
Hanekom and Louw take home the booty at Bulls player awards
Cameron Hanekom and Wilco Louw were the big winners at the Vodacom Bulls Player Awards held in Pretoria on Wednesday evening.
On a dazzling night when players swapped rugby gear for glam, it was celebration all round as Hanekom, the Vodacom Bulls No 8, was named Fans Player of the Year, Investec Champions Cup Forward of the Year, Investec Champions Cup Player of the Year and Vodacom United Rugby Championship Forward of the Year, an extraordinary sweep by one of the team's most outstanding players.
Louw, meanwhile, was rewarded for his heroic front row efforts by being named Vodacom Bulls United Rugby Championship Player of the Year and winning the Vodacom Bulls Senior MVP award.
Sizophila Solontsi, who travels with the South African squad to the Rugby World Cup tomorrow, was named Isuzu Bulls Daisies Players Player of the Year and MVP.
Jannes Kirsten cracked the nod as Vodacom Bulls Carling Currie Cup Player of the Year, while Canan Moodie took home the Investec Champions Cup Back of the Year award.
In most cases, awards were determined by coaching staff and management, while players themselves voted for players' player awards. Additionally, the fan awards were adjudicated by Vodacom.
FULL LIST OF AWARD WINNERS
Vodacom Bulls U19 Back of the Year: JT Kapank
Vodacom Bulls U19 Forward of the Year: Jean Erasmus
Vodacom Bulls U19 Players Player of the Year: Abri van der Westhuysen
Vodacom Bulls U21 Back of the Year: Logan Opperman
Vodacom Bulls U21 Forward of the Year: Corne Beets
Vodacom Bulls U21 Players Player of the Year: Corne Beets
Isuzu Bulls Daisies Back of the Year (Puma): Patience Mokone
Isuzu Bulls Daisies Forward of the Year (Isuzu): Faith Tshauke
Isuzu Bulls Daisies Players Player of the Year (GP Consult): Sizophila Solontsi
Vodacom Bulls Carling Currie Cup Back of the Year: Chris Smit
Vodacom Bulls Carling Currie Cup Forward of the Year: Joe van Zyl
Vodacom Bulls Carling Currie Cup Player of the Year: Jannes Kirsten
Vodacom Bulls Investec Champions Cup Back of the Year (Puma): Canan Moodie
Vodacom Bulls Investec Champions Cup Forward of the Year (Isuzu): Cameron Hanekom
Vodacom Bulls Investec Champions Cup Player of the Year: Cameron Hanekom
Vodacom Bulls United Rugby Championship Back of the Year: David Kriel
Vodacom Bulls United Rugby Championship Forward of the Year: Cameron Hanekom
Vodacom Bulls United Rugby Championship Player of the Year: Wilco Louw
Employee of the Year (BrightRock): Collen Khoza
Vodacom Bulls Newcomer of the Year (Ram): Keagan Johannes
Vodacom Bulls Team Man of the Year (Richelieu): Johan Grobbelaar
Vodacom Fans Player of the Year: Cameron Hanekom
Isuzu Bulls Daisies MVP and Player of the Year: Sizophila Solontsi
Vodacom Bulls Junior MVP (Afgri): Corne Beets
Vodacom Bulls Senior MVP: Wilco Louw.
Cameron Hanekom and Wilco Louw clean up at the Vodacom Bulls awards: https://t.co/7iIOk9ycbB#BullsAwards2025 pic.twitter.com/YdmB38gyFp
— Clinton van der Berg (@ClintonV) August 13, 2025
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Daily Maverick
6 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Gutsy Wallabies stun Boks with sensational comeback, ending 62-year Ellis Park drought
Australia overcame a 22-0 deficit to beat the Springboks 38-22 in the Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park on Saturday. The Wallabies ended a losing streak of 62 years at Ellis Park with a magnificent come-from-behind effort that must rank as one of their greatest-ever victories. They turned over a 22-0 deficit after 29 minutes to run out 38-22 winners, stunning the 55,000-strong Ellis Park crowd. It's an outcome that will rock the Springboks to the core after one of their best starts was followed by a disastrous second half. The margin of defeat was the heaviest in the Rassie Erasmus era, which started in 2018. It was the first time that the Boks have conceded five tries in a half in the same period. And to compound matters, the Boks Rugby Championship defence is already in trouble as they failed to win a single log point while Australia took five from the contest. The Boks can point to being on the wrong end of a penalty count with frustration. Referee Ben O'Keeffe was hard on the Boks at the breakdown as the world champions conceded 10 penalties, while Australia somehow only infringed four times. At least two of Australia's six tries were scored after clear forward passes that went unpunished, but the reality was the visitors were the better team. The Boks mentally fell apart, the longer the Wallabies stayed in the game. Australia mined deep wells of reserve to stay composed after a ferocious Springbok onslaught in the opening quarter, which should have settled the matter. The Boks had chances to kill the game off when they led comfortably, but three times they failed to convert when on Australia's tryline either side of halftime. With each little positive outcome, the Wallabies grew in confidence while the Boks wilted. The Wallabies 'won' the second quarter 5-0 and from there their confidence grew. Erasmus will have some serious thinking to do because the drop-off in performance was alarming. From a position of total command and control, the Boks disintegrated into rabble. They were beaten at the breakdown and the lineouts fell apart. They also overplayed once they were 22-0 up, failing to control the game from a position of strength. Heart If there is one thing this Wallaby team has shown in 2025, it's that it possesses heaps of character. They were unlucky to lose the series against the British & Irish Lions 