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All Blacks running back Aaron Smith has been rewarded for his good form in 2020 by being nominated for 3 NZ Rugby Awards.
Smith, along with captain Sam Cane and Dane Coles, compete for the All Blacks Player of the Year award.
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Stacey Fluhler is recognized as one of the stars of women’s soccer in New Zealand.
Smith has also submitted his name for the Tom French Memorial Māori Rugby Player of the Year and Super Rugby Aotearoa Player of the Year awards.
Black Fern Stacey Fluhler could also win three awards, recognizing his talents in rugby 7 and 15.
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* Ardie Savea, Beauden Barrett, Anton Lienert-Brown All Blacks POY Finalists
Fluher has been nominated for the Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year, Fiao’o Faamausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year) and Tom French Memorial Maori Player of the Year awards.
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All Blacks captain Sam Cane leaves behind a number 10 jersey in memory of Diego Maradona before the Three Nations game against the Pumas in Newcastle.
New Zealand Rugby has announced that the sport’s best players for 2020 will be recognized during a special television event, rather than hosting the glitzy awards night as it has in the past.
The awards will be presented in a special made for television on Sky this Thursday night, with awards given to the top teams, players, coaches, administrators and referees.
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NZ Rugby boss Mark Robinson has noted that his organization could post a loss of around $ 40 million due to the pandemic.
New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson reflected on a difficult year for his organization, which is expected to record a loss of around $ 40 million due to Covid-19, as he congratulated the nominees.
“We have seen an incredible standard of excellence at all levels of our game this year,” Robinson said. “There has been a tremendous level of perseverance and achievement in what have been very challenging times.
“This year, more than ever, it is important to recognize the incredible tenacity and dedication of our rugby community. Rugby values really shone through this year and we look forward to celebrating the successes. ”
Covid-19 forced NZ Rugby to truncate its programs, including the All Blacks who had to shed any hope of playing tests in the winter and touring the Northern Hemisphere. The Rugby Championship was also replaced by the Tri Nations because the Springboks were discarded.
The Black Ferns also had to sacrifice their season due to the pandemic.
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Waikato’s Stacey Fluhler celebrates with her teammates after scoring a try during the Farah Palmer Cup semi-final.
Māori All Blacks captain and hooker Ash Dixon and World Sevens Series winning midfielder Fluhler Smith also compete for the Tom French Memorial Māori Rugby Player of the Year award.
A breakthrough season for Fluhler also sees her nominated for Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year, along with playmaker Kelly Brazier and running back Tyla Nathan-Wong.
Fluhler is also in the running for the Fiao’o Faamausili Medal, nominated alongside his Waikato teammate, center Chelsea Alley and Canterbury running back Kendra Cocksedge, who are also nominated for Black Ferns Player of the Year, along with with Waikato forward Kennedy Simon.
After claiming the World Series title from Seven for the first time since 2014, co-captains Scott Curry and Tim Mikkelson are nominated for the Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year award alongside Ngarohi McGarvey-Black.
Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu, Crusaders playmaker Richie Mo’unga and Hurricanes fullback Jordie Barrett join Smith in earning the nod as Super Rugby Aotearoa Player of the Year.
The top performers from the Miter 10 Cup, voted on each week by Sky commentators, will compete for the Duane Monkley medal. The finalists for that award are Hawke’s Bay runner Folau Fakatava, Auckland outside runner Salesi Rayasi and Bay of Plenty runner Kaleb Trask.
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Richie Mo’unga of the Crusaders has been nominated for the SRA Player of the Year award.
The championship-winning teams Crusaders, Tasman, Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury Farah Palmer Cup will have a chance to clinch another piece of silver as they are all nominated for the National Team of the Year.
All black teams that took to the field in 2020 will compete for the adidas New Zealand Team of the Year, and their respective coaches will be nominated as ASB New Zealand Coach of the Year.
Nominees for national coach of the year include Scott Robertson of the Crusaders, Andrew Goodman and Clarke Dermody of Tasman, James Semple, coach of Waikato FPC, and Mark Ozich of Hawke’s Bay.
Ben O’Keeffe, Paul Williams and Mike Fraser are nominated as New Zealand Rugby Umpire of the Year.
The Community Volunteer of the Year award includes nominations for Allen Grainger (Waikato), Scott Kahle (Bay of Plenty) and Jane Chamberlain (Horowhenua Kapiti).
With public voting now closed, Sky Television Fans Try of the Year has been reduced from a list of 10 to three. Fans have placed Hawke’s Bay’s Neria Fomai, Christ’s College’s Jack Jones, and Napier Boys’ High School’s Bethel Lutele-Malaysia in the top three.
Three awards will be announced during the night: the NZRPA Kirk Award, the Steinlager Salver, and the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year.
The full list of nominees is:
Sky TV Fan Quiz of the Year: Neria Fomai (Hawke’s Bay), Jack Jones (Christ’s College), Bethel Lutele-Malaysia (Napier Boys’ High School).
New Zealand Referee of the Year: Mike Fraser (Wellington), Ben O’Keeffe (Horowhenua Kapiti), Paul Williams (Taranaki).
Charles Monro Rugby Volunteer of the Year: Jane Chamberlain (Horowhenua Kapiti), Allen Grainger (Waikato), Scott Kahle (Bay of Plenty).
Duane Monkley Medal (Miter 10 Cup Player of the Year): Folau Fakatava (Hawke’s Bay), Salesi Rayasi (Auckland), Kaleb Trask (Bay of Plenty).
Fiao’o Faamausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year): Chelsea Alley (Waikato), Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury), Stacey Fluhler (Waikato).
Coach of the year: Andrew Goodman and Clarke Dermody (Tasman), Mark Ozich (Hawke’s Bay), Scott Robertson (Crusaders), James Semple (Waikato FPC), New Zealand Coach of the Year: Allan Bunting and Cory Sweeney (Black Ferns Sevens), Ian Foster ( All Blacks), Clark Laidlaw (All Blacks Sevens), Glenn Moore (Black Ferns,) Clayton McMillian (Maori All Blacks).
Super Rugby Player of the Year: Jordie Barrett (Taranaki, Hurricanes), Richie Mo’unga (Canterbury, Crusader), Aaron Smith (Manawatu, Highlanders), Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland, Blues).
Tom French Memorial Maori Player of the Year: Ash Dixon (Ngāti Tahinga, Hawke’s Bay), Stacey Fluhler (Tuhoe / Te Arawa, Waikato), Aaron Smith (Ngāti Kahungunu, Manawatu).
Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year: Scott Curry (Bay of Plenty), Tim Mikkelson (Waikato), Ngarohi McGarvey-Black (North Harbor).
Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year: Kelly Brazier (Bay of Plenty), Stacey Fluhler (Waikato), Tyla Nathan-Wong (Northland).
Black Ferns Player of the Year: Chelsea Alley (Waikato), Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury), Kennedy Simon (Waikato).
All Blacks Player of the Year: Sam Cane (Bay of Plenty), Dane Coles (Wellington), Aaron Smith (Manawatu).
Adidas National Team of the Year: Crusaders, Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury (FPC), Tasman.
Adidas New Zealand Team of the Year: All blacks, all blacks seven, black ferns, black ferns seven, Maori all blacks.
Kelvin R Tremain, Memorial Player of the Year: Announced in the night
