Cape Town - Former Springbok captain Corne Krige has congratulated Pieter-Steph du Toit on his SA Rugby Player of the Year award.
The Springbok and Stormers lock fought off strong challenges for the top award from his second row partner Eben Etzebeth, and a trio of Boks from the Lions, Ruan Combrinck, Jaco Kriel and Warren Whiteley.
Despite strong competition for the award, Krige - who played 39 Tests for the Boks between 1999 and 2003 - feels Du Toit deserved the accolade.
He took to Twitter to congratulate Du Toit:
Congrats to PSdT for wining SA rugby player of the year. Well deserved. https://t.co/umD59N0GFa
— CorneKrige (@CorneKrige6) October 24, 2016
Krige, who was a SA Rugby Player of the Year nominee 2000, captained his country in 18 Tests.
List of awards winners:
SA Rugby Player of the Year: Pieter-Steph du Toit
Nominees: Ruan Combrinck, Eben Etzebeth, Jaco Kriel, Warren Whiteley
Young Player of the Year: Malcolm Marx
Nominees: Curwin Bosch, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Seabelo Senatla, RG Snyman
Players’ Player of the Year: Jean-Luc du Preez (Sharks)
Team of the Year: Lions (Super Rugby)
Nominees: Springbok Sevens, Free State Cheetahs (Currie Cup Premier Division)
Coach of the Year: Johan Ackermann (Lions, Golden Lions)
Nominees: Brent Janse van Rensburg (Boland), Neil Powell (Springbok Sevens)
Junior Springbok Player of the Year: Curwin Bosch
Nominees: Manie Libbok, Jeremy Ward
SA Sevens Player of the Year: Seabelo Senatla
Nominees: Kyle Brown, Rosko Specman
Super Rugby Player of Year: Elton Jantjies (Lions)
Nominees: Ruan Combrinck (Lions), Warren Whiteley (Lions)
Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year: Ox Nche (Free State Cheetahs)
Nominees: Huw Jones (Western Province), Nico Lee (Free State Cheetahs)
Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year: Masixole Banda (Border)
Nominees: Johan Deysel (Leopards), George Whitehead (Griffons)
SuperSport Try of the Year: Jacques Nel (Golden Lions v WP, Currie Cup Premier Division)
Coca-Cola Craven Week Player of the Year: Damian Willemse (WP)
Referee Award: Rasta Rasivhenge
Springbok Women’s Achiever Award: Marithy Pienaar
Best Development Programme Award: Blue Bulls Rugby Union