BlitzBoks named SA Team of the Year

The SA Sports Awards is annually hosted by the Department of Sport and Recreation of South Africa, recognising SA sports individuals and teams for their outstanding sporting contributions on and off the field.

Springbok Sevens pipped the South African Test Cricket team and the SA Lightweight Women's Rowing team to claim the prestigious award.

Sunday evening's accolade capped a successful 2014/15 season for the Springbok Sevens team. They were the first team to qualify automatically for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and finished second to Fiji on the final standings of the Sevens World Series.

Kyle Brown and his teammates also won Cup titles in Dubai and Port Elizabeth, where they successfully defended their home tournament title at the Nelson Mandela Bay SA Sevens.

Furthermore, Werner Kok and Seabelo Senatla were also nominated for the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, with Kok scooping the award in a close race with his top try-scoring teammate Senatla.

SARU president Oregan Hoskins praised the Springbok Sevens and said they deserved their award: "The Springbok Sevens players and management are fantastic ambassadors not only for our rugby, but also for our country."

"They always make an impression with their exemplary behaviour and their sportsmanship wherever they go and they deserve their award after a successful season which saw them qualify for the Olympic Games and deliver some outstanding performances on the World Series circuit across the globe.

"On behalf of SARU, I want to warmly congratulate them on their award and wish them well for the forthcoming season. I am sure every South African rugby fan is looking forward to seeing them in action at the inaugural Cape Town Sevens in December," said Hoskins.