Habana voted SA's best

Best of the best: Bryan Habana

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Springbok winger Bryan Habana was on Thursday named South African Rugby Player of the Year for the third time.

Western Province picked up a brace of awards as their Currie Cup and Vodacom Cup success was recognised at a glittering ceremony at the Cape Town International Airport.

The Sharks also scored off the field, with three awards heading to Durban.

Habana (29) was rewarded for his striking form as he helped the Stormers to the top of the log in Super Rugby and the semi-finals of that competition, while extending his record try-scoring streak with the Springboks to 47.

Habana was in superb form in the Green and Gold this year and scored seven tries in 2012, including a hat-trick against Australia at Loftus Versfeld in the Rugby Championship, resulting in him being the top try scorer in the inaugural season of the competition.

He also took the field in the Currie Cup final in Western Province colours and won the coveted trophy with this team for the first time, after tasting glory with the Blue Bulls in 2009.

Unfortunately a knee injury sustained in the match rules him out of the tour to Ireland, Scotland and England.

The speed merchant's third award comes after similar accolades in 2005 and 2007. He becomes only the second player to win the title more than two times, following in the footsteps of Naas Botha, who won it four times.

Habana's award was the finale of a star-studded night during which 16 awards were won for rugby excellence across all age groups and competitions in 16 categories.

Western Province had three more winners on the night with Demetri Catrakilis and Deon Fourie being named Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup Players of the Season and Eben Etzebeth walking away with the Young Player of the Year award.

The Sharks also scored a treble on the night with their Currie Cup team being named Team of the Year and their head coach John Plumtree, walking away with the Coach of the Year award. Sharks captain Keegan Daniel was voted as Super Rugby Player of the Year by the six franchise coaches.

Junior Bok midfielder Jan Serfontein, who was named Player of the Tournament after the IRB's Junior World Cup in South Africa in June, was almost a shoe-in for the SA Under-20 Player of the Year award, while Griffons utility back Hansie Graaff grabbed the spoils of Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year.

Cecil Afrika got the award for Springbok Sevens Player of the Year for the second year running in a new voting process which saw media and the public each contributing 50% of the vote.

The SARPA Players' Player of the Year Award went to Springbok winger JP Pietersen, while Bryan Habana's try against New Zealand in Dunedin was voted Supersport Try of the Year by the channel's viewers.