Loosehead prop Ox Nche’s exclusion from this year’s nominations for World Rugby’s top award, despite his dominant performances for the Springboks, exemplifies a stark bias.
The governing body announced the shortlists for its 2024 awards on Monday. Nominated for the Player of the Year are South Africa’s most capped player of all time, Eben Etzebeth, with fellow two-time World Cup winners Cheslin Kolbe and Pieter-Steph du Toit, a former winner of the award in 2019.
Writing for The Telegraph in the UK, Ben Coles criticises World Rugby’s persistent oversight of props for the prestigious accolade, highlighting that no prop has ever been nominated since its inception in 2001.
Coles points to several props who deserved recognition over the years, including Nche’s World Cup-winning teammate Frans Malherbe. He emphasises that props’ contributions extend beyond scrummaging, noting their improved distribution skills and defensive work.
Coles argues that this systematic oversight by World Rugby is “flat-out ridiculous” given props’ crucial role in decisive matches.
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“Nche would have been a worthy nominee. Eben Etzebeth, Cheslin Kolbe and Pieter-Steph du Toit have all had excellent years but there is an argument for Nche edging out Du Toit, a winner in 2019,” Coles writes.
“Even if you can accept Nche missing out, how on earth, given this award has been going since 2001, with sometimes up to seven players nominated in a year, have we never had a men’s prop in contention?
“One starts to wonder what else props need to do to be considered. Perhaps chew through two opposing props and send the scrums uncontested while also knocking over a drop goal off their wrong foot.
“Over 23 years there have been 117 nominations for this award, and not even one prop? That seems absurd.”
Photo: Steve Haag Sports/Gallo Images
The post Ox more ‘worthy’ than PSDT for POTY appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Src: sarugbymag.co.za
