Burger named Player of the Year

Springboks sweep the IRB awards

Some referees (in fact many of them) may not think so, but Springbok flanker Schalk Burger is undoubtedly the best rugby player in the world, this year. And South Africa is also rated the world's best team for 2004.

This much can be derived from the International Rugby Board (IRB's) awards ceremony held in London's Royal Lancaster Hotel on Sunday night.

Despite match officials' obsession with the blond flanker and the numerous yellow (and one red) cards he has received this year on the domestic and international scene, Burger has been rated as the best player at three separate awards ceremonies in the past month.

He was named South African Player of the Year shortly before the Boks' departure to the British Isles early in November. Then, early last week, he became the first player to win both the Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards at the International Rugby Players Association (IRPA's) ceremony in London.

And on Sunday night he took the big one - the IRB's Player of the Year award.

This means he has now been voted the best player for this year not only by all the top players in the world, but also the IRB's panel of experts.

Tri-Nations champions South Africa also scooped the awards for Team of the Year and Coach of the Year (which went to Jake White), for a clean sweep of the major categories at the IRB Awards ceremony on Sunday night.

The Springboks can consider the accolades just reward for a fine 12 months since what was considered to be a disappointing Rugby World Cup for such a rugby-crazed nation.

Fittingly, Burger's mentor on the Under-21 international scene was Jake White, the man that the IRB's elite panel - including Francois Pienaar, Keith Wood, Rob Andrew and Fabien Galthié among others - selected as this year's IRB Coach of the Year.

"Schalk's emergence as a major force has meant a lot to South African rugby, but has also influenced world rugby," said White.

"People have looked at the way he springs up so quickly from the tackle, he's like a bouncing ball. He's become to South African rugby what Jonty Rhodes was to South African cricket. It's amazing what he has achieved in such a short time so far in his international career."

South Africa also beat off Grand Slam-winners France, as well as high-achievers Portugal, to win IRB Team of the Year.

The glittering ceremony was attended by some of the great names of rugby's past and present including panellists Keith Wood and Dan Lyle, British and Irish Lions manager Bill Beaumont and Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan.

The award for IRB Sevens team of the year went to New Zealand, who once again start the new IRB Sevens series as defending champions when the first event kicks off in Dubai this week, while England's Sevens captain Simon Amor was named IRB Sevens player of the year.

The Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished service went to 1959 Lion's captain Ronnie Dawson, who also went on to become Chairman of the IRB in a remarkable rugby career, while Senegalese Rugby Federation President Guedel Ndiaye won the IRB Development Award in recognition of his work in building rugby in the country of his birth.

Frenchman Marcel Martin, an integral part of the Rugby World Cup movement since its inception, was presented with the IRB Chairman's Award, while New Zealander Jarrod Cunnningham won the Spirit of Rugby Award for his motivational and indomitable spirit in the face of a life-changing muscle-wasting disease.

List of Award winners:
Player of the Year: Schalk Burger (South Africa)
Team of the Year: South Africa
Coach of the Year: Jake White (South Africa)
U19 Player of the Year: Jeremy Thrush (New Zealand)
U21 Player of the Year: Jerome Kaino (New Zealand)
Sevens Team of the Year: New Zealand
Sevens Player of the Year: Simon Amor (England)
Spirit of Rugby Award: Jarrod Cunnningham
Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service: Ronnie Dawson
Referee Award for Distinguished Service: Jim Fleming
Womens Personality of the Year: Donna Kennedy
Development Award: Guedel Ndiaye
Chairmans Award: Marcel Martin