Loosehead prop Ox Nche’s exclusion from this 12 months’s nominations for World Rugby’s high award, regardless of his dominant performances for the Springboks, exemplifies a stark bias.
The governing physique introduced the shortlists for its 2024 awards on Monday. Nominated for the Participant of the 12 months are South Africa’s most capped participant of all time, Eben Etzebeth, with fellow two-time World Cup winners Cheslin Kolbe and Pieter-Steph du Toit, a former winner of the award in 2019.
Writing for The Telegraph within the UK, Ben Coles criticises World Rugby’s persistent oversight of props for the distinguished accolade, highlighting that no prop has ever been nominated since its inception in 2001.
Coles factors to a number of props who deserved recognition over time, together with Nche’s World Cup-winning teammate Frans Malherbe. He emphasises that props’ contributions prolong past scrummaging, noting their improved distribution expertise and defensive work.
Coles argues that this systematic oversight by World Rugby is “flat-out ridiculous” given props’ essential position in decisive matches.
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“Nche would have been a worthy nominee. Eben Etzebeth, Cheslin Kolbe and Pieter-Steph du Toit have all had wonderful years however there may be an argument for Nche edging out Du Toit, a winner in 2019,” Coles writes.
“Even in the event you can settle for Nche lacking out, how on earth, given this award has been going since 2001, with typically as much as seven gamers nominated in a 12 months, have we by no means had a males’s prop in rivalry?
“One begins to surprise what else props have to do to be thought-about. Maybe chew by two opposing props and ship the scrums uncontested whereas additionally knocking over a drop purpose off their fallacious foot.
“Over 23 years there have been 117 nominations for this award, and never even one prop? That appears absurd.”
Photograph: Steve Haag Sports activities/Gallo Pictures
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