africa
2008 - New Zealand

 

Your Comments

Briggs12/3/2009 1:02 PM
Approx 15,000 Rugby players in Ireland Approx 370,000 Rugby Players in South Africa. Ireland for a small little nation occupied by leprechauns where it rains all day 365 days a year doesn't half box above its weight. South Africa rightly named Team of the Year but please be gracious. As a small nation where rugby is only maybe the fourth team sport it means alot when they can beat the bigger nations who live for rugby. So please stop insulting the Irish nation with your 'leprechaun' and 'miserable country' comments. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.
richare12/1/2009 12:49 PM
jake white team sucks.we need a whole new backline
BOKKE!12/1/2009 11:20 AM
Neutral Observer, please read Marco's facts. Facts, not myths. ned of story.
Vernon11/30/2009 9:14 AM
...Boks named Team of the year, ...and PdV named Clown of the year... ...He he he ..!!
rhobok11/30/2009 9:10 AM
Lets get some perspective here. Ireland played 10 tests in 2009. Only 3 of those were against opposition ranked in the top 5. South Africa played 12 test matches. Only 1 of them was against opposition NOT in the top 5 (Italy). South Africa's 8 wins were 3 against NZ (ranked 1), 2 against Oz (ranked 3) and 2 against British Lions and Italy. Of Irelands 9 wins only 2 were teams in the top 5 (France & SA).
marco11/30/2009 2:46 AM
PaddyIrishman don't target people writing in here mate if you wanna comment stick to the game not the individual writing in.One off test is one off autumn international end of year tours you fool not playing someone over successive test like we do home and away in the tri-nations.you wanna talk stats well lets see how good you really are just against the Boks not mentioning the All Blacks or Wallabies: Games Played18.Games won by Ireland 4 (16.67%).Games won Boks 14 (77.78%).Most matches won in a row by Ireland over the Boks 3.Most matches won by the Boks over Ireland 8. Here is something else to croke on nuthead : Overall summary Played 19 Won by Ireland 4 Won by South Africa 14 Drawn 1 In Ireland 12 4 7 1 In South Africa 7 0 7 0. So yeah won off test wins in the autumn my ass,go win consistently away from Croke park and then call yourself a great team until then just shut up.Oh here is something else to "Croke Park" on between 1965 and 2004 Ireland haven't won against the Boks for 39 years.Tells you a lot hey.
Etienne11/29/2009 10:10 PM
How can the coach and the team be from different countries? that is very stupid. Ireland have played brilliant rugby, as a bok supporter I need to remind the boys that we won the RWC in 2007 boys. It is 2009. It does not count anymore.
Neutral Observer11/29/2009 5:30 PM
Ireland 2009 Played - 8 Won - 7 Draw - 1 Lost - 0 There is the real Team of the Year
DontThinkJustWonder11/29/2009 1:58 PM
SA won the trinations emphatically? Which TN was that? SA won it's winning games at a squeak and was well outplayed in the games we lost. We were also "lucky" to beat the Lions. The result could very easily gone the other way. But HOW did we play compared to the AB's. Or even the Ozzies? We play the same dull game the Argentina plays. Just with better players. Come on guys, we should be doing much better than that. Oh my, we beat Italy and lost 5 games. Worthy Team of The Year. What a joke.
sc1pio11/29/2009 12:12 PM
I agree. Ireland deserves to be named IRB team of the year... And guess what? RICHIE MCAW is the IRB player of the year? Surely the only real contenders this year for that particular award was none other than FOurie du Preez and Brian O'Driscoll. The IRB is a farce. Screw them. Biased NZ farts. I agree Mcaw is an excellent player, but this year He wasn't in the top 10 best players around the world.
TS11/29/2009 11:11 AM
winning 1 from 5 against the northern hemisphere. deserved yeah right, keep on deluding yourselves
@edward11/29/2009 10:14 AM
If you have nothing proper to say, then say nothing at all. Why must there always be one idiot that has to bring race into every discussion. SA deserved the titlle this year, but i imagine it must have been close between them and Ireland for who the winner was. Now the guys need to take their short rest and get redy for the Super series, they deserve it
Pieter11/29/2009 9:58 AM
TO ALL: Don't even respond to Irisher. He is a sick-ass suffering from sunstroke! As you saw on TV the sun never shines on that miserable island so once a year when it does, people like Irisher gets sunstroke and goes bonkers. Ireland used to get my sympahty in the 5/6 nations but after their thuggish behaviour (1998) and unsportsmanlike rantings (since 2004) of the past few years, I hope they never win another game ever again.
callie11/29/2009 9:31 AM
Give the Boks their due. They are a fantastic team and are really tired after a hugely strenuous and very busy year. They will come back in 2010 and show us why they are tops, again. No team can continue winning uninterruptedly forever, its humanly impossible! The Boks are GREAT. A big thanks to them for playing so well for their country!!!
