Black Ferns hold strong hand in Halberg Awards
After cleaning up at the New Zealand Rugby Awards, the world champion Black Ferns are represented in three finals in next month’s Halberg Awards.
Organisers confirmed the finalists in the respective categories on Thursday, for the ceremony in Auckland on February 8.
Black Ferns players Sarah Goss and Portia Woodman make up half the finalists in the sportswoman category, alongside world champion canoe racer Lisa Carrington and golfer Lydia Ko. Cricketer Amy Satterthwaite and footballer Ali Riley were among those to miss out. Black Ferns coach Glenn Moore joins softball world champion Mark Sorenson, Carrington’s coach Gordon Walker and rowing’s Gary Hay in the coach of the year finalists.
Among the unlucky ones to miss out in a tough category were Dale Stevenson, coach of South Canterbury’s world shot put champion Tom Walsh, and Anthony Peden, coach of the world champion sprint cycling team.
Team of the year pits the Black Ferns against America’s Cup winners Team New Zealand, the Black Sox softballers and world champion K2 team of Carrington and Caitlin Ryan.
There was no room for the likes of motorsport world endurance champions Brendon Hartley and Earl Bamber, the men’s cycling world champion sprint team of Eddie Dawkins, Sam Webster and Ethan Mitchell, and three world champion rowing crews.
Hartley, after breaking into the Formula One ranks, made the sportsman finals alongside Walsh, world men’s rugby player of the year Beauden Barrett and Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor.
All Whites striker Chris Wood, grand tour cyclist George Bennett and grand slam doubles champion Michael Venus were among those to miss the final cut.