2-1, after a poor first half in the first Test. In some ways, this match was a microcosm of the Lions series, only this time Australia came out on top. They were rocked back in the first half but dominated the second, scoring five of their tries after halftime. Fullback Tom Wright, captain and No 8 Harry Wilson, scrumhalf Nic White, flanks Tom Hooper and Fraser McReight, lock Nick Frost and centre Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i were immense, but singling out individuals is unfair. This was a collective effort that resulted in a stunning win against the odds. The Springboks produced a near-perfect opening quarter, scoring three tries as they rocked the Wallabies, but didn't quite break their spirit. The bombardment started from the kick-off. Lock Lood de Jager gathered White's kick and set up a ruck. Scrumhalf Grant Williams launched a contestable kick, which Wallaby fullback Wright spilled on the 10-metre line to give the Boks possession. The Boks then launched into attack mode, taking the ball through multiple phases, utilising both power and finesse. Marco van Staden, centre André Esterhuizen, lock Eben Etzebeth and others featured prominently, before Kurt-Lee Arendse finished in the left-hand corner. The time on the stadium clock read 1:33. The game was barely two minutes old and the Wallabies were on the rack. The restart to the try followed the same pattern, with De Jager collecting and Wright spilling Williams' kick, leading to Australia being buried in their own territory without a way to escape. It was almost painful to watch as Wallaby defenders were smashed back in contact as the Boks warmed to their task. It was relentless. Manie Libbok, who conducted the brutal orchestra from a comfortable lectern created by his forwards, landed a tenth minute penalty to grow the lead. Minutes later Esterhuizen scored his first international try in his twenty-first Test after another breathtaking build-up featuring Libbok, Jesse Kriel and Pieter-Steph du Toit in the final phase. It was rugby from another level. Captain Siya Kolisi added the team's third try after 18 minutes, when he was alive to a small hole around the fringes of a ruck close to the Wallaby line after another period of Bok assaults. When Libbok converted the score was 22-0, and it seemed there was no way back for the shell-shocked Wallabies. Comeback kids But if there is one thing Australia showed in the series loss to the British & Irish Lions, it's that they possess resilience and no shortage of nous. They stemmed the bleeding, thanks to a slew of breakdown penalties against the Boks – four in seven minutes – while Van Staden was off the field for a head injury assessment. This was the Wallabies' best period of the first half, and they were rewarded with the try for left wing Dylan Pietsch, after some clever manipulation of space down the short side. It was also a wake-up call for the Boks to tidy up their breakdown work after a lull. It was a warning they never heeded. The home team ended the half strongly and came close to scoring again, but valiant Wallaby defence kept them at bay and allowed the visitors brief sanctuary in the changeroom. But after halftime, when the Boks again failed to score when deep on the attack, Australia started to chance their arm and scored some superb breakout tries. Wilson scored the first of his two tries from what was a forward pass by prop Angus Bell. No matter, it stood, and suddenly there were only 10 points in it. When Sua'ali'i intercepted a Libbok pass 40m out to score, there were only three points in it. Wilson grabbed a second try minutes later from another linebreak to unbelievably give the Wallabies the lead. When wing Max Jorgenson scored the fifth try, which had its genesis inside Australia's 22 and from a wildly forward pass, the game was up. Wright added a sixth try as the Boks tried to run from deep and spilled the ball, to sum up their second-half display and a serious bout of soul-searching. DM Scorers:


The Citizen
8 hours ago
- The Citizen
Springbok player ratings from 38-22 defeat to Australia at Ellis Park
Some of the Bok players performed well individually, but as a team they were well beaten on Saturday. The Springboks suffered a shock 38-22 defeat to the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship opener at Ellis Park on Saturday. After scoring three early tries and being 22-0 up after 20 minutes, the reigning champions conceded six tries and 38 unanswered points to go down to the Wallabies at the stadium for the first time since 1963. Here is how The Citizen rated the performance of the Bok players, out of 10. Aphelele Fassi 5: He tried hard on attack, without making much ground, while his kicking out of hand was poor. Didn't get too many opportunities to show his true potential. Edwill van der Merwe 7: He was excellent in defence, chasing back on two occasions to nullify dangerous situation. Looked dangerous with ball in hand. Jesse Kriel 6: He made one excellent line break which led to a try by the Boks, made a few tackles and missed a few as well – one resulting in an Aussie try. André Esterhuizen 8: He was excellent in defence, making good reads and tackled hard, while he also carried well over the gainline, with one good break, scored a first Test try. Kurt-Lee Arendse 7: He scored a try, was excellent in the air contesting for ball and made a few good defensive plays, one of which prevented a potential try. Manie Libbok 6: His distribution was good, he made one quality line break, while his kicking, to goal and out of hand, was decent. He made a