Southlanders amongst Halberg Awards nominees
Seventy-six nominations have been received for the 2023 Halberg Awards.
A group of Southland sportspeople have been nominated for a possible spot as a finalist at the 61st Handa Halberg Awards.
Seventy-six nominations have been received for the 2023 Halberg Awards.
The nominations include previous supreme winners snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synott, canoeist Dame Lisa Carrington, shot-putter Tom Walsh, and the All Blacks.
Also included is Southland’s Tori Peeters - now based in Waikato - who has been nominated for the Sportswoman of the Year category.
Peeters is New Zealand’s leading women’s javelin thrower and this year broke her on national record. She was just 7cm outside a spot in the World Athletics Championship final.
Southland lawn bowler Julie O'Connell has also been nominated for the Helberg Awards’ para category.
O’Connell teamed up this year with Teri Blackbourn to win gold at the inaugural Women’s Para Pairs event on the Gold Coast in Australia.
The other Southland representation in the Halberg nominees comes in the team’s category.
Southland’s Tom Sexton and Nick Kergozou were part of the New Zealand men's team pursuit team which claimed bronze at the World Track Cycling Championships.
The Halberg nominations come from achievements from December 1 2022 to November 30 2023. They include representatives from 27 sports.
There are 17 nominations for Sportswoman of the Year including Sadowski-Synnott, Carrington, cyclist Ellesse Andrews and rugby sevens players Tyla Nathan-Wong and Stacey Waaka.
Included in the 12 Sportsman nominations are Walsh, golfer Ryan Fox, driver Shane van Gisbergen, rugby player Ardie Savea, cricketer Rachin Ravindra and league player Shaun Johnson.
The All Blacks, Sevens teams and Warriors are among the eleven 11 Teams nominations.
The 61st Halberg Awards ceremony will be on February 14, 2024.
Full List of Nominees for the 61st Handa Halberg Awards:
Sportswoman of the Year
Alex Edwards (spearfishing), Courtney Duncan (motorcross), Ellesse Andrews (cycling-track), Emma Twigg (rowing), Erika Fairweather (swimming), Erin Routliffe (tennis), Evie Corrigan (powerlifting), Lani Daniels (boxing), Dame Lisa Carrington (canoe racing), Luuka Jones (canoe slalom), Mea Motu (boxing), Samara Maxwell (cycling-mountain biking), Stacey Waaka (rugby-sevens), Tayla Bruce (lawn bowls), Tori Peeters (athletics), Tyla Nathan-Wong (rugby-sevens), Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snow sports).
Sportsman of the Year
Aaron Gate (cycling-track), Ardie Savea (rugby-union), Brendon Hartley (motorsport), Hayden Paddon (motorsport), Marko Stamenić (football), Paul Coll (squash), Rachin Ravindra (cricket), Ryan Fox (golf), Sam Gaze (cycling-mountain bike), Shane van Gisbergen (motorsport), Shaun Johnson (rugby-league), Tom Walsh (athletics)
Para Athlete/Para Team of the Year
Anna Grimaldi (Para athletics), Anna Taylor (Para cycling), Ben Westenberg (Para cycling), Cameron Leslie (Para swimming and wheelchair rugby), Danielle Aitchison (Para athletics), Devon Briggs (Para cycling), Eltje Malzbender (Para cycling), Lisa Adams (Para athletics), Nicole Murray (Para cycling), Rachel Maia (Para climbing), Teri Blackbourn and Julie O'Connell (Para lawn bowls), Will Stedman (Para athletics).
Team of the Year
All Blacks (rugby-union), All Black Sevens (rugby-sevens), Black Ferns Sevens (rugby-sevens), Black Fins (underwater hockey), Blackjacks (women's lawn bowls), Jackie Kiddle and Matthew Dunham (coastal rowing), Men's Madison-Aaron Gate and Campbell Stewart (cycling-track), Men's Team Pursuit-Aaron Gate, Campbell Stewart, Tom Sexton and Nick Kergozou (cycling-track), New Zealand Warriors (rugby-league), Women's K4 500m (canoe racing), Women's Team Pursuit-Bryony Botha, Michaela Drummond, Emily Shearman and Ally Wollaston (cycling-track)
Coach of the Year
Adrian Hegyvary (cycling-track), Clark Laidlaw (rugby-sevens), Cory Sweeney (rugby-sevens), Damian Wiseman (Para cycling), Gordan Walker (canoe racing), Ian Foster (rugby-union), Isaac Peach (boxing), Jason Clarke (powerlifting), Lars Humer (swimming), Liam Watson (underwater hockey), Mike Rodger (rowing), Nicholas Flyger (cycling-track), Paul Manning (cycling-track), Sam Thompson (cycling-mountain bike), Sean Thompson (snow sports), Simon Finnel (cycling-track)
Emerging Talent
Ben Shirley (skate sport), Erice Van Leuven (cycling-mountain bike), Ethan Olivier (athletics), Julian David (climbing), Lucia Georgalli (snow sports), Milly Clegg (football), Tara Vaughan (canoe racing), Yanhao Li (figure skating).