Du Preez walks away with SA award

Top award: Fourie du Preez

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Blue Bulls scrum-half Fourie du Preez was on Monday named as the SA Rugby Player of the Year for the second time in his Springbok career.

The in-form nine picked up the crown at the end of an impressive season during which the teams he represented won every available prize.

Du Preez - who lifted the award for the first time in 2006 - claimed the Super 14 and Currie Cup titles with his province as well as helping the Boks to the IRB World Ranking summit in conjunction with the Tri-Nations title and 2009 Lions victory.

Also nominated for the gong were newcomers Morné Steyn - who kicked a succession of title-winning goals - backrow sensation Heinrich Brüssow, Springbok captain John Smit and lock Victor Matfield - who lined up with Du Preez in every title-winning team.

"They were any number of outstanding Springbok performers who could have been among the nominations," said Mark Alexander, deputy president of the South African Rugby Union at the event.

"It's a tribute to the sustained excellence of Fourie's play that he was chosen by the media for this prestigious award. There are very few players in world rugby who can claim to be as influential as he is."

Brüssow was named as Young Player of the Year; the Springboks were Team of the Year and Peter de Villiers was chosen as Coach of the Year among the other main awards, which are voted for by rugby journalists. Steyn was selected by his peers as Players' Player of the Year.

Steyn collected three awards in total as the Blue Bulls fly-half was also named as Test Player of the Series against the British & Irish Lions, while his record-breaking efforts for the Bulls' in their march to the Super 14 title earned him the player of the competition award.