As if winning Saturday the 2019 World Rugby Cup trophy for the third time was not enough, the Springboks of South Africa have bagged three top World Rugby Awards at a ceremonial event in Tokyo on Sunday night.
Winning the accolades were Springboks Coach Rassie Erasmus, who was named as team coach of the year while Pieter-Steph du Toit crowned as world player of the year.
In addition, the Springboks were named as World Rugby team of the year.
With this latest honour, the Springboks this year have completed the unprecedented double of winning both the Rugby World Cup and the Rugby Championship in the same season.
The icing on the cake has seen the Boks finish the year as the topmost team in the world rankings for the first time since 2009.
Records show that 2019 is the Amabhokobhoko’s most successful season since 1998 when the team was in the middle of a 17-match winning streak.
On Saturday the national rugby team overran England 32-12 to win the Webb Ellis Cup final in Yokohama, Japan. The Boks return home on Tuesday to show off their wares to a waiting and enthusiastic nation.
NM/Dng/APA