As the United Rugby Championship edges closer to crowning its
inaugural champions, the winners of the URC Awards will be
announced over the coming weeks.
A total of ten individual
prizes are up for grabs, along with places in the end-of-season Dream Team.
While some of
the awards are determined by URC StatMaster data provided by Oval Insights, others will be
voted on by a panel of media representatives from all five territories involved
in the competition. Players' Player of the Season and Loch Lomond Coach of the
Season are voted for by the Coach and Captain and Vice-Captain of each team
respectively.
Winners will be
revealed via online announcements during the URC Play-Offs, with three prizes
set to be dished out in the build-up to the Final Eight.
Semi-finals week
will see Top Try Scorer, Ironman, Dream Team along with the identity of this season’s
Next-Gen Star unveiled. As well as Vodacom Fans' Player of the Season.
The Players’
Player of the Season and Loch Lomond Coach of the Season round off the awards season in
the build-up to the Grand Final.
Here is a full
list of the awards on offer, the winning criteria and when the victors will be
announced.
Tackle
Machine
Criteria: Players
who have made 150 or more tackles during the regular season will be eligible
for the award, with the individual who boasts the highest accuracy taking home
the prize.
Winner
announced: Tuesday, May 31
Turnover
King
Criteria: This
award will be heading home with the player who has won the most turnovers
during the regular season, with jackal turnovers used as the tie-breaker.
Winner
announced: Tuesday, May 31
Gilbert
Golden Boot
Criteria: The
Gilbert Golden Boot is awarded in recognition of the most accurate
place-kicker, with all kickers who have attempted a minimum of 30 ranked by
their success percentage.
Winner
announced: Wednesday, June 1
Top Try
Scorer
Criteria: Awarded
to the player who has scored the most tries during the regular season.
Winner
announced: Monday, June 6
Ironman
Criteria: The Ironman
award is given to the player who has racked up the most minutes in the regular
season.
Winner
announced: Monday, June 6
Dream
Team
Criteria: The
Dream Team will be determined by a media vote. Players must have made nine
appearances to be considered, with the media panel provided a shortlist of 10
per position by URC StatMaster. The player with the most votes in each position
earns a place in the team.
Winners
announced: Tuesday, June 7
Next-Gen
Star of the Season
Criteria: This
award is open to players who were aged under 23 at the beginning of the season
and had earned no more than five international caps at that point. It is
another that will be determined by a media vote and the nine-appearance
threshold also applies here. This award is to recognise young up-and-coming
talent.
Winner
announced: Wednesday, June 8
Vodacom
Fans' Player of the Season
Criteria: The
prize for the Vodacom Fans Player of the Season will be voted for by rugby fans
around the world. https://comms.unitedrugby.com/5GVN-JR4X-3ISQUQ-EX4QS-1/c.aspx" rel="nofollow - Winner
announced: Thursday, June 9
Loch
Lomond Coach of the Season
Criteria: The
prize for the URC’s top coach will be voted for by all 16 of the competition’s
head coaches.
Winner
announced: Tuesday, June 14
Players’
Player of the Season
Criteria: This
prestigious award will be voted on by Captains and Vice-Captains of each URC club, with all
nominees again required to have made a minimum of nine appearances.
Winner
announced: Wednesday, June 15