Sports gongs announced online

Four of the 2020 South Canterbury Sports Award winners were announced in the event’s first virtual awards ceremony held online last night.

The annual awards function was postponed this year due to Covid-19 restrictions, and are being hosted on social media this week.

The first four categories were announced last night with further winners to be announced tonight and tomorrow night.

Jen Moorhead was named Administrator of the Year after devoting ‘‘time and passion’’ to the Timaru Squash Club, contributing to an international event, undertaking all social media and website requirements and coordinating club coaching.

She has also provided links to the South Canterbury business community to boost the sport’s profile and provided a ‘‘full South Canterbury experience’’ to visiting trans-Tasman and Masters teams.

‘‘Volunteering is really rewarding,’’ Moorhead said.

‘‘I’ve been involved with squash for 34 years. I love the sport.’’

Official of the Year was Vanessa McIver, the only New Zealand woman qualified to international umpiring status in rowing and she represented New Zealand at the World Cup in Poland.

McIver provides umpire training and advocates for youth to be more involved in the sport.

Hockey South Canterbury’s Ben Grant was named Coach of the Year in recognition of his commitment to the sport at various levels, contributing to four teams at school and regional level.

As head coach of the Timaru Boys’ High School first XI, Grant led the team to victory at the Canterbury Schools competition, and the finals of the Rankin Cup in 2020, the top tier of secondary school hockey.

The New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country Championships was awarded Sport and Recreation Event of the Year, after the event returned to Timaru in 2019 for the first time in 30 years.

More than 800 runners took part in the event which followed ‘‘a new deceptively challenging course with great spectator viewing’’. The event was also live-streamed to thousands of viewers across New Zealand.

‘‘The event incorporated the strong running tradition of the South Canterbury community including using imagery of Jack Lovelock in the event logo and having Dick Taylor present awards.’’

The remaining categories – Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability, Masters Sportsperson of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Team of the Year, Young Sportsperson of the Year and Sportsperson of the Year – will be announced on Sport Canterbury’s social media channels over the next two nights from 7pm.

The coverage will include interviews with the winners.