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Cape Town - Springbok wing Aphiwe Dyantyi has been nominated as one of three candidates for World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award for 2018.
The other nominees for this prestigious award, now in its fourth year, are Ireland winger Jordan Larmour and New Zealand prop Karl Tu'inukuafe.
The previous winners of the award are New Zealand’s RWC 2015 winner Nehe Milner-Skudder, England forward Maro Itoje and All Blacks wing Rieko Ioane.
The 24-year-old Dyantyi marked his Springbok debut with a try against England in June and hasn’t looked back, starting in nine of South Africa’s Tests in 2018 and scoring six tries, including braces against Argentina and in the win over world champions New Zealand in Wellington.
Blessed with pace and power, Dyantyi, who only made his Super Rugby debut earlier this year in the colours of the Emirates Lions, was the joint top try-scorer in the Rugby Championship with five, as South Africa finished as runners-up.
To be eligible for this award, players must have played less than one year of senior international rugby, with former internationals Jamie Heaslip, Felipe Contepomi and Phaidra Knight sitting alongside members of the media on the panel that selects the shortlist.
The winner will be revealed at the World Rugby Awards, which take place at the Salle des Etoiles in Monte Carlo on November 25.
World Rugby chaiprerson Bill Beaumont commented: “The World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year award recognises the most exciting talent to burst onto the international XVs or sevens stage during the year and highlights the ‘ones to watch’.
“There were several outstanding candidates and the process of whittling the selection down to a shortlist was tough for the panel. We have three outstanding candidates, who would be worthy recipients of this prestigious award.”
This is one of 13 categories of awards, including the World Rugby Men’s and Women’s 15s Players of the Year, World Rugby Team of the Year, World Rugby Men’s and Women’s Sevens Players of the Year and Award for Character.
Previous World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Award winners:
2017 - Rieko Ioane (New Zealand)
2016 - Maro Itoje (England)
2015 - Nehe Milner-Skudder (New Zealand)
Three brilliant players have been nominated for World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year 2018 in association with Tudor. pic.twitter.com/OBzhqbCrPZ
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) October 26, 2018
