Sacha scoops Cameron Hanekom and Wilco Louw to win SA URC Player of the Season Award
The awards keep coming for Springbok and Stormers utility back Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who has been crowned South Africa's United Rugby Championship Player of the Season for 2024/25.
On his mantle piece, he already has the SA Rugby Young Player of the Year award. Feinberg-Mngomezulu is one of four South African players who won awards this season, with Cameron Hanekom, Deon Fourie, and Ruben van Heerden also featuring amongst the winners for 2024/25, while the Sharks were also rewarded for their innovative approach to the match day experience.
The talented 23-year-old went up against two of his Springbok teammates, the Bulls duo of Hanekom and Wilco Louw, for the prestigious South African award, and his sublime form for the Stormers, in which he dictated play with class and played a key role in the team's goal-kicking, saw him grab the title.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
2 hours ago
- The South African
Kaizer Chiefs set to snatch rising star Ime Okon from rivals
Kaizer Chiefs are reportedly closing in on a major signing ahead of the 2025/2026 season, with highly-rated defender Ime Okon believed to be on the brink of joining the Soweto giants. The 21-year-old's contract with SuperSport United ends this month, allowing him to leave as a free agent, and Chiefs have wasted no time in making their move. After lifting the Nedbank Cup, Amakhosi are determined to build a squad capable of challenging on all fronts under incoming coach Nasreddine Nabi. Okon, who has drawn attention with his physical presence and calmness on the ball, is understood to be a key piece in that puzzle. 'They (Kaizer Chiefs) see him (Ime Okon) as a long-term solution at centre-back. I mean, he is only 21 and he could challenge (Inacio) Miguel, who is almost 30, for that position. On top of that, his contract expires soon,' a source told The South African . Okon previously caught the eye of scouts abroad, having attended trials with Danish top-tier side FC Midtjylland and Ukrainian giants Dynamo Kyiv over the past 18 months. Despite impressing, no deal came to fruition, and he returned to see out his contract with Matsatsantsa. This presented Chiefs with a golden opportunity, and they appear poised to capitalise. Okon recently featured for Bafana Bafana in the COSAFA Cup. Which further strengthens his reputation as one of South Africa's most promising young centre-backs. His potential, youth, and international exposure make him an attractive prospect for a club eager to rebuild and restore glory. With negotiations believed to be at an advanced stage. And it looks increasingly likely that Okon will don the black and gold of Amakhosi next season. Will Okon be good enough to wear the Kaizer Chiefs jersey? Let us know by leaving a comment below or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Sharks vs Bulls: Siya Kolisi fired up for Loftus showdown
Based on the heavy criticism directed their way, you could be forgiven for thinking the Sharks have had a poor season in the United Rugby Championship, but Springbok skipper Siya Kolisi said all that matters is putting in a strong performance in their semi-final at Loftus Versfeld, in Pretoria, on Saturday. The Sharks finished the regular season third on the 16-team table, behind only the Bulls and Leinster. The Sharks scraped through their quarter-final against Munster, winning in a rare penalty shootout. One of the reasons there's been much criticism of the Sharks is that they have no fewer than 12 Springboks in their squad. Though regular captain Eben Etzebeth has been ruled out for the semi, it's not much of a disruption for Kolisi to take the captaincy reins. His first point of order was batting aside unwarranted jabs at his side. "I know this is a massive topic, there are many reasons why we haven't played to our full potential. A lot of people are looking at the results and the way we play,' Kolisi told "The most important thing is we are winning, and we know there will be a day where we will play well. We have a lot of confidence [in beating the Bulls] as our team has done this before. We have beaten the Bulls three times this season, but we know all of that means nothing and it will be a new fixture this weekend. We have a lot of confidence heading into the match.' During the penalty shootout with Munster, Sharks scrumhalf Jaden Hendrickse mysteriously lay prone on the field with apparent cramp after taking his kick. He was then seen winking at Munster's Jack Crowley in a clear act of gamesmanship, which sparked outrage from the visitors and on social media. Kolisi, though, gave his full backing to Hendrickse following the incident. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with what Jaden did there. These things happen in rugby, and other teams have done similar things before. Sometimes people also say things to me in a game, and the onus is on the person and what they do when they are provoked." "There are players in Jack's team [Munster] who also do the exact same thing to other players from the opposition. It's just that this time on the day, it was heard from the referee's mic. We stand with Jaden!" @Michael_Sherman IOL Sport
