SPRINGBOK STARS AND NATALIE DU TOIT ‘DELIGHTED’ TO BE NOMINATED FOR 2010 LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS

Rugby World Champions South Africa and courageous disabled swimmer Natalie du Toit have expressed their delight at being nominated for the 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards.

The Springboks were named International Rugby Board Team of the Year in 2009, and they have now been short-listed for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award, while Natalie du Toit, who is breaking down the barriers between disabled and able-bodied sport, is nominated for Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability.

The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during the period January 1 - December 31, 2009, are recognised as the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled during a televised Awards Ceremony staged in Abu Dhabi on March 10, 2010.

Speaking at a special Laureus Nominations event in Cape Town, Springbok coach Peter de Villiers said: “It is fantastic for the Springboks to be nominated for the second time in three years. This is due recognition to the efforts of many people, most importantly the players, who have embraced excellence and who are prepared to put their bodies on the line for their country and their fellow South Africans." Also present were Springbok star players Schalk Burger and Bryan Habana.

The year began for the Springboks with a closely-fought 2–1 series win over the British and Irish Lions, which they followed with a convincing win in the Tri Nations Series, beating the All Blacks twice and losing only to Australia in Brisbane. Those performances took them to No 1 in the IRB rankings. South Africa will be bidding for a Laureus double after receiving the 2008 Laureus Team Award following their Rugby World Cup win in France in 2007.

Springbok captain John Smit, who was not able to be at the event, said: “The Laureus Nomination confirms that the Springboks have been able to take their game up a level since winning the World Cup in 2007. This continued success hinges on the vision of the coaching staff who have met the challenge of inheriting the World Champions, as well as the players, old and new, who have dedicated themselves to ensuring that the Springboks will consistently be a force to be reckoned with."

Natalie Du Toit made history in Beijing in 2008 when she became the first amputee ever to qualify for the Olympics, where she finished 16th in the 10km open water swim. She is one of only two athletes to have competed in both the Olympic Games AND the Paralympic Games. In the Paralympics, she became the toast of South Africa after winning five gold medals.

In 2009, she kept up her remarkable performances and continued to dominate able-bodied and disabled swimming in South Africa. She also managed to break her goal in swimming, winning the 10km FINA women’s swim in under 1hr 57mins in Dubai. In December she was presented with the order of ‘Ikhamanga In Gold’, by President Zuma, the highest honour any South African athlete can receive. Natalie has previously been nominated for the Laureus Disability Award in 2004. She is also a member of the Laureus Friends & Ambassadors programme.

Natalie said: “As a friend of Laureus I am honoured to have been nominated for this year’s disability award. Sport in Africa gives an opportunity for the underprivileged to rise above their means and I am pleased that FIFA has recognised South Africa on behalf of Africa to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup and we hope that both the Springboks and myself will be able to fly our flag high in Abu Dhabi.”

Laureus World Sports Academy Member and rugby legend Morné du Plessis, who was manager of the Springboks when they won the Rugby World Cup in 1995, said: “I am delighted that the team has been nominated again. They had a terrific first part of the year and thoroughly deserve their Nomination. And what can you say about Natalie du Toit. She has done almost more than anyone to bridge the gulf between able-bodied and disabled sport and her performance in Beijing was historic. She also does great work for charity in South Africa.”