2009 Gallagher Group Waikato Rugby Awards Winners
5th November 2009 09:57AM
Junior All Blacks and Chiefs coach Ian Foster took out the Gallagher Group Sportsperson of the Year award at the 2009 Gallagher Group Waikato Rugby Awards held in Hamilton last night.
Foster received the prestigious Ian Clarke Trophy for his award, which goes to a Waikato person who has achieved the most outstanding achievements at an international or national level over the past 12 months.
Foster, 44, coached the Chiefs to their first final in the Rebel Sport Super 14 this year, then he coached the 2009 Junior All Blacks in the middle of the year - a team that retained the IRB Pacific Nations Cup. His experience and knowledge is used to assist teams and coaches at all levels throughout the Chiefs region. Foster received this same trophy back in 2002 when he was the Waikato Air New Zealand Cup coach.
Meanwhile, Morrinsville Sports Premier A team took out the Vodafone Team of the Year - Club award for their efforts winning the Breweries Shield this season - the first time in the club's proud history. The team's coaches, the late Darren Stevenson and Waisike Masirewa were named joint winners of the Grassroots Trust Coach of the Year - Senior Club award.
There were three people who have won the same awards for the second consecutive year - they are loose forward and Morrinsville Sports captain Alex Bradley (Waikato Draught Player of the Year - Club), Waikato captain and loose forward Liam Messam (Vodafone Air New Zealand Cup Player of the Year), and Hamilton Boys' High School First XV coach Nigel Hotham (New Zealand Police Coach of the Year - Secondary School).
Up and coming prop Latu Talakai, whose form saw the 19-year-old gain time with the Waikato Air New Zealand Cup team in 2009, won the Waikato Times Most Promising Club & Rep Player of the Year award.
Around 350 people attended the awards evening held at the Hamilton Gardens.
The Gallagher Group Waikato Rugby awards recognise people and teams that made an outstanding achievement to Waikato Rugby in 2009. The evening covered the entire spectrum of the game including coaches, players, referees, volunteers and administrators from junior, school, club and representative levels.
The finalists and winners are listed below:
Gallagher Group Administrator of the Year
Finalists: Keith Holmes, Kevin Alderman
Winner: Keith Holmes
AMI Insurance Amateur Referee of the Year
Finalists: Will Burrett, Paul Head, Lee Jeffrey, Darryl Parker, Grant Stuart
Winner: Grant Stuart
Constellation Service to Rugby Medallion - Leigh Cooksley Trophy
Recipient: Ross Brazier
Waikato Times Most Promising Club & Rep Player of the Year
Finalists: Damian Bardoul, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Glen Robertson, Latu Talakai
Winner: Latu Talakai
Waikato Draught Player of the Year - Club
Finalists: Damian Bardoul, Alex Bradley, Sam Christie, Roimata Hansell-Pune, Damon McKinnon, Vesi Rauluni, Adam Rowe, Tom Rowling, Paul Sweeney
Winner: Alex Bradley
Tainui Waka Maori Player of the Year
Finalists: Noel Evans, Tawera Kerr-Barlow, Lukas Quin
Winner: Tawera Kerr-Barlow
WEL Networks Coach of the Year - Junior
Finalists: Barry Gadsden, Greg Schmidt, Karl Thornton
Winner: Barry Gadsden
NZ Police Coach of the Year - Secondary School
Finalists: Wayne Bootten, Andrew Douglas, Nigel Hotham
Winner: Nigel Hotham
Grassroots Trust Coach of the Year - Senior Club
Finalists: Gary Crossman, Paul Harris, Nick Holten, William Katipo, Waisike Masirewa, Darren Perrott, Darren Stevenson
Winners: Darren Stevenson & Waisike Masirewa
Vodafone Team of the Year - Club
Finalists: Fraser Tech Premier A, Hamilton Old Boys Under 85kg, Northern 12th Grade, Te Rapa Senior A, Morrinsville Sports Premier A, Hinuera Under 19s.
Winner: Morrinsville Sports Premier A Team
Waikato Draught Club of the Year
Finalists: Te Rapa Rugby Football Club Morrinsville Rugby & Sports.
Winner: Te Rapa Rugby Football Club
Kukri Coach of the Year - Representative
Finalists: Chris Gibbes, Leon Holden, Howie King, Paul Williams
Winner: Chris Gibbes
Waikato Draught Team of the Year - Representative
Finalists: Waikato Under 20s, Waikato Under 18s, Waikato Air New Zealand Cup team, Waikato Development team
Winner: Waikato Air New Zealand Cup team
Aaron Hopa Memorial Trophy
This award is given to the member of the Waikato Air New Zealand Cup team who made the most outstanding contribution to team culture.
Recipient: Callum Bruce
Vodafone Air New Zealand Cup Player of the Year
Finalists: Sosene Anesi, Callum Bruce, Hikairo Forbes, Liam Messam
Winner: Liam Messam
Gallagher Group Sportsperson of the Year - Ian Clarke Trophy recipient
Finalists: Ian Foster, Malili (Mils) Muliaina, Sitiveni Sivivatu
Winner: Ian Foster
