Western Province coach Allister Coetzee and Free State Cheetahs wing Lionel Mapoe have been rewarded for their efforts over the past few weeks, as they received the awards of Coach and Player of the Month in Cape Town on Wednesday.

Coetzee’s team is currently in second place on the Currie Cup log and is only one point behind The Sharks. WP have enjoyed an impressive run this season and currently boast an undefeated home record at Newlands in the competition.

The Currie Cup Coach and Player of the Month competition, is designed to acknowledge and reward coaches for outstanding leadership; while players who are consistent and significantly contribute to the overall performance of the team, are also awarded.

"It’s a great privilege and an honour to receive this kind of recognition," said Coetzee.

"However I must admit that rugby is a team sport and I firmly believe that my nomination has everything to do with the recent on-field performances of Vodacom Western Province. As a team, we continuously strive for consistency and our second position on the Absa Currie Cup log is a direct result of the effort being put in by the players and management.

"I would like to thank the judges for nominating me as the Currie Cup coach of the month for September. It would also be great though, if at the end of October, I could again walk away with the coach of the month after we have a Currie Cup winner!"

It was a unanimous decision made by the judges to select Coetzee as the September winner of the Currie Cup Coach of the Month award. The judges felt that the Western Province coach has done a superb job with his team this season, without many of his Springboks available for selection.

Mapoe, who represented the Springboks Sevens team during the 2008/ 2009 season, has been in excellent form for the Free State Cheetahs during this season’s Currie Cup.

"It’s indeed an honour and a privilege for me to accept this award if you consider that there are many outstanding players competing in the Currie Cup," said the Free State Cheetahs wing.

There were many players in the running for the Currie Cup Player of the Month award. However Mapoe’s impact on the field for the Free State Cheetahs this month ensured that he walked away with the grand prize for the month of September.

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