Adrian11/29/2009 7:55 AM
Once again it is amazing just how fickle we are in SA as fans. We lost to Ireland and France...so what ? What else have we done this year ? Don't EVER forget that. These year end tours are a farce. They are money spinning tours for the Rugby Board that pay little regard to the players' wellbeing or state of minds. In short it is just too much ! The next time ( and also the first time ) that Ireland or France have their names engraved on the Webb Ellis trophy I will congratulate them as true world champions. Sending our exhausted boys to compete in appalling conditions at the end of a marathon series is just not on. I doubt if there is one player in the side that is not carrying some minor niggle. Let's remember we started in February already with the Super 14 ( you cannot even compare the 6 nations to the Super 14 ) The Lions Tour, The Tri-Nations, The Currie Cup. For nearly ten months our top players were laying their bodies on the line on a weekly basis. How can we demand that ? How can we expect them to perform at their optimum levels with such demanding schedules ? Yet here we go and play against teams that are just starting their season, fresh and fit, and we hammer our boys for losing ! That's just not fair ! This is, without doubt, the most glorious era that Springbok Rugby has ever had - and yet the fans want more ! Ridiculous. I bet all you critics moan like hell if your boss makes you work overtime for a couple of days a year. Well done 'Boks. You are World Champions and nothing can detract from your accomplishments this year. come home and enjoy a couple of well-deserved weeks off before we once again send you back to the training grounds in preparation for the Super 14.
Mark11/29/2009 7:53 AM
Pathetic.......I wish I got paid when if fu%#ed up time after time....Players and Couch should be paid according to results….
Ian11/29/2009 7:31 AM
Bok's team of the year I 100% agree. Bok supporters just a big bunch of losers who always find an excuse for why their team lost, normally starts with the ref and then moves onto 100 other reasons.
Dexter11/29/2009 7:18 AM
Why does Edward have to bring up the "racist" thing?Can't we ever get away from this. Edward PdV is not the best coach in the Rugby world and this is not because of his colour. Get a life buddy.
Joe11/29/2009 6:44 AM
@vukani, there’s only one reason South Africa haven’t won the Six Nations Championship…
Expat11/29/2009 6:13 AM
@Vukani my booi dis nie soccer nie ,,,Go support Banana Banana
Penny11/29/2009 4:21 AM
The Boks are wonderful in spite of not because of De Villiers. John Smit is the MAN and he and the players are very tired I'm sure and need a gap. Stop the extra lame tours at the end of the year and be grateful for the achievements. Stop stuffing around with selection (Div's forte) and keep the winning team the winning team. Forget those woeful Wednesday (whensdaygonna win) sides and use this 'out of season' time to recover. Super 14, Currie Cup and the list goes on - it's impossible to expect players not to have injuries etc with the huge amount of games and tours. Well done to the team and thanks for the thrills.....
PaddyIrishman11/29/2009 1:12 AM
marco, in case you didn't realise, Ireland were playing in the fog too. They shared that disadvantage. The reason South Africa lost today was because they were the worse team and Ireland outplayed them. End of. Stop coming up with stupid excuses for losing. Oh an btw, Ireland haven't won "one off test against the Boks". It's 3 in a row for Ireland against the Boks now. Get your facts right
irisher11/29/2009 1:02 AM
@Jawellnofine: "Taken into perspective though the article does not mention any of the other categories that awards were given for so your point is?" Eh yes the report does - read it properly. My point is that both awards were given directly after the match. you would think that they would be covered in the same report given both teams were playing each other, and were the rspective champions, no? Kidney was covered in another report, headlined PdV fails to win Coach of the Year - a bit introspective, don't you think? @Edward: "Who outside of Ireland has heard of Kidney?" Eh most rugby followers escept you obviously. Should we have painted him black to make him more acceptable to you? @ saffa: " Churchill Cup and Triple Crown, what are those? don't be lazy - look them up. Hint: They're international test trophies for games played between more than two nations @Theo - Irish are legends in their own minds. Well yes obviously they are. You mean the Boks are not? Most of them couldn't make a Currie Cup side - you're right most of them wouldn't - they play in better competitions. @marco: "Scrap autumn internationals altogether period.The Boks couldn't even see the ball half the time with all that mist or fog covering the pitch at crokepark.Who in their right mind plays rugby in conditions like that." Marco, I bet you haven't left school yet, have you? Rugby is played in lots of different weather conditions - that's the point of the game. Speak to your elders about this, they'll educate you. Have you heard about rain yet? They play in that too. Congrats to the Boks on their Award - but having watched New Zealand tonight, it's clear who number one is. Every other country is well behind them. NZ are definitely team of the year. They were number one for Jan to July, and for November and December.
Impi11/29/2009 12:48 AM
Enjoy that feeling of disappointment - first bullied by France, then man-handled by Ireland. You'll have the feeling for many months. Enjoy !
Tommygun11/29/2009 12:31 AM
Ireland you had your ball, we gave you our ball when we didn't, we gave you penalties and I don't think we really wanted to be there. So with 80 thousand fans, home ground advantage you only managed a 5 point win. The way we played you should have creamed us. The team of the year is based on who you have beaten in the year. For us it was ABs, x3 Aus,X2 and Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales combined X2 that adds up to the team of the year.
bokke11/28/2009 11:42 PM
well i guess the oirish leprachauns will be drinking a whole lot of guinness today and cover the whole of ireland in vomit ...have your glory, still it doesnt make you guys the world champs. well done bokke,im proud of being a south african.
