Duane Vermeulen was the big winner at Saru's awards ceremony on Sunday.

The Bok No 8 was named SA Player of the Year, Players' Player of the Year and Vodacom Super Rugby Player of the Year.

Confirmation of Vermeulen as the country's best came as no surprise after he had been nominated for the World Rugby Player of the Year award, won by All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick.

Meanwhile, Bok flyhalf and Junior Boks captain Handré Pollard was named Young Player and SA U20 Player of the Year, with Seabelo Senatla winning the Springbok Sevens Player of the Year award.

Western Province were rewarded for winning the Currie Cup with the Team of the Year award, while the Golden Lions’ Johan Ackermann was named Coach of the Year.

On the domestic competition scene, the winners in the various categories were Nizaam Carr of Western Province (Currie Cup Premier Division), Boela Abrahams of the Griffons (Currie Cup First Division), Renaldo Bothma of the Pumas (Vodacom Cup), Michael Nienaber of Rustenburg Impala (Community Cup) and Curwin Bosch of Eastern Province (Craven Week Player of the Year).

Oupa Mohoje was named as scorer of the Try of the Year for 2014, voted for by the SuperSport commentators, for his solo-effort against the Crusaders in Bloemfontein.

2014 Saru award winners:

Player of the Year: Duane Vermeulen
Young Player of the Year: Handré Pollard
Players’ Player of the Year: Duane Vermeulen (Stormers, Springboks)
Springbok Sevens Player of the Year: Seabelo Senatla
SA U20 Player of the Year: Handré Pollard
Team of the Year: Western Province (Currie Cup)
Coach of the Year: Johan Ackermann
Super Rugby Player of Year: Duane Vermeulen (Stormers)
Vodacom Cup Player of the Year: Renaldo Bothma (Pumas)
Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year: Nizaam Carr (Western Province)
Currie Cup First Division Player of the Year: Boela Abrahams (Griffons)
Try of the Year: Oupa Mohoje (Cheetahs vs Crusaders, Super Rugby)
Referee Award: Craig Joubert
Women’s Achiever of the Year: Fundiswa Plaatjie
Community Cup Player of the Tournament: Michael Nienaber (Rustenburg Impala)
Craven Week Player of the Tournament: Curwin Bosch (Eastern Province)

Winners of SA Rugby magazine fans' awards

Photo: Saru