poor pass which resulted in an Aussie try. Grant Williams 7: His service was good, he looked dangerous with ball in hand without ever really threatening, while his kicking game was top notch. The dejected Springbok players at the end of the match against Australia at Ellis Park on Saturday. Picture: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images Siya Kolisi 7: He carried strongly on a number of occasions and cleaned rucks, while he also did well to pick up and score a try. Left the action after 45 minutes. Pieter-Steph du Toit 8: He played a role in Andre Esterhuizen's try with a good offload, he stole a lineout ball with Aussies on attack and made several big carries and tackles. Marco van Staden 7: He made a number of big carries early on to get the Boks on the front foot and he tackled hard, but faded as the game went on. Lood de Jager 7: He carried strongly in the early stages, and made a number of tackles, especially in dangerous situations. Eben Etzebeth 8: One of his best Tests in some time. He was all over the place; he carried well and tackled superbly, and was a menace in the lineouts and jumping for high kicks. Wilco Louw 6: He scrummed well on the few occasions he had to, but otherwise enjoyed a quiet game. Needs to get more involved in general play. Malcolm Marx 6: He missed his lineout target on three occasions, but won a breakdown penalty and was busy in the tight-loose, often collecting loose ball and carrying. Ox Nche 6: He scrummed well when he had to, and carried on one occasion and made a few tackles. Bench 4: Not the best outing for the 'bomb squad'. Kwagga Smith was the busiest of them all, while Canan Moodie missed a tackle which led to a try and Damian Willemse was stepped for a try. Bongi Mbonambi missed a lineout, while Boan Venter, Asenathi Ntlabakanye, and Franco Mostert were back-pedalling. Cobus Reinach made a late appearance.


The South African
8 hours ago
- The South African
Rassie Erasmus: 'I'm embarrassed, we were really awful'
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said his team's defeat by Australia in their Rugby Championship match at Ellis Park was 'really awful' and admitted he was embarrassed to appear at the post-match press conference. RELATED | Springbok SHOCKER: Hey Rassie, what was THAT? 'We were really awful, and they were very good, but we made them better,' said Erasmus after the 38-22 defeat. 'We can find excuses but they gutsed it out and, yes, we gave them one or two soft tries with an intercept here and a loose pass there, but overall, they were just better than us on the day. 'They beat us in most departments. We didn't scrum them, they beat us in the lineouts, and they bullied us at the breakdown after Siya Kolisi went off and Marco van Staden had to go off for an HIA. 'We as coaches got it terribly wrong and we have to look at ourselves before we point fingers at the players. 'From now until next Saturday, we're going to take a lot of flak, but we take credit when we do well, and we have to take the flak when we do badly. 'I'm saying it with a smile not because I'm happy but I'm saying it with a smile because that's the reality of rugby and we're really disappointed and we're feeling bad for our players and we're feeling bad for our supporters and for overall what we produced on the field.' Rassie Erasmus admitted that the team for next week's return match at Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town had already been picked but that he may now reconsider. 'We have always said that if we don't play well and we lose momentum – and we did both, we played badly and lost momentum – we might change our thinking,' he said. 'We had a chat now in the change room and that may now change, but we want to get Ethan Hooker, Canan Moodie and Morne van den Berg and a few others a start but we'll have to rethink.' Rassie Erasmus also admitted that the physicality of the Wallabies had caused problems that the Boks failed to overcome. ALSO READ | EXCLUSIVE: Latest pictures of Siya the black springbok 'I don't think they tactically outsmarted us, but they physically dominated us, and the interesting thing is that the longer the game went on they were supposed to struggle but it just shows what Wallaby coach Joe Schmidt is building there. 'The saddest thing is that they took five points, and we didn't fight back to take a bonus point. I can butter this up and make excuses, but we were really terrible on the day.' Erasmus rued missed chances and said he would have to review the messaging the players were being given. READ | Springboks lose World Rugby No 1 ranking after horror Ellis Park performance 'Grant Williams had so many breaks where he almost got away, and Manie had so many breaks where he almost got away the same with Edwill and that changes games,' said Erasmus. 'When you're 22-0 up and there's lots of space and the player thinks 'let's take a chance', and that's coaching; that's us. Telling the guys let's build an innings, 22-0 is not winning the game. 'It was a bad loss in a bad way – not against a bad team – and we didn't have the fight until the end; there was a stage where I felt our heads were dropping and our shoulders were slumping and that bothered. 'But we had a quick chat, and everyone is very disappointed and how you see the game and how our supporters will feel but tactically we totally overplayed every time we thought something was on.' The second match against Australia takes place at Cape Town Stadium in Cape Town on Saturday, 23 ugust. Kick-off is at 17:10. 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.