URC Next-Gen Player of the Season award: Six South African rugby players nominated

IOL News

2 days ago

Thanks to his breakthrough season at the Bulls, star No 8 Cameron Hanekom received a second United Rugby Championship award nomination this past week. He is up for the Next-Gen Player of the Season accolade, that recognises young talent in the competition, after also being shortlisted for SA URC Player of the Season.
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Six South African rugby players have been nominated for the coveted Next-Gen Player of the Season award in the United Rugby Championship (URC).
They hail from three local franchises: the Bulls, Stormers, and Lions, each fielding two contenders looking to claim this prestigious title for breakthrough talents.
Among those vying for the award is promising talent from the Bulls Cameron Hanekom, who with the Stormers' Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and teammate Wilco Louw, earned the honour of being nominated as the SA URC Player of the Season this past week as well.
Hanekom has had an outstanding season with the Bulls that saw him make his Springboks debut, and despite some niggles that interrupted parts of his season, the versatile No 8 has continued his upward trajectory.
The 23-year-old will play a key role in the Bulls' search for that elusive URC title as they prepare for the play-offs.
His local competition for the Next-Gen Player prize includes Loftus Versfeld teammate, prop Jan-Hendrik Wessels, standout Stormers duo André-Hugo Venter (hooker) and Suleiman Hartzenberg (utility back), as well as the Lions' rising backline stars, centre Henco van Wyk and fullback Quan Horn.
The Next-Gen Player of the Season award shines a spotlight on emerging players who demonstrate exceptional promise on the field during the season. Eligibility criteria dictate that nominees must be aged 23 or under at the commencement of the tournament and must have earned no more than five international caps before the kick-off.
Furthermore, contenders are required to have made at least nine appearances in the URC during the current season, making the competition more rigorous.
This year's shortlist features an impressive 16 nominees from various teams. In addition to the six players from South Africa, the list includes six nominees from Wales, two from Scotland, and one each from Ireland and Italy.