The Springboks did not win the 2024 Laureus Team of the Year Award, and skipper Siya Kolisi lost the Comeback of the Year Award.
Kolisi was named to the TIME100: The Most Influential People of 2024, but lost to US gymnast Simone Biles. Spain’s women’s football team received the Laureus Team Award.
Watch highlights from the 2024 Laureus Sports Awards in the video below:
A magical night in Madrid ✨
Look back at the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards, an unforgettable evening at the historic Palacio de Cibeles in the heart of Madrid. #Laureus24 pic.twitter.com/UgHy4HoYQX
— Laureus (@LaureusSport) April 23, 2024
The Boks won the Laureus prize in 2020, but were not recognized in 2024, despite coach Rassie Erasmus’s motivational strategy of playing the French national hymn.
Tennis player Novak Djokovic won the Sportsman of the Year award, while Aitana Bonmatí, a female Spanish footballer, earned the Sportswoman of the Year award.
After Kolisi and the Boks were snubbed at the annual sports awards, local fans flocked to social media to express their disappointment.
According to Sharon Da Gama, the Mzansi stars never had a chance:
“Why were they even nominated? These awards are only for Europe and the USA!”
Jar Nev said the Boks should have won:
“Springboks are way ahead of any other team.”
Murray Tocker says you cant win it all:
“To be fair, we took home the 4 top awards in 2019.”
Lorraine Hartman is amazed:
“Surely our Boks / Siya should’ve won ? To win something 5 times means that no one else has done anything great in the last 4 years,but as South Africans we know who our winners are. Still Proudly South African.”
Tessa Horan is upset:
“Blatant favouritism. When politics enters sport it is toxic.”
Esmeralda Moore says the world is jealous of the Boks:
“The world is extremely envious and can never accept that South African Bokke are brilliant.”
Leonardo Joseph still applauds Mzansi’s stars:
“We know what we accomplished in comparison.”
Sonwabile Mlomo is outraged:
“Racism at its best. Absolute nonsense.”
Shawn Miller questions how the winners are chosen:
“Those awards are agenda-motivated. Boks are the reigning Rugby World Cup Champions. That’s enough.”
Linda van den Berg kept it short:
“Sour grapes!”
