Boks in line for top award
15 Feb 2010
The Springboks’ magic 2009 season has resulted in a nomination for the World Team accolade at the Laureus Awards.
Last season, the Boks defeated the British & Irish Lions before winning their third Tri-Nations crown. The IRB awarded them the Team of the Year prize, and now they’re up against the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Yankees, FC Barcelona, Germany Women’s Football Team and Brawn Formula One for the ultimate award.
The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy – the ultimate sports jury made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled at the Awards Ceremony staged in Abu Dhabi on the 10 March 2010.
The Boks won this prestigious prize back in 2008 just a few months after capturing the World Cup.
51 Comments
15 Feb 2010, 15:15 pm
Komaaaaaaaan… give the thing to our Dragons!!!!!!!!!!!!
15 Feb 2010, 15:15 pm
Question is how many Americans are on the panel ?
15 Feb 2010, 15:18 pm
Hey – madddddnessssss… hoekom is die Bulls nie ook daarie???
15 Feb 2010, 15:22 pm
That’s awesome…
some tough competition…
STAAL… aren’t they just about the same thing anyway…
15 Feb 2010, 15:34 pm
Go Springboks!
15 Feb 2010, 15:35 pm
Brawn team will take it!
I will be pleasantly surprised if the Boks make it
15 Feb 2010, 15:39 pm
GO BOKKE!!!
15 Feb 2010, 15:45 pm
Sorry guys, but I reckon FC Barcelona will take it.
Spanish League honours,
Champions League
Spanish Cup
Supa Cup (World Club Cup if I’m not mistaken)
Was unbeaten in the league until yesterday. (remember soccer players play way more games per year than rugby players) waaay more.
They win it hands down…in my view. And I’m a rugby fan.
They also have the Best Footballer in the World(Messi).
15 Feb 2010, 15:46 pm
Can anyone shed some light on what the other teams achieved so we can look at the whole thing in context?
15 Feb 2010, 15:48 pm
Brawn dominated the F1 season but I doubt they’ll get it…
15 Feb 2010, 15:48 pm
@Staal: The bulls had 2 blemishes that’s why. They lost to the Reds and the Highlanders last year! Unforgivable!
15 Feb 2010, 15:52 pm
@ufo:
if they win the boks will accept the award on behalf of the bulls…
15 Feb 2010, 16:04 pm
@PissAnt:
The Springboks won the Laureus Team of the Year Award already, in 2008 after winning RWC 2007.
For the current nominees:
The Brawn Formula One Team: winning drivers and constructors world titles in its debut year.
New York Yankees: Their 27th – a new record – World Series triumph.
Los Angeles Lakers: Their 15th NBA title and record 30th play-off appearance.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Their record sixth Super Bowl.
FC Barcelona: Third Champions League final, Spanish domestic double – La Liga and Copa del Rey.
Germany Women’s Football Team: Their fifth consecutive European Championship title, including a 6-2 win over England in the final.
15 Feb 2010, 16:05 pm
The Boks also blemished a great year with the EOYT results.
15 Feb 2010, 16:06 pm
@WP Till I Die:
Tough crowd to compete against…
15 Feb 2010, 16:10 pm
@PissAnt:
Yes, I think it will count against us that we won it already in 2008.
At least the All Blacks have never won that award…
Although the English rugby team did, too, in 2004…after their 2003 RWC triumph…
15 Feb 2010, 16:17 pm
@PissAnt:
South Africans have done pretty well in the Laureus Sports Awards since its inception.
In 2001 Mike Horn won the award for Action Sportsperson of the Year. In 2003 Gary Player got a Lifetime Achievement Award for gold; in 2006 Ernst van Dyk won Sportsperson with a Disability of the Year and in 2008 the Boks won Team of the Year.
Not bad.
15 Feb 2010, 16:21 pm
Let’s hope all the Yank judges have just seen Invictus.
15 Feb 2010, 16:26 pm
@WP Till I Die:
Didn’t the New Orleans Saints win the Superbowl.
(Consider me blushing if it’s a stupid question.)
15 Feb 2010, 16:26 pm
Barca got that 1 all stitched up then.
15 Feb 2010, 16:29 pm
@katman:
:LOL:
15 Feb 2010, 16:30 pm
@WP Till I Die:
Dammit.
15 Feb 2010, 17:45 pm
Isn’t Anton Rupert a co-founder of the awards?
15 Feb 2010, 17:47 pm
@Vundu: Don’t know. Is he?
15 Feb 2010, 17:51 pm
As much as id like the bokkies to take it i think the Los Angeles Lakers had an amazing season and deserve it aswel so i think it will go to them. NBA Champions and destroying Orlando Magic like they was very impressive. Lets hope the bokke take it though
15 Feb 2010, 17:56 pm
Boks will get it next time…as 2011 World Champions
15 Feb 2010, 17:59 pm
@Storm outta hell: Ja! First team to defend RWC title too!
To make it the perfect year, the Stormers will defend their 2010 S14 title in 2011 too
15 Feb 2010, 22:31 pm
Won the “world series”
Who in the world are competing…
Man I don’t like the Americans… ARROGANT !!!
