Crusaders omission defended

The Canterbury Rugby Union says its decision to nominate the Canterbury women’s team over the Crusaders for a major teams award reflected ‘‘a changing society’’.

Union chief executive Nathan Godfrey told Stuff he stood by his decision to back the national championship winning women’s squad instead of the Super Rugby championship clinching Crusaders for the Nexia NZ Canterbury Sports Awards.

Each sport is restricted to one nomination.

The CRU’s decision was made by Godfrey and a committee of three board members.

‘‘This is part of our pivot plan,’’ Godfrey said. ‘‘It’s not a revolution it is an evolution, and any good organisation needs to continually improve and that’s what this is about and that’s why we made this decision.

‘‘I can tell you why. We’ve got a plan in place in terms of pivoting our 138-year organisation to make sure it reflects a changing society.

‘‘We are trying to position ourselves as an inclusive organisation that includes working with other sporting codes at the moment and other forms of the game to help grow the game with our kids.’’

The CRU initially asked for an exemption to be allowed more than one nomination as they had three winning teams - the Crusaders, Canterbury women’s team and Canterbury Mitre 10 Cup men’s squad - in 2017.

Godfrey said when Sport Canterbury declined that request, the CRU asked the regional sports trust to make the decision for them.

However that plea was also turned down.

The Crusaders won the Super Rugby title for the first time since 2008 after winning 17 of their 18 games, including the final against the Lions in Johannesburg.

The Canterbury women claimed their first Farah Palmer Cup after seven finals failures.

Godfrey said the decision was the toughest he had made since being appointed chief executive 12 months ago.

‘‘I’m not really prepared to talk in terms of rating the teams’ performances.

‘‘At the end of the day the Crusaders are a phenomenal brand and a phenomenal team and everyone’s aware of that and what I don’t want to do is take away form the women’s performances and the fact they won their first trophy in 2017.

‘‘It certainly wasn’t a political decision, it was a decision based on merit. It was based on performance.

‘‘The women’s team winning their very first national championship deserved to be celebrated.’’

‘‘I’m not going to shy away from the decision I made, and the decision we made as an organisation.’’

The decision was signed off before World Rugby announced the world champion Black Ferns as team of the year and New Zealand Rugby announced them as their team of 2017.

This week Canterbury Rugby also named former Black Fern, and Canterbury women’s rugby team manager Natasha Wong on the board.

Joining the Canterbury women’s rugby side as team of the year finalists for the March 9 awards are the Canterbury men’s cricket side, who won the 50-over Ford Trophy and Plunket Shield four-day title last summer, the Canterbury Wildcats women’s basketballers, who won their second straight national title, and the successful Canterbury boxing team.

New Zealand Sportsman of the Year Tom Walsh, the 2017 world shot put champion, is nominated for the most outstanding Canterbury Sportsman of the Year award for the first time.

The other Canterbury Outstanding Sportsman of the Year nominees are Paul Coll (squash), John Storey (rowing) and Crusaders and Canterbury first five-eighth Richie Mo’unga.

Kendra Cocksedge (rugby), paralympic swimming star Sophie Pascoe and Grace Prendergast (rowing) are the finalists in the Outstanding Sportswoman category.

"It’s not a revolution it is an evolution, and any good organisation needs to continually improve and that’s what this is about and that’s why we made this decision."

Canterbury Rugby Union chief executive Nathan Godfrey, left.