Plumtree and Vermeulen honoured
Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:12
John Plumtree and Duane Vermeulen show off their August awards. (c) Gallo
The Sharks' run of unbeaten form over the course of August has earned coach John Plumtree the Coach of the Month Award, with Western Province loose forward Duane Vermeulen recognised for his outstanding play and named as Player of the Month.
In choosing a winner, players are rewarded for their play and contribution to SA Rugby and WP star Vermeulen was recognised for his consistent performances in the Currie Cup.
The rewarded for successful leadership, saw a unanimous decision awarding Coach of the Month to Plumtree.
"I don't think there is any one thing, we've worked pretty hard in all areas," Plumtree said.
"It's a tough competition this year, all the teams are pretty competitive and the points table is pretty packed," he added.
"From my side, I want to thank Grant Bashford, Hugh Reece-Edwards, Ryan Strudwick and the rest of the management group for the hard work they've all put in.
"It's been really tough work, especially after losing the first game. There was a lot of doubt I think about how good we could be and how competitive we would be based on our Super 14 performance, so it was great everyone knuckled down and worked hard.
"Stefan Terblanché has been outstanding in his leadership and the leaders he's got working with him."
Commenting on the current Currie Cup Competition, the Sharks coach agreed that it had been very exciting.
"The competition is excellent this year. With the Boks out, it has provided opportunities for some of the other teams to catch up, the sides have all evened out a bit.
"What Mitch (John Mitchell) has done at the Lions, bringing in his type of organisation, the players are really believing in themselves up there and they're a strong side. Western Province are always going to be a threat and Free State never go away.
"It's hard to pick what the Top Four will be, let alone a winner. That's really positive for the competition."
While Western Province has suffered three consecutive defeats during their last few games in the Currie Cup, Vermeulen has consistently been one of the standout performers during this year’s competition.
"From a team perspective, this past month has been tough for us at Western Province with ups and downs, so to be named Player of the Month is really a great honour," Vermeulen said.
"There are exceptional players representing eight teams in the Currie Cup every weekend, so to be recognised for my on-field performances is also an honour."
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