SA Rugby Player of the Year: The last 30 winners

The Springboks have been a powerhouse in the sport since the country transitioned to a democracy in 1994 and it was in that year the first-ever black player won the SA Rugby Player of the Year award.

Aside from being a symbol of transformation and the power of sport to unify, Chester Williams was a world-class winger, helping South Africa in its build-up to the 1995 Rugby World Cup, where he scored four tries in one match.

Since then, the names of rugby legends are recorded as winners of the award. Bryan Habana and Pieter-Steph du Toit have each won it three times while Eben Etzebeth has secured it twice in consecutive years.

Other players who have won it twice include Schalk Burger, Jean de Villiers, Fourie du Preez and Duane Vermeulen.

Burger’s wins were especially impressive as they came seven years apart. He won SA Rugby Player of the Year in 2004 when he was 21 years old. Proving he lost none of his touch, the enigmatic flanker won it again in 2011 at the age of 28.

On Thursday night, Cheslin Kolbe won the award, becoming the eighth backline player to win the award since 1994 and the first to do so since De Villiers won in 2013. He beat fellow Springbok nominees Pieter-Steph du Toit, Damian de Allende, Eben Etzebeth and Ox Nche to the trophy.

SA Rugby Player of the Year award winners since 1994