Libbok and Goosen pick up Vodacom URC Awards

Springbok flyhalves Manie Libbok of the DHL Stormers and Johan Goosen of the Vodacom Bulls are the latest winners in the 2022/23 Vodacom United Rugby Championship Awards.

Libbok has been named as the Vodacom Fans' Player of the Season, while Goosen kicked his way to the Gilbert Golden Boot Award with his 90% accuracy at goal during the season.

The 25-year-old DHL Stormers flyhalf finished the regular campaign as the leading points-scorer with 167 from 16 appearances.

Two weeks ago, he added a further 18 to that tally with a 100% success rate from the tee with three conversions and four penalty goals as the DHL Stormers advanced to the Vodacom URC semi-finals by beating the Vodacom Bulls 33-21 in Cape Town.

And last Saturday, in front of a record crowd of 47 261 at the DHL Stadium, Libbok helped the DHL Stormers secure their place in the Vodacom URC Grand Final by contributing 23 points with two tries, five conversions and one penalty goal in their 43-25 semi-final victory against Connacht, after which he was named the Vodacom Player of the Match.

The Gilbert Golden Boot Award recognises the season's most accurate place-kicker, with all kickers who have attempted a minimum of 30 ranked by their success percentage, and Goosen, with a kick accuracy of 90% took the accolade.

After the Vodacom URC StatMaster numbers - provided by Oval Insights - were crunched, Goosen finished top of the tree having kicked 36 out of 40. Capped 13 times by the Springboks, Goosen saw his 2021/22 season cut short by a knee injury and missed half of the current campaign due to shoulder surgery.

The 30-year-old converted 10 of the Vodacom Bulls' 11 tries in the 78-12 Round 17 victory over Zebre Parma on 15 April to equal the record number set by Duncan Weir for Glasgow Warriors in 2016.

Vodacom Bulls team-mate Chris Smith was just behind on 89.09%, while the Ospreys™ Gareth Anscombe, last season™s winner, had a 100% success rate from his 10 kicks but wasn™t eligible this time.

The BKT Coach of the Season and Players' Player of the Season will be divulged next week in the lead up to the Vodacom URC Grand Final.

Vodacom URC Awards 2022-23

OFX Top Try Scorer: Tom Stewart (Ulster)Tackle Machine: John Hodnett (Munster)Turnover King: Thomas Young (Cardiff)Next-Gen Player of the Season: Tom Stewart (Ulster)Try of the Season powered by URC.tv: Joaquin Riera (Benetton)Ironman: Quan Horn (Emirates Lions)Gilbert Golden Boot: Johan Goosen (Vodacom Bulls)Vodacom Fans' Player of the Season: Manie Libbok (DHL Stormers)

Elite XV: 15 Kurt-Lee Arendse (Vodacom Bulls), 14 Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), 13 Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), 12 Daniel du Plessis (DHL Stormers), 11 Simone Gesi (Zebre Parma), 10 Ross Byrne (Leinster), 9 Grant Williams (Cell C Sharks), 8 Gavin Coombes (Munster), 7 Scott Penny (Leinster), 6 Vaea Fifita (Scarlets), 5 Federico Ruzza (Benetton), 4 Niall Murray (Connacht), 3 Finlay Bealham (Connacht), 2 Dan Sheehan (Leinster), 1 Steven Kitshoff (DHL Stormers).