Share

Cooke the best King for 2013

Port Elizabeth - Centre Ronnie Cooke has been crowned Eastern Province Rugby’s Player of the Year for 2013.

“There can be no doubt that 2013 has been one of the most challenging as well as one of the most exciting years that EP Rugby has been through in recent history, and it would not have been possible without the courage, commitment and determination of the players,” said CEO Charl Crous.

Crous said that the awards, which were handed out on Monday at an informal players end of year function, were just a small way of recognising the players' achievements and contributions over the year.

Starting with the Under-19 Player of the Year, Tyler Paul was the clear winner, while Aidon Davis walked away with the Under-21 Player of the Year award, as well as receiving an achievement award for being selected to play for the SA Under-20 team in the 2013 IRB Junior World Championship.

The Most Promising Young Star of 2013 went to Siviwe “Shakes” Soyizwapi who, having made just four first-team appearances was called to the Super Rugby squad following an injury to Hadleigh Parkes, and made his Super Rugby debut in the 28-28 draw against the Brumbies.

Soyizwapi went on to represent both the Currie Cup First Division team as well as the Under-21s before being called up to represent the SA Sevens Academy squad in Dubai.

Tim Agaba, who played for the NMMU Madibaz in the 2012 and 2013 Varsity Cup, as well as the  2013 Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup competitions, was named Rookie of the Year.

Best Try of the Year went to Sergeal Petersen for his first try against the Western Force in the debut game of the Kings.

Scott van Breda was awarded a merit award for his contribution to the team in 2013, and was also named the Supporters Player of the Year, an award sponsored by the official supporters club, the Kings Army.

Cooke, 29, received three awards in total. Aside from being elected as the Player of the Year for 2013, he was voted as the Players Player of the Year by his team-mates, and was also elected the Most Valuable Player of the Year by team management.

The complete list of award winners are:

Juniors

Under-19 Best player of the year 2013 -  Tyler Paul
Under-21 Best player of the year 2013 - Aidon Davis
Most Promising Young Star of 2013 - Siviwe "Shakes" Soyizwapi

Achievements

Achievement Award for 2013 - Aidon Davis
Merit Award for 2013 - Scott van Breda

Seniors

Rookie of the Year 2013 - Tim Agaba
Best Try of the Year 2013 - Sergeal Petersen
Players’ Player of the Year 2013 - Ronnie Cooke
Most Valuable Player of the Year 2013 - Ronnie Cooke 

Overall winner

EP Rugby Player of the Year 2013 - Ronnie Cooke
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
32% - 1840 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1808 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1100 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 468 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 193 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 259 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE