The Black Ferns have capped off an historic year by taking out the Team, Coach and Fan's Try of the Year awards at the New Zealand Rugby Awards ceremony in Auckland.
Photo: AFP
It is the first time the Black Ferns have won New Zealand rugby's top team award and adds to the World Rugby Team of the Year title they secured in Monaco at the World Rugby Awards earlier this month.
Coach Glenn Moore was named the Coach of the Year, for his leadership of the Black Ferns successful World Cup campaign.
SKY TV Fan's Try of the Year award winner Black Ferns Portia Woodman. Photo: Photosport
Star winger Portia Woodman's try against US at the World Cup was also voted by the public as the Fan's Try of the Year.
Black Fern loose forward and Sevens captain Sarah Goss was named the New Zealand Rugby Women's Player of the Year.
Black Ferns skipper Fiao'o Fa'amausili was presented with a greenstone mere, in recognition of her 50 Test match milestone, making her the most capped Black Fern of all time.
All Blacks tough man and Crusaders captain Sam Whitelock collected the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year and the Investec Super Rugby Player of the Year. The most capped All Black lock of all time was consistently dominant in 2017 and continued to be a key member of the All Blacks, as well as leading the Crusaders to win an incredibly rare Super Rugby Final win on the road.
All Blacks Sevens legend DJ Forbes also collected two awards with the All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year and the Kirk Award.
Sam Whitelock on the charge. Photo: Photosport
Wellingtonian Ben O'Keeffe named New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year. O'Keeffe officiated in the Investec Rugby Championship, end of year fixtures in Europe and continues to climb the referee ranks including Six Nations duty early next year.
New Zealand Rugby's accolade for exceptional service, the Steinlager Salver, was this year awarded to Wayne Smith for his phenomenal service to rugby in New Zealand.
His career in the black jersey began as a player in 1980 and ended earlier this year having been a key member of the coaching team that led the All Blacks to back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles.
Four decades of service to coaching in the Wairarapa Bush region saw Sid Tatana receive the Charles Monro Rugby Volunteer of the Year.
Photo: Supplied
Tatana commits to an average commute of up to three hours for every coaching session he leads and has long been a strong advocate for Māori rugby in the province.
The newly introduced Duane Monkley and Fiao'o Fa'amausili Medals were presented for the first time to acknowledge the best players in the Mitre 10 Cup and Farah Palmer Cup respectively.
This is the first year of a new category to recognise the best of the women's provincial competition. Northland's Jack Goodhue and Counties Manukau's Hazel Tubic won the medals.
2017 ASB Rugby Awards winners
- SKY TV Fan's Try of the Year - Portia Woodman (Black Ferns)
- NZRPA Kirk Award - DJ Forbes
- Charles Monro Rugby Volunteer of the Year - Sid Tatana (Wairarapa Bush)
- New Zealand Rugby Referee of the Year - Ben O'Keeffe (Wellington)
- New Zealand Rugby Age Grade Player of the Year - Asafo Aumua (Wellington)
- Mitre 10 Heartland Championship Player of the Year - Scott Cameron (Horowhenua Kapiti)
- Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year - DJ Forbes (Counties Manukau)
- Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year - Ruby Tui (Canterbury)
- Duane Monkley Medal - Jack Goodhue (Northland)
- Fiao'o Fa'amausili Medal - Hazel Tubic (Counties Manukau)
- Investec Super Rugby Player of the Year - Sam Whitelock (Crusaders)
- Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year - Rieko Ioane (Ngāpuhi / Te Whānau ā Apanui)
- Steinlager Salver for an Outstanding Contribution to New Zealand Rugby - Wayne Smith
- ASB Coach of the Year - Glenn Moore (Black Ferns)
- New Zealand Rugby Women's Player of the Year - Sarah Goss (Manawatu)
- Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year - Sam Whitelock
- Adidas Team of the Year - Black Ferns
