Banda hits grand spot: History made as Border player wins top award

Border Bulldogs rugby star Masixole Banda made history on Monday night when he won the Currie Cup First Division Player of the Season Award at a glittering South African Rugby awards ceremony at the Gallagher Conference Centre in Midrand.

Banda had a fantastic season for the Bulldogs, helping them to the semifinals of the First Division where they fell to eventual champions the Down Touch Griffons.

Despite that loss and being up against Griffons flyhalf George Whitehead and Leopards flyhalf Johan Deysel for the title, Banda’s allround abilities and impressive form saw him clinch the award.

“I was surprised to get the award, I wasn’t expecting it but I am very happy to have won it,” said Banda.

“This is the biggest award of my career and I really enjoyed the experience at the awards.”

This is the first time that a Bulldogs player has won an individual award of this nature according to Border, and caps an impressive turnaround after a disappointing Currie Cup qualification phase earlier in the year where the team struggled.

“This is really a proud moment for us and it is the first time that anyone here can recall that we have had a player winning player of the year in the First Division,” said Saru administrator in charge of Border rugby Monde Tabata.

“It is the whole plan that we started about three years ago that is starting to produce results, so it is a very exciting time for Border rugby.

“We are showing that Border rugby can become a force to reckon with and everybody who has played us this season is beginning to notice.”

The Bulldogs lost just one game against eventual finalists the Leopards in the group stage of the First Division competition, before slipping up in their home semifinal against the Griffons.

“I would have been happier if the team had won the trophy, rather than me winning the individual award,” claimed Banda.

“But I am happy that I was able to contribute to the team, but we were playing so well and in such a good place that the players around me made it easy for me to do well.”

Banda ended as the third highest points-scorer in the First Division, behind Whitehead and Deysel, but his allround play saw him put plenty of his teammates away for tries while he also excelled scoring six of his own, which was joint second on the try-scoring list.

Banda has clearly enjoyed his switch to flyhalf, after playing most of his rugby at fullback and he hopes to continue in the role.

“I enjoy playing flyhalf because the phases start with me, I am like the general and I enjoy controlling the game, whereas at fullback I see less of the ball.”

Banda is dedicated to his rugby career at the moment and it showed in that after arriving back from the awards yesterday morning he managed to fit in a gym session to keep himself in shape and sharp despite it being the off-season.

“I think the reason I did so well this year was all of the extra work I have been putting in outside of the regular training,” he said.

“So I need to keep up the intensity and make sure that I keep improving.”

Looking to the future and next season, Banda wants to build on his form this year.

“I really want to win a trophy with the Border Bulldogs and one of my main goals is to play Super Rugby, so that is what I am working towards now,” said Banda.

Border will look to begin preparations for next season in the coming weeks and it goes without saying that Banda will be integral to their plans going forward.