12 Dec 2019

70 nominated for Halberg Awards

9:51 am on 12 December 2019

70 nominations have been received for the 2019 Halberg Sports Awards with success on the world stage again headlining the list.

28 sports are represented across the six categories.

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Tom Walsh Photo: Photosport

2018 supreme winner, the shot-putter Tom Walsh has again been nominated for the Sportsman of the Year, with world champion cyclist Campbell Stewart, MMA champion Israel Adesanya, Black Caps captain Kane Williamson, All Blacks captain Kieran Read and Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin among the other 12 athletes.

In the Sportswoman category world champion canoe racer Lisa Carrington will be considered for her fourth straight honour while other nominees include footballer Abby Erceg, world cup winning netballers Laura Langman and Katrina Rore, world champion snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott and rugby players Kelly Brazier, Ruby Tui, Sarah Hirini and Tyla Nathan-Wong.

The Coach of the Year has received 17 nominations from 13 different sports - the most of any category.

They include; Lisa Carrington's coach Gordon Walker, who has won the category for the past three years as well as Dame Valerie Adams, a triple supreme Halberg Award winner, who is nominated for the first time as coach of her sister, Para athlete Lisa Adams.

The coach nominees also include Silver Ferns mentor Noeline Taurua and All Blacks coach Steve Hansen.

The 2018 Team of the Year winner the Black Ferns Sevens, are again up for the award which also features the Silver Ferns, the Black Caps and four rowing crews, the women's pair of Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler, the lightweight women's double of Zoe McBride and Jackie Kiddle, the women's double of Olivia Loe and Brooke Donoghue and the women's eight.

Silver Ferns celebrate their World Cup win over Australia

Silver Ferns celebrate World Cup success Photo: SWpix.com

Sophie Pascoe has been nominated for the Para athlete/team of the Year - a category she has claimed six times. Pascoe is joined by Cameron Leslie who is put forward for his Para swimming and wheelchair rugby success, along with Para cyclists Eltje Malzbender and Emma Foy and Hannah van Kampen, para athlete Lisa Adams and the Wheel Blacks rugby team.

The nominations in the Emerging Talent category include World Cup winning skier Alice Robinson, footballer Liberato Cacace and motor racing driver Marcus Armstrong.

Sportsman of the Year. Tom Walsh (athletics), Campbell Stewart (cycling), Israel Adesanya (mixed martial arts), Kane Williamson (cricket) Kieran Read (rugby), Lewis Clareburt (swimming), Michael Venus (tennis), Nico Porteous (freeskiing), Paul Coll (squash), Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (rugby league), Scott McLaughlin (motorsport) and Tom Sexton (cycling).

Sportswoman of the Year. Lisa Carrington (canoe sport), Abby Erceg (football), Avalon Biddle (motorcycling), Courtney Duncan (motorcycling), Danielle McKenzie (canoe racing), Katrina Rore (netball), Kelly Brazier (rugby), Laura Langman (netball), Luuka Jones (canoe slalom), Michelle Montague (mixed martial arts), Phillis Meti (golf), Ruby Tui (rugby), Sarah Hirini (rugby), Tyla Nathan-Wong (rugby) and Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snowboarding).

Coach of the Year. Gordon Walker (canoe sport), Lisa Adams (Para Athletics, Allan Bunting (rugby), Cory Sweeney (rugby), Dale Stevenson (athletics), Damian Wiseman (Para cycling), Eugene Bareman (mixed martial arts), Gary Hay (rowing), Gary Hollywood (swimming), Gary Stead (cricket), Michael Bland (Para cycling), Noeline Taurua (netball), Roly Crichton (Para swimming), Ross Machejefski (cycling), Shane McLeod (hockey), Simon Mayne (Para swimming) and Steve Hansen (rugby).

Team of the Year. Black Ferns Sevens (rugby sevens), Black Caps (cricket), Kiwi Ferns (rugby league), Women's Pair - Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler (rowing), Lightweight Women's Double - Zoe McBride and Jackie Kiddle (rowing), Silver Ferns (netball), Women's Double - Olivia Loe and Brooke Donoghue (rowing), Women's Eight (rowing) and Women's Team Pursuit - Holly Edmondston, Bryony Botha, Kirstie James, Rushlee Buchanan and Michaela Drummond (cycling).