Adriaanse voted WP's best
Maties captain Lourens Adriaanse walked off with the Western Province Club Player of the Year Award at a function held in Claremont on Tuesday evening.
The WPRFU held its annual awards at the Kelvin Grove Club – two weeks before the 2010 Currie Cup Final.
The event, held in conjunction with Die Burger, recognises clubs in the Western Cape and professional players who have performed well in 2010; with Adriaanse the big winner at club level and some Varsity Cup players also being fêtéd in the professional ranks.
The Varsity Cup-winning Maties skipper – who was voted as the Varsity Cup Forward of the Tournament – also captained his team to WP Super League glory this season, before going on to skipper his side to the final of the National Club Champs.
Adriaanse was thus a logical choice as the WP Club Player of the Year.
Flanker Duane Vermeulen was the star of the evening in the professional ranks, walking away with the award for Best Forward for 2010, as well as the prestigious Players’ Player of the Year Award, an award voted for by his peers.
The award for Best Backline player went to speedster Gio Aplon who has enjoyed a remarkable season, with former Varsity Cup-winning Maties star Juan de Jongh (2008) being awarded the Most Promising Senior player trophy.
With both the Province Under-19 and U21 teams finishing top of their logs and progressing to the finals of their respective tournaments, there was a lot of talent to choose from in the Junior Awards category.
Promising youngster Siya Kolisi (No.8) took honours in the U19 Best Forward category, with teammate William Van Wyk (flyhalf) chosen as the U19 Backline Player and fullback Ulrich Beyers as the Most Improved u19 player.
In the U21 category, winger Danie Poolman – another Maties Varsity Cup winner from this year – was the well-deserved winner of the Backline Player of the Year Award, with prop Allister Vermaak rewarded for a great season by being selected as Forward of the Year. Centre Berton Klaasen scooped the award for the Most Improved U21 Player.
In congratulating all the players, WP Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus commented: “Whilst the job is not quite done yet, the season has already been a remarkable one for WP Rugby and special congratulations goes to all the winners.”
