Rugby: Knight honoured for season

Southern coach Colin Tuaine helps the Dunedin club rugby player of the year, Magpies loose...
Southern coach Colin Tuaine helps the Dunedin club rugby player of the year, Magpies loose forward Adam Knight, hold his trophies during the prize giving at the Harbour RFC clubrooms in Port Chalmers last night. Photo by Gregor Richardson.
Southern loose forward Adam Knight has been named Dunedin club player of the year.

Knight (23) had an industrious year for his Southern side, and his performances this season were capped by selection in the Otago ITM Cup squad last week.

Knight, a builder, has been floating around the club scene for the past couple of years and his bruising style of game had much to do with Southern making it through to the semifinals.

He teamed up with Southern No 8 Mike Mafi to give Southern some real dominance in the loose and allow the side to get on the front foot in many of its games.

He played blindside flanker for the Magpies and is the son of former Otago lock Richard Knight.

Knight senior holds the record, with 170, for the most games played by an Otago player.

Southern finished second on the points ladder in the club competition, just behind Harbour, and then lost to Taieri in a nail-biter of a semifinal.

Knight finished just ahead of Green Island loose forward Jackson Hemopo in the player of the year award.

Hemopo (21) played what at times seemed a lone hand for Green Island as the side failed to win a game all season.

Hemopo, like Knight, has been selected in the Otago squad.

The award was won last year by Zingari-Richmond midfield back Lachie Moore.

It is awarded on points handed out at every club game by Otago Daily Times club rugby writers and Radio Sport reporters.

The club personality of the year award went to University A coach Rahul Das.

Das, a medical student from Auckland, coached University A to its first club title since 2010.

Josh Casey won the award for scoring the most points in the club season.

He set a record with 300 points, breaking the old mark of 260, set by Dunedin's Daniel Soper in 1997.

Southern utility back Bryce Hosie scored 222 points for his side, in what was a high-scoring season for players.

Casey, a first five-eighth, also scored 16 tries during the season, which tied with University A centre Matt Faddes for the most in the competition.

Taieri outside back Glen Beadle grabbed 12 tries while there were five players who scored 10 tries each.

Special awards were given to those who brought up a landmark this year.

Charlie O'Connell, Kurt Webster and Shannon Young, all from Taieri, were acknowledged for playing 100 senior games for their club as were Green Island's Sam Eriepa and James Spooner, and Peter Breen, who has played for both Alhambra-Union and Zingari-Richmond.

Southern prop Warren Moffat and Zingari-Richmond loose forward Chris Bell were both recognised for reaching 200 games for their club.

Adam Morrison was presented with the Metropolitan referee of the year award.

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