Gallagher 2022 Waikato Rugby Awards Evening

Waikato Rugby Union celebrated their end of season awards last night (Wednesday 26^th October) at Cambridge Raceway.

All Blacks Hooker, Samisoni Taukei’aho, was the big winner of the night picking up both the Gallagher Sportsperson of the Year and the supreme award, the Ian Clarke trophy. The Ian Clarke Trophy is awarded to a Waikato person who has achieved the most outstanding results over the past 12 months.

In the Community and Club awards, Joey Nayacakalou from Taupiri Rugby Football Club was named the Gallagher Administrator of the Year, for his commitment to the club and reinvigorating rugby in the North Waikato area.

After another strong season with the whistle that saw Larissa Woolerton awarded the Grassroots Trust Referee of the Year. Woolerton again made the national squad and achieve 18 first class appointments which earned her a Waikato Rugby blazer. She also made her international debut becoming the seventh female test referee from New Zealand, when she took control of the Samoa v Tonga match in the Oceania Women’s series.

There was one recipient of the Leigh Cooksley Waikato Rugby Service to Rugby award. Graham Wallace earned this award due to his efforts with Waikato Central junior rugby.

In the coaching awards, Grant Metcalfe from Cambridge junior rugby 12^th grade, won the Ray White Mark Keesom Junior Coach of the Year and for the second year in a row, Nigel Hotham, was named Kukri Secondary Schools Coach of the Year with Hamilton Boys High School. Finally, both Dion Ross (Hamilton Old Boys Premier A) and Reuben Samuel (Hamilton Old Boys Premier Women’s) were joint winners of the Grassroots Trust senior club coach of the year.

PIC Insurance Brokers Women’s Club Player of the Year went to versatile player, Merania Paraone, for her ability to play the game in the forwards and in the backs. While Solomone Tukuafu was named Waikato Draught Men’s Club Player of the Year as he led Hamilton Old Boys to the Waikato Breweries Shield title.

Hamilton Marist Colts won the Power Farming Club Team of the Year award for their undefeated season in the Colts competition to win Elliot Shield and Hamilton Old Boys took out the top club winning the Waikato Draught Club of the Year after both their men’s and women’s team took out the premier competitions.

In the Representative awards, the Perry Group Waikato Women’s Juniors success 2022 campaign continued as the team picked up two awards. Firstly, their coach, Deano Herewini, was named the Kukri Representative Coach and then the team was won the Hendl and Murray Engineering Team of the Year for their undefeated campaign.

Strong seasons from Patrick McCurran and Rianna Aspinall saw both players claim the Roommate Cabins Emerging Men’s Player of the Year and the University of Waikato Women’s Emerging Player of the Year respectively.

Daniel Sinkinson was Waikato NPC top try scorer and was rewarded for his breakout season as the Waikato Draught Bunnings NPC Player of the Year and after taking a season off, Ashlee Gaby-Sutherland returned to the Farah Palmer Cup this season and earned herself the title of the Waitomo Group Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year award.

Laghlan McWhannell took home the Aaron Hopa award, Emm-Lee Heta the Manataki award and Victoria Makea was named the Hare Whakakaraka Puke Tainui Waka Māori Player of the Year.

The Gallagher Waikato Rugby awards recognise people and teams that have made an outstanding contribution to Waikato Rugby in 2022. The evening covered the entire spectrum of the game including coaches, players, referees, volunteers and administrators from junior, school, club, and representative levels.

The finalist and winners are listed below:

Gallagher Administrator of the Year

Finalists: Joey Nayacakalou, Sandra Flintoff, Rayleen Sheehan

Winner: Joey Nayacakalou

Leigh Cooksley Waikato Rugby Service to Rugby

Recipient: Graham Wallace

Grassroots Trust Referee of the Year

Finalists: Larissa Woolerton, Lee Jeffrey, Michael Winter

Winner: Larissa Woolerton

Ray White Mark Keesom Junior Coach of the Year

Finalists: Jade Jones, James Matenga, Grant Metcalfe

Winners: Grant Metcalfe

Kukri Secondary School Coach of the Year

Finalists: Nigel Hotham, Daryl Bennison, Johnny Walters

Winner: Nigel Hotham

Grassroots Trust Senior Club Coach of the Year

Finalists: Dion Ross, Steve Shale, Reuben Samuel

Winner: Dion Ross & Reuben Samuel

PIC Women’s Club Player of the Year

Finalists: Merania Paraone, Kennedy Simon, Leomie Kloppers

Winner: Merania Paraone

Waikato Draught Club Player of the Year

Finalists: Shneil Singh, Mosese Mafi, Solomone Tukuafu

Winner: Solomone Tukuafu

Power Farming Club Team of the Year

Finalists: Melville Premier B, Hamilton Marist Colts, Hamilton Old Boys Premier A, Morrinsville Sports Under 85kgs

Winner: Hamilton Marist Colts

Waikato Draught Club of the Year

Finalists: Southern United, Hamilton Marist, Hamilton Old Boys

Winner: Hamilton Old Boys

Kukri Representative Coach of the Year

Finalists: Ross Filipo, Wayne Maxwell, Deano Herewini

Winner: Deano Herewini

Hendl & Murray Representative Team of the Year

Finalists: Waikato NPC, Waitomo Group: Waikato FPC, Perrys Group Waikato Women Juniors

Winner: Perrys Group Waikato Women Juniors

RoomMate Cabins Emerging Men’s Player of the Year

Winner: Patrick McCurran

University of Waikato Emerging Women’s Player of the Year

Winner: Rianna Aspinall

Waikato Draught Bunnings NPC Player of the Year

Winner: Daniel Sinkinson

Waitomo Group Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year

Winner: Ashlee Gaby-Sutherland

Lone Star Rototuna People’s Star Award

Winner: Rhys Marshall

McDonald’s Waikato Community Spirit Award

Winner: James Thompson

Aaron Hopa Memorial Trophy

Recipient: Laghlan McWhannell

Manatiaki Award

Recipient: Emma-Lee Heta

Hare Puke Memorial Trophy Tainui Waka Māori Player of the Year

Recipient: Victoria Makea

Gallagher Sportsperson of the Year

Finalists: Kennedy Simon, Samisoni Taukei’aho, Renee Holmes, Stacey Fluhler

Winner: Samisoni Taukei’aho

Ian Clarke Supreme Award

Recipient: Samisoni Taukei’aho

Waikato Supporter Club Awards

FPC Forward of the Year: Ashlee Gaby-Sutherland

FPC Back of the Year: Rina Paraone

FPC Player of the Year: Esther Tilo-Faiaoga

NPC Forward of the Year: Rhys Marshall

NPC Back of the Year: Liam Coombes-Fabling

NPC Player of the Year: Rhys Marshall

Article added: Thursday 27 October 2022