Vodacom Western Province coach Allister Coetzee and Vodacom Free State Cheetahs winger Lionel Mapoe on Wednesday received the awards of Absa Coach and Player of the Month for September in Cape Town.
Coetzee’s team is currently in second place on the Absa Currie Cup log and is only one point behind The Sharks. WP have enjoyed an impressive run this season and currently boast an undefeated home record at Newlands in the competition.
The Absa Currie Cup Coach and Player of the Month competition is designed to acknowledge and reward coaches for outstanding leadership; while players who are consistent and significantly contribute to the overall performance of the team, are also awarded.
“It’s a great privilege and an honour to receive this kind of recognition,” said Coetzee.
“However I must admit that rugby is a team sport and I firmly believe that my nomination has everything to do with the recent on-field performances of Vodacom Western Province. As a team, we continuously strive for consistency and our second position on the Absa Currie Cup log is a direct result of the effort being put in by the players and management.
“I would like to thank the judges for nominating me as the Absa Currie Cup coach of the month for September. It would also be great though, if at the end of October, I could again walk away with the coach of the month after we have an Absa Currie Cup winner!”
It was a unanimous decision made by the judges to select Coetzee as the September winner of the Absa Currie Cup Coach of the Month award. The judges felt that the Vodacom Western Province coach has done a superb job with his team this season, without many of his Springboks available for selection.
Mapoe, who represented the Springboks Sevens team during the 2008/ 2009 season, has been in excellent form for the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs during this season’s Absa Currie Cup.
“It’s indeed an honour and a privilege for me to accept this award if you consider that there are many outstanding players competing in the Absa Currie Cup,” said the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs winger.
There were many players in the running for the Absa Currie Cup Player of the Month award. However Mapoe’s impact on the field for the Vodacom Free State Cheetahs this month ensured that he walked away with the grand prize for the month of September.
“With the tournament coming to a climax and play-off positions at stake, there will be little room for error from the coaches and the players in the next two rounds. With one of the closest races for play-off positions in recent history, Absa Currie Cup fever is sure to grip the country and make for a memorable month of rugby leading up to the Final on the 31 October,” said Absa Sponsorship Manager, Desiree Pooe.