Brodie Retallick
New Zealand lock and World Rugby Player of the Year, Brodie Retallick, has been nominated alongside fellow All Blacks Richie McCaw and Aaron Smith for the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year award.
The award forms part of New Zealand’s rugby awards which recognises the contributions to the game as well as outstanding performances by teams and individuals.
Retallick has also picked up a nomination in the Super Rugby Player of the Year category alongside Crusaders wing Nemani Nadolo and Blues flank Jerome Kaino.
To go with their World Rugby Team of the Year and Coach of the Year awards,The All Blacks and coach Steve Hansen have been nominated in the Team of the Year and Coach of the Year categories, respectively.
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Under Hansen’s guidance the All Blacks equalled the record of 17 consecutive victories by a major nation, secured a clean sweep in the series against England, won the Bledisloe Cup for a 12th year in a row, secured a third successive Rugby Championship title and returned home undefeated from their Northern Hemisphere tour.
The All Blacks are joined as nominees for Team of the Year by Auckland Storm, who picked up their seventh straight Women’s Provincial Championship title, and this year’s Cup Championship and Premiership winners, Manawatu Turbos and TenderLink Taranaki.
Taranaki’s fairytale claim on their first ITM Cup Premiership title, coupled with the Maori All Blacks successful two match tour of Japan sees the coach of both teams; Colin Cooper receive a nod for Coach of the Year. Also recognised for propelling Tasman into their first Cup Premiership Final is Makos coach Kieran Keane.
The New Zealand Women’s Sevens team secured their second successive Women’s Sevens Series title this year, earning regular team members Sarah Goss, Kayla McAlister and Tyla Nathan-Wong nominations for Women’s Sevens Player of the Year.
The All Blacks Sevens won their fourth consecutive World Series title this year. Captain DJ Forbes was again the team’s lynchpin and along with Scott Curry earned spots in the IRB Sevens Dream Team of the Year. They, along with the 2013 IRB Sevens Player of the Year Tim Mikkelson, are nominated for the Richard Crawshaw Memorial Sevens Player of the Year.
The Awards will be held at the Viaduct Events Centre on Thursday 11 December.
Awards nominations:
Age Grade Player of the Year:
Mitchell Karpik
Damian McKenzie
Sio Tomkinson
Charles Monro Volunteer of the Year:
Dean File
Mike Nitz
Trudie van Leeuwen-Cruthers
Referee of the Year:
Jessica Beard
Nick Briant
Glen Jackson
Championship Player of the Year:
Josh Clark
James Lash
Gary Redmond
Women’s Sevens Player of the Year:
Sarah Goss
Kayla McAlister
Tyla Nathan-Wong
Richard Crawshaw Memorial Sevens Player of the Year:
Scott Curry
DJ Forbes
Tim Mikkelson
Fans Try of the Year:
Beauden Barrett; Hurricanes v Highlanders
Malakai Fekitoa; Sharks v Highlanders
Alapati Leiua; Crusaders v Hurricanes
Cup Player of the Year:
Shane Christie
Nehe Milner-Skudder
Seta Tamanivalu
Super Rugby Player of the Year:
Jerome Kaino
Nemani Nadolo
Brodie Retallick
Tom French Memorial Maori Player of the Year:
Liam Messam
Charlie Ngatai
Aaron Smith
Women’s Player of the Year:
Rawinia Everitt
Fiao’o Fa’amausili
Amiria Rule
Coach of the Year:
Colin Cooper
Steve Hansen
Kieran Keane
Team of the Year:
All Blacks
Auckland Storm
Manawatu Turbos
TenderLink Taranaki
Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year:
Richie McCaw
Brodie Retallick
Aaron Smith