The Springboks only won 61% of their matches in 2022, but in every one of those 13 contests, giant lock Eben Etzebeth was one man who consistently left the field with his reputation enhanced.

In a year when an elite group of senior Springbok players, from Siya Kolisi, Lukhanyo Am, Frans Malherbe and Kurt-Lee Ardense (the other four finalists in the category), to Malcolm Marx and Willie le Roux, all shone, it was Etzebeth who glowed the brightest.

Like actors when nominated for an Oscar against Meryl Streep or Daniel Day-Lewis, they just know that as good as their performances were, there was someone better.

Etzebeth’s colossal and seminal season was based on a foundation of impeccable work with his primary tasks in the lineout, scrum and tight loose. It was elevated by his superb moments in attack, uncompromising defensive steel, almost manic competitiveness and his wincingly physical output while never straying across the disciplinary threshold.

It was a body of work that should have earned him a World Player of the Year nomination at the very least, which, shamefully, it didn’t.

Eben Etzebeth and England’s David Ribbans compete for the lineout at Twickenham on 26 November 2022. (Photo: Henry Browne / Getty Images)

As if Etzebeth’s week couldn’t get any better after his club team the Sharks won in Scotland last Saturday (without him), he will marry long-time partner Anlia van Rensburg on Saturday. Van Rensburg, a professional singer, sang the national anthem when the Boks played Wales in Cape Town last July, which marked Etzebeth’s 100th Test cap.

“It’s obviously a privilege, I looked at the names on the trophy and there’s some wonderful individuals on there. But it’s a team sport and also well done to the other nominees, I think they were all fantastic,” Etzebeth said.

“There are so many other guys who don’t always get recognised, but it’s nice to win this trophy for the first time.

“I got engaged last year and I’m getting married this Saturday… that’s probably my biggest achievement yet, getting the best trophy I can get,” he added with a smile.

“Getting my 100th [cap] with Anlia singing the national anthem that day was special. Also, to have my family and her family there was special… and now this trophy, it’s special getting recognised as an individual. [But] it’s a team sport and you always put the team first and want the team to do well.”

Etzebeth, along with several other senior Springboks, will be rested for the coming three weeks and will miss a crucial part of the United Rugby Championship campaign.

But with a 12-month season, since South African clubs started playing in the URC and more recently the European Champions and Challenge cups, finding gaps for Bok players to rest, with an eye to Rugby World Cup 2023, is a fine balancing act.

Read in Daily Maverick: “Eben Etzebeth’s long quest for respect”

“I can’t believe the wedding is this Saturday. It’s also nice to have some off time. We’re going to relax after that,” Etzebeth said.

“The last couple of months have been hectic, moving back from France. Our rugby schedules are very busy and [we] had to find a place in Durban and settle down in between trying to plan a wedding.

Visit Daily Maverick’s home page for more news, analysis and investigations

“So, it’s going to be nice to finally marry the woman of my dreams this coming Saturday and then after that just enjoy some quality time alone with her.”

Malherbe, who also enjoyed a fantastic season, is also getting married this weekend, which is stretching the allegiances of several of their teammates, who can’t attend both celebrations.

“Siya (Kolisi) is at my wedding and Scarra (Ntubeni) at his (Malherbe’s). I told Siya they have to video call each other at some stage during the evening and then just give the phones to me and Frans so we can congratulate each other.

“The opportunity was there for us to get married this weekend so both of us could have a nice honeymoon. We would definitely have been at each other’s weddings, but I wish him all of the best, he’s also found a wonderful wife and I know they’ll be very happy.”

Other winners

Bulls and Bok wing Canan Moodie won the Young Player of the Year award and Nadine Roos was named Springbok Women’s Player of the Year.

Moodie – who celebrated his Springbok debut last year with a superb try against Australia in Sydney while still an Under-20 – was nominated ahead of Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, Jaden Hendrikse, Evan Roos and Henco van Wyk, underlining the rich vein of talent coming through in South Africa.

Canan Moodie scores for the Boks against Australia in Sydney on 3 September 2022. (Photo: Matt King / Getty Images)

Nadine Roos is tackled by Laure Sansus of France during their 2021 World Cup clash at Eden Park in Auckland on 8 October 2022. (Photo: Phil Walter / Getty Images)

Roos highlighted her versatility in 2022 as she shone for both the national XVs and sevens teams in two Rugby World Cup tournaments, and she was rewarded for her brilliant form by being included in the World Rugby Dream Team after the RWC Sevens in Cape Town in September.

Hard-working forward JC Pretorius won the award for Springbok Sevens Player of the Year during a season in which the Blitzboks won four tournaments and just missed out on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title. The other nominees were Selvyn Davids and Zain Davids.

Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who led the SA Under-20s to a clean sweep of four wins in the Six Nations U20 Summer Series in Italy, was named Junior Springbok Player of the Year, edging out teammates Suleiman Hartzenberg and Ruan Venter.

The Stormers, who won the inaugural URC title, were voted as the Team of the Year, with John Dobson duly taking the award for Coach of the Year (Evan Roos was named URC Player of the Season in June last year). The other nominees in these two categories were the Springboks and Jacques Nienaber, and Currie Cup-winning coach Jimmy Stonehouse of the Pumas. DM

The winners:

SA Rugby Player of the Year: Eben Etzebeth

Finalists: Lukhanyo Am, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Siya Kolisi, Frans Malherbe

SA Rugby Young Player of the Year: Canan Moodie (Springboks/ Bulls) 

Springbok Women’s Player of the Year: Nadine Roos

Springbok Sevens Player of the Year: JC Pretorius

Junior Springbok Player of the Year: Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu

Team of the Year: Stormers

Coach of the Year: John Dobson (Stormers)

Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year: Sebastian de Klerk (Pumas)

Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year: Jaywinn Juries (Griffons)

Provincial Women’s Player of the Year: Lusanda Dumke (Border Ladies)

Referee of the Year: Aimee Barrett-Theron

United Rugby Championship Player of the Season (announced last year): Evan Roos (Stormers)