adminJOHANNESBURG. — Springbok lock Pieter-Steph du Toit was named South African Rugby Player of the Year on Monday night at a ceremony near Johannesburg. He succeeds another second-row forward, Lood de Jager, as winner of the major domestic rugby individual award.After two injury-plagued seasons, Du Toit has been consistently impressive this year for Western Stormers in Super Rugby and South Africa in nine Tests. Apart from his line-out skills, the 24-year-old from Cape Town has been a formidable runner in loose play with three Test tries to his credit in 17 appearances. “I was an athlete at school and this helped develop my speed,” he told the audience at the annual awards function.
“Steering clear of injuries after two seasons in which I was constantly sidelined has been a highlight this year.”
Du Toit was part of the South Africa 2012 world junior championship-winning team and made his Springboks debut against Wales in Cardiff the following year. — AFP.
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