IOL News
5 hours ago
- IOL News
Jake White: Goosen's return crucial for URC playoffs as Bulls eye victory over Sharks
Bulls flyhalf Johan Goosen is back from injury and will start as flyhalf in the URC semi-final against the Sharks in Pretoria on Saturday Image: BackpagePix Johan Goosen trained like he hasn't been away and that is one of the reasons why Jake White included him in the Bulls' starting team for the United Rugby Championship (URC) semi-final against the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld. The Pretoria side will look to snap a two-match losing streak this season on Saturday evening (6.15 pm kick-off) as they aim for a consecutive finals berth in the tournament. Goosen is the only change to the starting lineup, with Keagan Johannes dropping to the bench for the do-or-die duel. White says considering how well Goosen has played next to scrumhalf Embrose Papier and inside centre Harold Vorster, he has no doubt the flyhalf will slot in with ease. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ 'One thing about him (Johan) is that he is always in and out and in. So if anyone says he is not game-ready, that is usually how he has played in his career,' White explained the inclusion of the veteran. 'I am sure some of you guys watched a bit of training and those who have will see that it's like he hasn't been away. That is what I always say: at the end of these playoff games, you need your best players fit, available, and ready. Whatever happens during the season is just part of that building blocks. 'To have him back, we have 14 of the 15 players that played last week, so that is continuity. He is a Springbok and our number one 10. We have Keagan who's played really well for us on the bench. It is a good position to be in.' YOUR team to face the Hollywoodbets Sharks tomorrow at Loftus in our VURC Semi-Final 🔥🔥🔥 GRAB YOUR TICKETS NOW 🏆 🎟️TICKETS ➡️ 🐂Vodacom Bulls vs Hollywoodbets Sharks 🗓️7 June | ⏰ 18:15 | LOFTUS @Vodacom #URC | @URCOfficial_RSA #ForeverBlue — Official Blue Bulls (@BlueBullsRugby) June 6, 2025 White put a question mark behind the omission of Eben Etzebeth from the Sharks' announced squad. He added that they will worry about the team when they get to Loftus on Saturday. Etzebeth was not included in the Sharks' match-day squad with Siya Kolisi taking over as captain in his absence. According to White, they are preparing as if the Durbanites will bring their best team to Pretoria. 'This is probably one of the best Sharks teams on paper. It reminds of Pieter Muller, Henry Honiball, Jeremy Thompson, Kabous van der Westhuizen, and André Joubert. They were all Springboks. 'There are not many players in that team who are not Springboks. In fact, 15 of the 54 players (in the Bok squad for the mid-year Tests) are from the Sharks. So, it is not a bad team to have. 'They have played well in big games, whether it is the Challenge Cup final or whenever they had a big game, they played well. In Springbok games too, so it won't be easy. We don't think for one moment that it will be. They've beaten us twice this year and there is a reason for that.' 🔥 This iconic derby have given us some absolute stunners 🔥 This Saturday, they're back to battle for a place in the Grand Final 🏆 Grab your spot and get ready for more magic 🎟️👉 #URC | #BULvSHA — Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) (@URCOfficial_RSA) June 6, 2025 White says they expect it to be as tough as it can be, and they will have to play as well as they can to get the desired outcome. He added that he told his players it would be like (Bok) trials for them on Saturday, but he doesn't want them to play like it is trials. White wants a team effort from his side. 'They know this is an opportunity in front of the selectors and the public for them to stake a claim. Our job is to tell them it is not about the individual. I told them in the changeroom they have been picked (for the Boks) for what they've been doing for the last 18 weeks.