Rus11/28/2009 11:34 PM
What a farce.. IRB team of the year? What are the usual excuses for their losses in this tour? World Champs? Please. Give it to a more consistent team which doesnt relly on cheap kicks to win trophies.
vukani11/28/2009 10:22 PM
I am a a huge Bok supporter but this is a bit weak. The Springboks won just one, yes one match on their autumn tour. Ireland won the 6 nations and has managed to be unbeaten for more than a year! The springboks are the IRB team of the year? Mmmm...
marco 11/28/2009 10:10 PM
Now fourie du preez for irb player of the year- nice! Why can't pdv just shut for change.He just said the Boks shouldn't become like England after wining the 2003 worldcup by being unable to defend it and then going downhill from then on.Its your bloody stupid team selection that's costing the springbok name to be dragged through the mud.Useless idiot from Paarl PDV. PUTTING JOHN SMIT AT PROP and ADI JACOBS AT INSIDE CENTRE or even in the team and also you keep playing EARL ROSE in the second string bok team is k@k fullstop! Scrap autumn internationals altogether period.The Boks couldn't even see the ball half the time with all that mist or fog covering the pitch at crokepark.Who in their right mind plays rugby in conditions like that.France and Ireland wins one off test against the Boks and suddenly they contenders for the worldcup in 2011.That's cheap.Go win consistently away from misty/foggy Croke Park then you'll have bragging rights. Yes beat the Wallabies,All Blacks and Springboks on their own turf consistently and you'd maybe considered great until then its just wishful blabber.dream on
@Irisher11/28/2009 10:05 PM
Pity the report didnt mention that the Irish truly are the worst people in Europe. No grace whatsoever. Who cares about Declan Kidney? He will always just be the coach of Ireland. Nothing special about that.
Gnambeni11/28/2009 9:57 PM
The boks is one of the South African icons makes me really proud of been South African. When I fly sometimes I use to wear a boks jersey and people everyway adore South Africa. I have to take this opportunity and congratulate all boks players and their management team for been the best of the world in the 3rd time. You guys make us very, very high and have full smile. thank you all.
saffa11/28/2009 9:45 PM
Oh please Irisher...Chuchill Cup and Triple Crown winners.....what are those??? In the current climate where every game carries a cup name, you really are cluthcing at straws!
Andhesaid11/28/2009 9:44 PM
Plain and simply we lost this game mainly to a poor game plan and tactics and a few bad ref calls (for both sides) - tiredness and fatigue had 20% (if that) the game plan and tactics were shocking and 80% of the problem. PDV+Co's game tactics were the same it has been the whole year. Kick and chase,more kick and chase followed up with more kick and chase, oh!...and then we try and run through everyone...and when we saw that Rob Kearney and wingers were actually catching all those high balls and counter attacking and were not like the NZ or Aus back three who did fumble...guess what!! we still thought kick and chase and just hoping that Ireland would fumble or something ...The sooner the Boks and SA brains trust get it out of their heads that we cant always win games based just on physicality and the kick and chase. We need to have a better attacking backline. I want to see our centres cutting through the gain line a number of times in a game not just hoping for the intercept. I want to see the wings,fullback involved in a back line move. Im tired of seeing the forwards keeping most of the ball now. I know we didnt have Spies,Bakkies,Smith but lets face it in most of the top 6 rugby nations the forwards are pretty much even,all can scrum,maul,steal ball,tackle,good at the breakdown and all can raise there games when needed and with the training that the top teams have now days its the effectiveness of the backline that makes the difference.
@Irisher from Theo11/28/2009 9:38 PM
Irish are legends in their own minds. Most of them couldn't make a Currie Cup side. Kidney's "award" is covered in another report. And Kidney owes (by his own admission) a lot to Gert Smal. World Cup time in 2011- Ireland out again in the semi's- that is the best they will ever do.
edward11/28/2009 9:34 PM
It is a disgrace. If Peter De villiers was a white man he would have been made coach of the year. What more must De Villiers do to prove that he is the best coach in world rugby. Who outside of Ireland has heard of Kidney.What a joke
Jawellnofine11/28/2009 9:28 PM
@ irisher, well done to Ireland and Declan Kidney. Taken into perspective though the article does not mention any of the other categories that awards were given for so your point is?
Theo11/28/2009 9:26 PM
I still hope the Irish are feeling better now
Paddyspanishman11/28/2009 9:23 PM
Well done South Africa. A deserved title
JimB11/28/2009 9:05 PM
Simply Put - Deserved!!!
irisher11/28/2009 8:56 PM
Pity the report didn't have the grace to mention that Declan Kidney won Coach of the Year after their win over South Africa following their success as 6 Nations Champions, Churchill Cup winners and Triple Crown winners.
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