Football has five nominations at a special staging of the Halberg Sports Awards.
New Zealand football’s biggest achievements over the past decade are being spotlighted at a special version of the annual Halberg Awards on Wednesday March 24.
Due to the disruption caused last year by the pandemic, the Halberg Foundation elected to put aside awards for 2020 and instead decided to honour the best in New Zealand sport for the decade 2010-19.
The ceremony at Auckland’s Spark Arena will reveal the judges’ winners in eight categories, with one of those winners then being named Champion of the Decade.
Football is represented by the 2010 All Whites, coach Ricki Herbert and U-17s women’s goalkeeper Anna Leat who between them carry five nominations.
Main photo: The 2010 All Whites. Image courtesy of Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.
Full list of finalists
Decade Champion
2010 All Whites (football), 2011 All Blacks (rugby), 2012 men’s pair, Hamish Bond and Eric Murray (rowing), 2013 Lydia Ko (golf), 2014 men’s pair, Hamish Bond and Eric Murray (rowing), 2015 All Blacks (rugby), 2016 Lisa Carrington (canoe racing), 2017 Emirates Team New Zealand (yachting), 2018 Tom Walsh (athletics), 2019 Silver Ferns (netball).
Team
2010 All Whites (football), 2011 All Blacks (rugby), 2012 men’s pair, Hamish Bond and Eric Murray (rowing), 2013 All Blacks (rugby), 2014 men’s pair, Hamish Bond and Eric Murray (rowing), 2015 All Blacks (rugby), 2016 men’s 49er, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (yachting), 2017 Emirates Team New Zealand (yachting), 2018 Black Ferns Sevens (rugby), 2019 Silver Ferns (netball).
Para Athlete (introduced in 2011)
2011 Sophie Pascoe (Para swimming), 2012 Sophie Pascoe (Para swimming), 2013 Sophie Pascoe (Para swimming), 2014 Mary Fisher (Para swimming), 2015 Sophie Pascoe (Para swimming), 2016 Liam Malone (Para athletics), 2017 Sophie Pascoe (Para swimming), 2018 Adam Hall (Para alpine skiing), 2019 Sophie Pascoe (Para swimming).
Sportswoman
2010 Dame Valerie Adams (athletics), 2011 Dame Valerie Adams (athletics), 2012 Dame Valerie Adams (athletics), 2013 Lydia Ko (golf), 2014 Lydia Ko (golf), 2015 Lydia Ko (golf), 2016 Lisa Carrington (canoe racing), 2017 Lisa Carrington (canoe racing), 2018 Lisa Carrington (canoe racing), 2019 Lisa Carrington (canoe racing).
Sportsman
2010 Richie McCaw (rugby), 2011 Richie McCaw (rugby), 2012 Mahe Drysdale (rowing), 2013 Scott Dixon (motorsport), 2014 Brendon McCullum (cricket), 2015 Kane Williamson (cricket), 2016 Mahe Drysdale (rowing), 2017 Tom Walsh (athletics), 2018 Tom Walsh (athletics), 2019 Israel Adesanya (mixed martial arts).
Coach
2010 Ricki Herbert (football), 2011 Sir Graham Henry (rugby), 2012 Richard (Dick) Tonks (rowing), 2013 Sir Steve Hansen (rugby), 2014 Anthony Peden (cycling), 2015 Sir Steve Hansen (rugby), 2016 Gordon Walker (canoe racing), 2017 Gordon Walker (canoe racing), 2018 Gordon Walker (canoe racing), 2019 Dame Noeline Taurua (netball).
Emerging Talent
2010 Gareth Kean (swimming), 2011 Jacko Gill (athletics), 2012 Lydia Ko (golf), 2013 Gabrielle Fa’amausili (swimming), 2014 Regan Gough (cycling), 2015 Eliza McCartney (athletics), 2016 Campbell Stewart (cycling), 2017 Ellesse Andrews (cycling), 2018 Maddison-Lee Wesche (athletics), 2019 Alice Robinson (ski racing).
Favourite Sporting Moment
2010 All Whites (football), 2011 All Blacks (rugby), 2012 Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan (rowing), 2013 Black Sox (softball), 2014 Brendon McCullum (cricket), 2015 Grant Elliott (cricket), 2016 Eliza McCartney (athletics), 2017 Mitchell Hunt (rugby), 2018 Anna Leat (football), 2019 Silver Ferns (netball).
Supreme Award
The winner of the Supreme Award will join the previous decade champions: 1950s Dame Yvette Corlett (nee Williams) (athletics); 1960s Sir Peter Snell (athletics); 1970s Sir John Walker (athletics); 1980s Sir Richard Hadlee (cricket); 1990s Danyon Loader (swimming); and 2000s Carolyn Meyer and Georgina Earl (nee Evers-Swindell) (rowing).
Football’s big moments
Relive the key moments that had the football world talking about the underdogs who wouldn’t like down …
The 2010 All Whites … the underdogs who would not be beaten.
Goalkeeper Anna Leat keeps her nerve during the 2017 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup finals.
ISPS Handa Halberg Awards Decade Champion event
Named after Olympic champion Sir Murray Halberg ONZ, MBE the ISPS Handa Halberg Awards is the country’s pre-eminent event to honour and celebrate New Zealand sporting excellence.
The awards are also the major fundraising event for Sir Murray’s charity – the Halberg Foundation – which aims to enhance the lives of physically disabled New Zealanders by enabling them to participate in sport and recreation.
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