The Vodacom URC 25/26 Awards saw a number of DHL Stormers players recognised for their eye-catching exploits this season.
Flyhalf Sacha-Feinberg-Mngomezulu, No.8 Evan Roos and loosehead prop Ntuthuko Mchunu were all rewarded for their consistently outstanding performances, in a season which saw the DHL Stormers win 12 of their 18 league matches to finish third on the Vodacom URC standings.
All three players were named in the tournament’s Elite XV, which was voted on by a media selection panel, spanning all five territories within the competition.
To be eligible, players must have made nine appearances during the regular campaign, with the panel provided with a shortlist of 10 per position by URC StatMaster. The player with the most votes in each position then earned a place in the team.
The league’s top try-scorer Roos (12) and top points-scorer Feinberg-Mngomezulu (158) were both recognised for their efforts, along with their DHL Stormers team-mate Mchunu.
Roos ended up one try clear of Ulster Rugby winger Zac Ward and two above Ward’s team-mate Werner Kok and Connacht Rugby No 8 Sean Jansen.
The 26-year-old set the tone for what was to come by crossing twice in the opening game of the URC season against Leinster, while there was to be another double versus Edinburgh in March.
His table-topping tally also included tries against Ospreys, Scarlets, Fidelity SecureDrive Lions, Vodacom Bulls, Dragons RFC, Connacht, Glasgow Warriors and Ulster.
If that wasn’t enough, he touched down twice in the Investec Champions Cup and crossed the whitewash for the Barbarians against an All Blacks XV in November.
Feinberg-Mngomezulu also walked away with the prestigious Players’ Player award, which saw him chosen in a poll of the captains and vice captains from the 16 teams.
In outlining their motivations for selecting him, they talked about his X-Factor moments, his game-changing ability, his all-round threat and how beautiful he is to watch.
The 24-year-old Springbok star has certainly had some season.
He was the top points scorer in the regular Vodacom URC campaign with 158, while he was also second for goal kicking (113), third for defenders beaten (54) and in the top six for tries scored (9), clean breaks (20) and metres gained (762).