Give the award to the Jerry Springer show
15 Feb 2010, 22:52 pm
19 Dawn
The saints won this year… So will surely be in line for the 2011 award…
The Steelers won the SuperBowl last year.
Why do the Americans have such a monopoly on these awards anyway?
16 Feb 2010, 02:03 am
They are not going to give it to us 2 years out of 3. We do have a slim chance though because the IRB don’t vote.
16 Feb 2010, 05:28 am
“move along nothing to see here.” Sorry folks La Braugrana has this all sown up, the bokke can’t touch Barcelona, the Catalans will be adding this award to the collection of honours from last year…Pep Guardiola take a bow.
16 Feb 2010, 08:26 am
@PissAnt: There is no debate on this one.
A brand new team in Formula one, two very moderate drivers, limited budget, no history, no decent sponsors, etc, etc. However they did have the greatest mastermind in the sport leading the team.
To try and put it in a rugby perspective it would be the equivalent of the Spears being thrown into the deep end of the S14 this year and winning it…. thats how good Brawms effort was last year!
16 Feb 2010, 09:23 am
The Boks lost 4 out of their last 5 games in 2009, including two against mere English club second-string teams.
16 Feb 2010, 09:27 am
@TheTackler: in fairness I think Saracens had a mostly South African team out
16 Feb 2010, 09:36 am
Surely the only other serious contenders are Brawn and Barca?
The whole world does not revolve around the USA.
There is quite a few golfers and cricketers on the panel, luckily not many Americans, probably about 12??
16 Feb 2010, 09:37 am
i’d give it to brawn too. incredible to win the double in your first year in the most expensive sport around. if not them then barca. but getting nominated again so sonn after winning is awesome for the boks. no doubt the EOYT was a disappointment, but the boks had nothing more to prove after dispatching the lions, and thrashing the ABs 3 nil. that tour was simply a meaningless money spinner. no significant trophys on offer.
16 Feb 2010, 09:40 am
@WTF?!?: yes I’d prefer these went to international sports and not domestic affairs, the Yankees and Lakers can get a visit to the white house or something instead
16 Feb 2010, 09:41 am
i think Barcelona should get it
nt often does a team win the treble like Man U in 99 and we won team of the year then
16 Feb 2010, 09:58 am
Boks get nominated for prestigious Laureus Award once again…
Where is the Irish “Grand Slam” winning team???
Now we truly know who should have won IRB team of the yr…
16 Feb 2010, 10:42 am
@mshiniwami: Ireland can’t buy a win away from the northern hemisphere and have yet to beat the All Blacks since the Battle of Jerusalem. They aint sh@t.
Where’s Richie McCaw in the nominees department. I thought he was the best player on the planet last season?
16 Feb 2010, 12:15 pm
One Sean Fitzpatrick sits on the Committee @ Laureus.
That’s one vote you Okes won’t get.
For those worried about the Yanks……..12 of the 46 Committee members are from the USA. Every one a great. Jack Nicklaus, Marvin Hagler, Martina Navatilrova, Monica Seles etc…….
16 Feb 2010, 12:35 pm
Also on the Committe:
-Morné du Plessis (South Africa).
-And Mike Horn (SA). Whoever he is?
16 Feb 2010, 12:59 pm
@cane: Any reason why he won’t give us the vote? I mean, he did break the Kiwi’s duck in the Republic, so no hard feelings. And besides, he looked happy when the Boks won the award two years back!
16 Feb 2010, 13:16 pm
@BishopsOD:
Fitzy will know that the Two Saffas will vote for the Boks.
They will do this automatically, and with no regard to the merits of the other worthy Nominees.
Sean will only be trying to rectify this imbalance.
16 Feb 2010, 13:18 pm
@cane: That old **** Dempsey promised his vote and did a spectacular U-turn. Which is my way of saying…no suprises there!
16 Feb 2010, 13:31 pm
@BokiNZ: hehehehehehehe! Sad day in Japie/ANZAC relations!
16 Feb 2010, 13:49 pm
Barca, in 1 season, won:-
Copa del Ray (Spanish knockout, equiv to FA Cup)
Primera Liga (Champions of Spain)
European Champions League
World Club Cup.
They also provided the Worlds Best Player: L.Messi
The rest of them are fighting for scraps in this award.
16 Feb 2010, 13:51 pm
@Black Panther: Second that!
16 Feb 2010, 15:13 pm
Ok chaps — now Anton Rupert’s Richemont group started the Laureus sports awards (yes, he is a South African). I don’t think they hold much weight, hence the random venues in random parts of the world.
The reason why the yanks do so well is that they pretty much dominate everything outside of rugby, cricket and soccer. You cannot deny that. And if you look at the highly competitive nature of their domestic sport, you can see what it means to win a Super Bowl or Stanley Cup – there are never just four contenders, its always around 8 or 9 teams who could take it.
Now, if only they saw the value in rugby.
16 Feb 2010, 15:34 pm
@Vundu:
thats all very well.
But who would be your pick ?
16 Feb 2010, 17:56 pm
@Black Panther: Brawn GP – I don’t think a Formula 1 team will ever achieve the same feat again. Plus I’m a closet Man United supporter, so Barcelona can suck my left nut.
Woman’s soccer I think gets as much interest as the Varsity Cup.
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