Ten sporting highlights from 2015 have been announced today for the Radio Sport Sporting Moment of the Year Award, the only category voted for by the public at the 53rd Halberg Awards.
The sporting moment award gives the New Zealand public the opportunity to choose the nation's most exciting, remarkable, or compelling sporting moment, game or series in 2015. Basketball, cricket, rugby league, rugby, golf, and football all feature in the finalists list.
Final points clinchers that created some of the biggest sports highlights of the year are shortlisted including; Ekene Ibekwe's last second shot to secure the ANBL championship for the Breakers, Beauden Barrett's Rugby World Cup final try and Grant Elliott's six on the second to last ball to put the Black Caps through to the Cricket World Cup final.
Career milestones from Richie McCaw (most-capped test rugby player), Ross Taylor (highest test score by a visiting batsman in Australia) and Lydia Ko (becoming the youngest major winner at the Evian Championship) are also up for the public vote.
Victories which gripped the nation including the Highlanders' first Super Rugby Championship win, the Kiwis taking the Anzac test for the first time in 17 years and the Football Ferns beating Brazil are also in contention. Warrior Nathan Friend's impressive back-flip to set up a try against the Melbourne Storm rounds out the finalists list.
"The award gives the passionate sporting public an opportunity to honour the athlete or team who captured their heart in 2015," Halberg Disability Sport Foundation Chief Executive Shelley McMeeken said.
Kiwi sports fans can vote for their choice once a day by text message or online at www.sportingmoment.co.nz. The winner will be presented at the 53rd Halberg Awards on Thursday, February 18 at Vector Arena in Auckland and televised live on Sky Sport.
The finalists were selected by a panel of media representatives who compiled the list of great sporting moments from 2015 for the public to vote on.
Radio Sport Sporting Moment of the Year finalists
1. SKYCITY Breakers - win the Australian National Basketball League Championship on Ekene Ibekwe's last-second shot (Breakers v Taipans, ANBL final, Auckland)
2. Grant Elliott - smashes a six off the second-to-last ball of the semi-final to put the BLACKCAPS into the Cricket World Cup final (Black Caps v South Africa, Cricket World Cup semi-final, Auckland)
3. Kiwis - defeat Australia in the ANZAC test for the first time in 17 years (New Zealand v Australia, Anzac test, Brisbane)
4. The Highlanders - win their first Super Rugby championship (Highlanders v Hurricanes, Super Rugby final, Wellington)
5. Vodafone Warriors - Nathan Friend's back-flip sets up miracle try in win over Melbourne Storm (Warriors v Storm, Auckland)
6. Richie McCaw - becomes rugby's most-capped test player (All Blacks v Australia, Bledisloe Cup, Auckland)
7. Lydia Ko - becomes the youngest major winner (male or female) ever at the 2015 Evian Championship (The Evian Championship, Évian-les-Bains, France)
8. All Blacks - Beauden Barrett's try clinches the Rugby World Cup for New Zealand (All Blacks v Wallabies, Rugby World Cup final, London)
9. Ross Taylor - scores 290 against Australia, the highest test score ever by a visiting batsman in Australia (Black Caps v Australia, second test, Perth)
10. Football Ferns - Amber Hearn's goal propels the Football Ferns to a 1-0 win over world powerhouse Brazil (New Zealand v Brazil, Sao Paulo, Brazil)
