We have given you our Super 14 Team of the Tournament and as has become tradition we will also aggrandize the good deeds of individuals and teams, and censure those who are deserved of our brickbats.

Some of these awards we hand out are serious and some not so serious. You may well have a few of our own. Email them to us and we'll publish the readers' awards.

We will start with the serious awards and slowly drift into the more colourful citations!

Team of the tournament: Was there ever any doubt? The seven times Super Rugby champions, the Crusaders!

Player of the tournament: This was tough, as many players put their hands up ? we think of Ryan Kankowski, Andries Bekker, Phil Waugh, Richie McCaw... in fact all the usual suspects. However, our award goes to the man who hops between Rugby Union and Rugby League with seamless ease ? Brad Thorn.

Best back: Again the candidates were plentiful, but our award goes to that multi-talented Western Force star Matt Giteau, who makes it all look so easy.

Best forward: The obvious thing would be to give it to Thorn, as he was obviously the best, but we decided to go with this one for another player. He is a cult figure in Durban and the cries of 'Beeeeaaaast' are still reverberating around the world's television screens. He is South Africa's latest Zimbabwean import, Tendai Mtawarira.

Best referee: It is ironic to think that rugby politics (read here backstabbing from within his own country) robbed him of a chance to referee at last year's World Cup, but Mark Lawrence bounced back to be the best on the Super 14 circuit in 2008.

Worst referee: Sorry to say, but this is a serious award and it goes to that asinine New Zealander called Bryce Lawrence ? simply because he repeatedly illustrated his inability to stay calm, impersonal and accurate. His 'mistakes' bordered on deliberate, but we won't call him a cheat ... just yet!

Coach of the tournament: Well Rassie Erasmus took the Stormers from 10th to fifth and Ewen McKenzie took the Waratahs from 13th to second ? putting them both in line. However, there is no doubt that Robbie Deans once again rose head-and-shoulders above the rest ? the undisputed Super Coach!

Try of the tournament: Sharks Number eight Ryan Kankowski's second try against the Chiefs ? coming after a build-up that involved newcomer Jean Deysel and utility back Ruan Pienaar.

The David Nucifora Award: Waratahs coach Ewen McKenzie was given the ol' 'heave-ho' during the season, before very nearly taking his side all the way against the Crusaders ? reminiscent of the Brumbies' David Nucifora, who coached his team to the Super 12 title in 2004, despite being sidelined due to a players' revolt.

Most Improved Team of the Season: The Waratahs finished 13th last season and second this season ? not a bad turnaround at all! A special mention, too, to the Stormers, who ended 10th last year and came within a whisker of the semifinals this season. Rassie Erasmus has transformed the Capetonians into a pretty formidable side.

Most Disappointing Team of the Season: The Bulls ? from defending champions to 10th-place finishers. Take a bow Frans Ludeke.

The Dormant Volcano Award -? aka the Lesley Vainikolo Award for not firing: The Sharks' Tongan import Epi Taione ? what was Dick Muir thinking in the semifinal against the Waratahs?!

The Zimbabwean Dollar award for the worst investment of the season : To the Sharks for flying that headless 'torpedo' Epi Taione around the world ? despite his reputation as a volatile, dangerous, raging player - in short: a red card waiting to happen.

The Zinedine Zidane Using Your Head Award (sometimes also referred to as the Liverpool or Glasgow Kiss): Epi Taione. His 64th-minute head-butt against the Hurricanes was easily the worst moment in Super Rugby history, although Mr Zidane would have been proud! We wonder what Jeremy Thrush must have said about Taione's sister to warrant that act.

The Sampson Award for hair and facial growth: Hurricanes lock Jason Eaton ? thanks for bringing the Tom Hanks look from Cast Away back! (And thanks, too, for doing your bit for charity!)

The Andrew Hall and Shaun Pollock Award for 99 not out: Reds star Chris Latham and Super Rugby legend Tony Brown (Highlanders, Sharks and Stormers) ended the 2008 season on 99 Super Rugby caps. Latham is off to England later this year, whilst 33-year-old Brown ? who plays his rugby in Japan ? is probably at the end of the Super Rugby road.

Thanks for the memories: After 129 appearances for the Crusaders, Reuben Thorne will be moving on, to Japan. He might not be remembered as the greatest All Blacks skipper of all time, but he was a damn fine leader at this level and a huge part of the 'Red and Blacks' SEVEN Super Rugby titles. A special mention, too, for Thorne's long-time Crusaders teammate, wing Caleb Ralph, who is also off to the Land of the Rising Sun after many loyal years in Christchurch. He ended on 135 appearances with 58 tries - leaving him one shy of becoming the most-capped Super Rugby player or the leading try-scorer of all time!

The Cirque du Soleil award for the most outrageous tackle: Sitiveni Sivivatu for his 'somersault suplex' on JW Jonker.

The Spear of Destiny award for the worst spear-tackle ? shared: Zane Kirchner on Dusty Noble, Digby Ioane on Casey Laulala.

The Caterpillar award for the biggest hit: Wycliff Palu on AJ Venter in the first Waratahs versus Sharks encounter in Sydney. To AJ's credit, he just dusted himself off, after what he described as the 'hardest tackle' of his entire career, and continued playing.

The Alan Shearer award for the best header: Cory Jane copping a Kurtley Beale clearance kick right in the face.

The Peter Parker award for the best superhero: Ali Williams' Spiderman outfit at a Crusaders media gathering ? deflecting the attention away from his first showdown with the his former Blues team-mates, which helped ease the tension and avoided numerous unwanted negative headlines.

The Stroh Rum award for the most inept performance: Lions utility back Earl Rose against the Hurricanes. Not surprising some people asked if he was indeed intoxicated.

The 'Iron' Mike Tyson award for ruining your own career: Former Western Force scrummie Matt 'Fists of Fury' Henjak for breaking team-mate Hage Sare's jaw in a pub brawl ? and it wasn't even his first altercation after a night on the town. The Sir Alex Ferguson award for league dominance: Crusaders coach Robbie Deans for five Super Rugby titles.

The Mont Blanc award for best try celebration: Cory Jane signing his name in the air after scoring against the Bulls.

The 'no words needed award for best use of sign language: Schalk Burger to the match officials.