Sportsman of the year, All Black captain Richie McCaw
(left), and coach of the year, former All Black coach Sir
Graham Henry, arrive on the red carpet for the Halberg
Awards at the Sky City Convention Centre in Auckland last
night. Photo by The New Zealand Herald
The All Blacks swept the Halberg Awards last night with
rugby's dominance of the nation's premier sporting awards a
reflection of 24 years' worth of expectation and hurt now gone.
The World Cup champions took home three of the five main
categories as well as the supreme award at last night's
Halberg Awards at Sky City in Auckland.
It was the first time since 1987 - a date that had been used
to taunt All Black fans until recently - the team had claimed
the supreme Halberg Award.
Captain Richie McCaw, who inspired his team to a one-point
victory over France in the final despite a serious foot
injury, was named sportsman of the year.
McCaw faced the stiffest competition from his team-mate, and
the NZRU's player of the year, Jerome Kaino, as well as world
singles sculls rowing champion Mahe Drysdale.
McCaw said the Halberg Awards were the "pinnacle of New
Zealand sport" and it was an honour for rugby to be among the
nominations.
"I just think the fact you have an awards evening to
recognise and get together the best that we've got in the
country, and celebrate it, is pretty awesome." Graham Henry
was unsurprisingly named coach of the year, and the team he
coached to World Cup victory picked up the team of the year.
Kaino said the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a World Cup on
home soil piled mental pressure on McCaw and Henry in
particular, which made their achievement even more special.
"It must have huge, and for them to carry our team through.
I thought Richie led our team phenomenally well in that World
Cup.
"I think on the field it was obvious what we achieved, but I
think people need to look at what sort of pressure some of
these guys were under." World champion shot putter Valerie
Adams was named sportswoman of the year after a season in
which she returned to form and smashed the World Championship
record with a personal best.
Adams beat contenders including triathlete Andrea Hewitt, a
strong chance for gold at the London Olympics, to claim her
sixth title.
Swimmer Sophie Pascoe won the newly introduced disabled
sportsperson of the year for winning two gold medals in
world-record time at the Pan Pacific Para Championships.
The emerging talent award was won by 17-year-old shot put
sensation Jacko Gill.
Three former Halberg Award winners, John Kirwan, Philippa
Baker and Brenda Lawson, were inducted into the New Zealand
Sports Hall of Fame.
Former weightlifting champion and long-time New Zealand
Olympic team selector Bruce Cameron was presented with the
lifetime achievement award.
The All Blacks capped their stellar night by winning New
Zealand's favourite sporting moment. The public voted the
long awaited final whistle of last year's World Cup final
their favourite.
Voting for all other awards was carried out by an academy of
28 sporting journalists, coaches and sporting greats.
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