Murrell earns touch nomination
Touch player Keelan Murrell is his sport’s nominee for the 2017 Marlborough Sports Awards.
The highlight of his year came with selection for the New Zealand under-16 boys’ touch team to attend the inter-state championships in Australia in September, 2016. The Kiwi lads competed in the under-16/18 boys’ grade and were pitted against Australian state sides.
Murrell played both middle and link roles, the two positions that require the most speed and slick footwork on the touch field.
The 15-year-old was named captain of the Tasman under-16 mixed team which competed at the New Zealand Touch championships in February 2017, finishing eighth after a one-point loss in their final game.
Murrell was also a key component of the Marlborough Boys’ College team, who won the men’s grade in the local competition. At the South Island schools championships they ended up sixth. After a one-point loss to close rivals Nelson College.
He has also put plenty back into his sport off the playing field. He is a junior referee and coached a touch team at Redwoodtown School. He also helped coached the Marlborough under-14 mixed team prior to their participation in the South Island champs. His nomination is sponsored by T&D Construction.