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By RUGBYMag.com Staff (Photo Will Ris)
RUGBYmag.com has unveiled its 2009 Awards, with winners in 14 categories.
The men’s winners are announced today, with the women’s winners coming a little later this month.
RUGBYmag.com Men’s 2009 Awards:
Player of the Year: Todd Clever
The key indication of what Clever brought to the team was how he lifted the Eagles’ play when he joined them in the middle of the June test cycle. Clever has the ability to impose his will on a game, and certainly did that to ensure the Eagles qualified for the World Cup.
7s Player of the Year: Kevin Swiryn
Profiled here. Swiryn’s strike rate is astounding, and he’s a clutch player. He is the undisputed leader of the current 7s team, and when he returns from injury time off, will certainly give them a boost in 2010.
Overseas Performer of the Year: Todd Clever
See why here. Clever is the first American to play in the Super 14, and he proved he has the right to be there.
Domestic Performer of the Year: Volney Rouse
With apologies to Danny LaPrevotte, Rouse is our man. It’s worth noting that SFGG lost only one game in the Super League this year, and it was a game they were leading before Rouse left with an injury. He led the league in scoring, and kicked the winning points in the final.
College Player of the Year: Steve St. Pierre
We talk to St. Pierre here. He was the emotional leader of the BYU team that downed Cal and won the 2009 national title.
U19/HS Player of the Year: Don Pati
Superb scrumhalf from Highland (and yes, he’s a US citizen). Helped lead Highland to yet another national title, earned a scholarship to the IRANZ Academy, where he was awarded camp MVP over players from New Zealand, Australia, and other major rugby nations. Now on the U20 team, and deservedly so.
Breakout Performance of the Year: Will and Nic Johnson
No relation. Nic is someone we’ve been talking about for a while, but he finally got his shot, and boy did he take it. Will Johnson is a tue breakout because he’s still very new to the game. But his command of the tighthead position is all the more impressive because of that.
Most Improved: John van der Giessen, Hayden Smith
Eighteen months ago lock was a position that caused some worry. Not enough aggression, not enough power or precision. These two have brought it back. VDG is an old-fashioned hard worker, and Smith is an imposing and impressive athlete who can become world class. In basically a season they have, through their own hard work and some great coaching, made lock a position of strength, rather than one of weakness.
Game of the Year: BYU v. Cal
No one who was there wasn’t rapt. It had it all – great plays, controversy, drama, desperation, sportsmanship. A wonderful advertisement for the sport, and the result should give plenty of other college programs hope.
Moment of the Year: Scrum v. Canada
The USA pack shoved the Canadians back on their haunches, forcing an altercation between players where the Americans were equal aggressors. Captain Todd Clever is told by the ref to calm things down, and Clever nods, then smiles to his players, nodding as if to say “that’s the way to do it.” The Eagles won that game, and while they lost to Canada a week later, the message is sent. The pride is back.
7s Moment of the Year: USA 7s in San Diego
USA made the semifinals in front of a raucous home crowd. Scores: USA 14 South Africa 15, USA 17 Australia 12, USA 26 Canada 0, USA 14 Kenya 7, USA 14 Argentina 19. They got kind of screwed at the end of that Argentina game, but it was an awakening – a teaser of what could be.
Club of the Year: Life University
They soon will become the first club to also field a college team, and then they can win awards in two divisions.
Referee of the Year: Chris Henshall
We could put Dana Teagarden here because she referees men on a regular basis. But we won’t.
Coach of the Year: Dan Payne
Well it seems clear we should pick someone like Al Caravelli or David Smyth or Paul Keeler. But we won’t. Payne produced something great in the San Diego State team, something that will last even though he has left for Life University. Life hasn’t taken a step backward by any means since he moved to Georgia.
And then there’s the matter of the USA national team. We can give credit for their improvement to a lot of people, and Payne takes some of that credit. We talked a bit about bringing pride back, Payne was one of the men who did that.
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