Cape Town - The Springboks have been nominated by the world’s media for the coveted 2010 Laureus World Team of the Year Award.

The Boks claimed their second Vodacom Tri-Nations crown last year and were triumphant series winners (2-1) over the British & Irish Lions during the Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series.

The Laureus World Team of the Year Award could be the most competitive battle with Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees, FC Barcelona, Germany Women’s Football Team and Brawn Formula One.

The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during the January 1 – December 31, 2009, are recognised as the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy – the ultimate sports jury made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled at the Awards Ceremony staged in Abu Dhabi on the 10 March 2010.  

This will be the second time the Springboks have been nominated for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award. In February 2008, the South Africa Rugby Team claimed their second World Cup triumph at the 2007 IRB Rugby World Cup in France.

“We thank the media of the world for nominating us as a contender for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award,” said Springbok coach Peter de Villiers.

“We are truly humbled that the top sports journalists have recognised our achievements. Being nominated along with some of the world’s leading teams once again confirms what an amazing year we enjoyed last year. What we achieved was something special and unique and these are the standards we have set ourselves as a squad.

“Winning the Laureus World Team of the Year Award would round off a memorable 2009 season.”

South Africa's Natalie du Toit has once again been recognised for her brilliant accomplishments in 2009 and has been nominated for an award in the "Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with Disability" category.


The full list of nominees for the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards are:


Laureus World Sportsman of the Year:

Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) Athletics – first 5 000 and 10 000 in World Championships

Usain Bolt (Jamaica) Athletics – won 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay World Championships

Alberto Contador (Spain) Cycling – won his second Tour de France in three years

Lionel Messi (Argentina) Football – FIFA World Player of the Year, a star in Barcelona’s brilliant year

Valentino Rossi (Italy) Motor Cycling – won his seventh senior MotoGP world title   

Roger Federer (Switzerland) Tennis – one of only six men to have completed a career Grand Slam of Australian, French, Wimbledon and US Open titles.

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year:

Shelly-Ann Fraser (Jamaica) Athletics – added World Championship 100m gold to Olympic gold

Federica Pellegrini (Italy) Swimming – broke the four minute barrier in 400m freestyle

Sanya Richards (US) Athletics – won first individual 400m gold medal in a global championship

Britta Steffen (Germany) Swimming – won World Championship 50m and 100m in world record times

Lindsey Vonn (US) Skiing – won World Cup for second year and two gold medals at World Championships

Serena Williams (US) Tennis – won Australian Open and Wimbledon and regained world No 1 ranking

Laureus World Team of the Year:

FC Barcelona (Spain) Football – won Champions League, Spanish League and Spanish Cup in 2008/2009

Brawn Formula One (UK) – won Drivers and Constructors World Championships in debut year

Germany Women’s Football Team – won their fifth straight European Championship

Los Angeles Lakers (US) Basketball – won 15th NBA title in their record 30th play-off appearance

New York Yankees (US) Baseball – won their 27th World Series

Springboks (South Africa) Rugby – international rugby team of the year, won the Castle South Africa 2009 Lions Series and 2009 Vodacom Tri-Nations

Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year:

Jenson Button (UK) Motor Racing – won the Formula One World Championship after 169 Grand Prix

Mark Cavendish (UK) Cycling – won six stages of the Tour de France

Tom Daley (UK) Diving – won 10m platform gold medal in World Championship at age 15

Juan Martin del Potro (Argentina) Tennis – beat Roger Federer in final to win US Open , at age 21

Ji Yai Shin (South Korea) Golf – rookie of the year on the US LPGA Tour, winning three events

VFL Wolfsburg (Germany) Football – small club from Lower Saxony, won their first Bundesliga title

Laureus World Comeback of the Year:

Lance Armstrong (US) Cycling – returned to the Tour de France after a four year gap, finished third

Kim Clijsters (Belgium) Tennis – won US Open in her third tournament back after two year absence

Jessica Ennis (UK) Athletics – won World Championship heptathlon after missing Olympics with injury

Brett Favre (US) American Football – came out of retirement and set record for consecutive starts

Blanka Vlasic (Croatia) Athletics – won World Championship high jump after disappointment at Olympics

Tom Watson (US) Golf – came within a putt of winning the British Open at age 59

Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with Disability:

Justin Everson (Australia) Wheelchair Basketball – winner of every tournament in which he participated in.

Kurt Fearnley (Australia) Wheelchair Racing – won all five marathons in which he completed in 2009

Gizen Girismen (Turkey) Para-Archery – No 1 archer in the world in her category since 2007

Shingo Kunieda (Japan) Wheelchair Tennis – unbeaten in 77 matches dating back to 2007

Micheal Teuber (Germany) Cycling – won three gold medals and one silver medal in World Championships

Natalie du Toit (RSA) Swimming – continued to dominate able-bodied and disabled events in 2009

Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year:

Antoine Albeau (France) Windsurfing – won the 2009 PWA Slalom World Championship

Chris Cole (US) Skateboarding – won the Dew Cup and was named Skater of the Year

Mick Fanning (Australia) Surfing – Won his second World Surfing Championship in three years

Stephanie Gilmore (Australia) Surfing – Won her third straight World Surfing Championship, at just 21

Greg Long (US) Surfing – won big wave event at Waimea Bay, Hawaii, in front of 50 000 spectators

Danny MacAskill (UK) Trials Bikes – spectacular stunt video seen by 350 000 on You Tube in 40 hours