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Rugby: Can you name every SA Rugby Player of the Year winner since 1992?
Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth became only the second player to walked away with the prestigious accolade SA Rugby’s Player of the Year at the SA Rugby Awards 2023 in Johannesburg.
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Springbok lock Eben Etzebeth became only the second player to win back-to-back SA Rugby’s Player of the Year awards on Thursday evening.
The 32-year-old second rower was recognised for his stellar season at the SA Rugby Awards 2023 at a ceremony in Johannesburg on Thursday.
The other finalists were Pieter-Steph du Toit, the first player to win back-to-back awards in 2018 and 2019, as well as Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe and Damian Willemse.
Etzebeth, who made his Test debut in 2012 and was nominated for World Player of the Year last year, won the coveted award for a second successive time after helping the Springboks lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a second time in a row in France last October.
Have a look at this photo gallery as The South African website took a walk down memory lane with SA Rugby Player of the Year winners.
Meanwhile, Etzebeth is among the front-runners to be named Springbok skipper for the team’s first Test of the year against Wales.
The Springboks will take on the Welsh on neutral ground at Twickenham in London on Saturday, 22 June.
One of the reasons for the match not taking place at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff is that pop icon Taylor Swift has a concert scheduled.
New Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has made it clear that he is looking for a South Africa-based national captain.
Current skipper Siya Kolisi is now based in France, while Etzebeth represents the Sharks.
Will Etzebeth make it a hat-trick of Player of the Year awards next year?
Only time will tell …
SA RUGBY PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS (SINCE 1992):
1992: Tiaan Strauss
1993: Gavin Johnson
1994: Chester Williams
1995: Ruben Kruger
1996: André Joubert
1997: Os du Randt
1998: Gary Teichmann
1999: André Venter
2000: Breyton Paulse
2001: André Vos
2002: Joe van Niekerk
2003: Ashwin Willemse
2004: Schalk Burger
2005: Bryan Habana
2006: Fourie du Preez
2007: Bryan Habana
2008: Jean de Villiers
2009: Fourie du Preez
2010: Gurthrö Steenkamp
2011: Schalk Burger
2012: Bryan Habana
2013: Jean de Villiers
2014: Duane Vermeulen
2015: Lood de Jager
2016: Pieter-Steph du Toit
2017: Malcolm Marx
2018: Pieter-Steph du Toit
2019: Pieter-Steph du Toit
2020: Duane Vermeulen
2021: Siya Kolisi
2022: Eben Etzebeth
2023: Eben Etzebeth