The annual search for the absolute best in South African schoolboy rugby has officially arrived. Ruggas.co.za is proud to launch the 2026 Ruggas Awards, continuing our proud tradition of honouring the exceptional talent, fierce determination, and systemic excellence that defines our school rugby landscape. From individual playmakers to the historic institutions shaping the game's future, this is your chance to ensure your schoolboy rugby heroes get the recognition they deserve.
The journey to crowning this year's champions begins entirely with you, the fans, schools, and communities. Public nominations are officially open from 02 September 2026 until 12 September 2026. To submit your candidates for any of our official categories, simply email your nominations to awards@ruggas.rugby within this window. Whether it is an unstoppable front-rower, a tactical backline mastermind, or an inspirational coach, we want to see your nominations.
To guide your submissions, here are the official categories open for nomination this year, along with what our panel looks for:
* Player of the Year: The premier individual award presented to the single most outstanding overall schoolboy player of the season.
* Forward of the Year: Recognises dominant individual performances and physical excellence among front-rowers, locks, and loose forwards.
* Backline Player of the Year: Honours tactical playmakers, clinical kickers, and dangerous finishers across the backline numbers.
* Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Year: Awarded to the player whose overall consistency and leadership had the most significant, irreplaceable impact on their team's seasonal success.
* LSEN Player of the Year: Recognises the top-performing player competing within South Africa's Learners with Special Education Needs school rugby structures.
* Female Player of the Year: Celebrates the premier breakthrough talent and outstanding performances emerging within women's youth rugby circuits.
* Team of the Year (1st XV): Awarded to the single most dominant first-team match squad in the country based on seasonal records and schedule strength.
* Coach of the Year: Recognises the strategic excellence, player management, and tactical mastery of a 1st XV head coach.
* School of the Year: Evaluates overall institutional rugby depth, recognising the school with the highest collective success across all age grades (U14 through U19) rather than just the 1st XV.
* School of the Year (Most Improved): Highlights rapid developmental progress and significantly elevated performance curves by a rising school program.
* Administrator of the Year: Honours the behind-the-scenes efforts of Heads or Directors of Rugby who orchestrate scheduling, fixtures, funding, and developmental infrastructure.
* Award of Excellence: Celebrates monumental, lifetime, or season-defining contributions made by administrators, coaches, analysts, and organisers to the fabric of youth rugby.
Following the close of nominations, the race intensifies as we hand the power back to our readers. Official public voting will take place from 15 September 2026 to 26 September 2026. Once the public voting window slams shut, the stakes get even higher. The top three candidates per category will be officially locked in and forwarded to our expert rugby panel, who will review the data and make the final decisions. Everything builds toward the grand finale, with the official 2026 Ruggas Awards Evening scheduled for 09 October 2026, where the winners will write their names into schoolboy rugby history.
To help spark your inspiration, look back at the incredible legacy built by previous winners who have set the gold standard for South African school rugby over the years:
The historic Player of the Year crown was most recently won in 2025 by Markus Muller, succeeding an elite line of past winners including Pieter van der Merwe (2024), JJ Theron (2023), Stehan Heymans (2022), Niel le Roux (2021), Reinhardt Ludwig (2020), Henco van Wyk (2019), Evan Roos (2018), Cristin van Niekerk (2017), and the inaugural champion, Embrose Papier in 2016. In the engine room, the Forward of the Year title was claimed by AJ Meyer in 2025, following outstanding seasonal campaigns from Kebotile Maake (2024), Batho Hlekani (2023), JF van Heerden (2022), Corné Lavanga (2021), Rynard Mouton (2020), Simon Miller (2019), Celimpilo Gumede (2018), Mark Snyman (2017), and Muller Uys (2016).
The Backline Player of the Year award highlights pure flair and tactical skill, with Zekhethelo Siyaya taking the 2025 honours. Past backline speedsters include Luan Giliomee (2024), JC Mars (2023), Thurlon Williams (2022), Compion von Ludwig (2021), Curwin Gertse (2020), Kian Meadon (2019), Juan Mostert (2018), Abner van Reenen (2017), and Damian Willemse (2016). For the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, Josh Neill secured the honours in 2025, following previous MVPs Luan Olivier (2024), Tian Vorster (2023), Gino Cupido (2022), Damian Markus (2021), Hardus Rothman (2020), George Cronje (2019), Adrian Alberts (2018), Dameon Venter (2017), and Regardt du Plessis (2016).
In our specialised categories, the LSEN Player of the Year was won by Yusuf Hannibal in 2025, following previous division standouts Blessing Kwetle (2024), Believe Mwabi (2023), Jamaine Steyn (2022), and joint inaugural winners Manqoba M. Kubeka and Zinidene Whitebooi (2021). The Female Player of the Year title went to Endinalo Fihla in 2025, building on the legacy started by Abigail Smit (2024) and the inaugural division winner, Anja Le Roux (2023).
Collective dominance is celebrated through the 1stXV Team of the Year, which was hoisted by Paarl Boishaai 1stXV in 2025. They joined previous championship-winning squads from Paul Roos Gimnasium (2024), Grey College (2023, 2022), Oakdale (2021), Garsfontein (2020), Grey College (2019, 2018), and back-to-back titles for Paarl Boishaai in 2017 and 2016. Masterminding these systems are the winners of the Coach of the Year category, won in 2025 by Sean Erasmus. Previous coaching masterclasses were delivered by Corne Uys (2024), Johan "Duppie" du Plessis (2023), Peter Engledow (2022), Divan Batt (2021), Pieter Rossouw (2020), Wessel du Plessis (2019), Tjaart van der Walt (2018), and Sean Erasmus during his previous consecutive wins in 2017 and 2016.
Institutional strength is anchored by the School of the Year title, claimed in 2025 by Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies). Past top-performing institutions include Paul Roos Gimnasium (2024), Grey College (2023), Affies (2022), Garsfontein (2021), Affies (2020), Grey College (2019), Monnas (2018), Stellenberg (2017), and Parel Vallei (2016). Growth is also recognised via the School of the Year (Most Improved) prize, handed to Hoërskool Durbanville in 2025, following breakthrough transformations from Hoërskool Wesvalia (2024) and Hoërskool Garsfontein (2023).
Steering these massive operations behind the scenes are the winners of the Administrator of the Year award, captured in 2025 by Ruan Jacobs, who follows previous winners Oloff Berg (2024), Bobby Joubert (2023), and Ryno van der Merwe (2022). Finally, the prestigious Award of Excellence has honoured lifetime and immense seasonal contributions to youth rugby. Though the award was cancelled in 2021, its stellar roll of honour includes Chris Vorster (2024), Noel Ingle (2023), Dries Beetge (2022), Paul Dobson (2020), SARLA (2019), Sean Erasmus (2018), and Tony Stoops (2017).