Crusaders and coach snubbed by Halberg Awards

Richie Mo'unga. Photo: Getty Images
Richie Mo'unga. Photo: Getty Images
Crusaders coach Scott Robertson has been snubbed for the second time in 24 hours after missing out on a Halberg Award nomination.

Seventeen coaches from sports as varied as mixed martial arts and para cycling have been nominated for the Coach of the Year Award, along with outgoing All Blacks coach Steve Hansen, but there's no sign of Robertson who led his side to its third Super Rugby title in a row.

And in spite of their historic achievements, there is also no sign of the Crusaders as a team on the comprehensive list of nominees.

That string of title-winning seasons has only occurred once before in the 24-year history of Super Rugby - also by the Crusaders between 1998 and 2000 - while this is the first time a single coach has pulled off the feat.

Even more impressive is the fact that these three seasons are Robertson's first at Super Rugby level.

Scott Robertson. Photo: Getty Images
Scott Robertson. Photo: Getty Images
This news comes just a day after Robertson missed out on becoming the next head coach of the All Blacks, with the national side preferring Ian Foster.

Foster, by comparison, was in charge of the Chiefs for eight seasons of Super Rugby between 2004 and 2011, and failed to win one single title.

However, even if Robertson were to be nominated, he'd have stiff competition for the overall award with Lisa Carrington's coach Gordon Walker bidding to win for a record four times in a row.

Other notable nominees in the category include Valerie Adams , who coaches her para shot-putter sister Lisa, Black Caps coach Gary Stead and Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua.

Another notable snub among the Halberg nominations is for 18-year-old skier Alice Robinson.

While Robinson is nominated under the Emerging Talent category, an argument can be made that she deserves to be amongst the nominees for Sportswoman of the Year after a history-making season.

Robinson became the first New Zealand skier to win a World Cup event since Claudia Riegler in 1997 after beating reigning world champion Mikaela Shiffrin in the giant slalom in Sölden, Austria in October.

The victory also meant she became the youngest woman from any nation to win the Sölden World Cup race.

That victory was preceded by a World Cup final silver medal behind Shiffrin in March and came alongside the world junior giant slalom title in February.

The Halberg Award nominees

Sportswoman of the Year

Abby Erceg (football)

Avalon Biddle (motorcycling)

Courtney Duncan (motorcycling)

Danielle McKenzie (canoe racing)

Katrina Rore (netball)

Kelly Brazier (rugby)

Laura Langman (netball)

Lisa Carrington (canoe racing)

Luuka Jones (canoe slalom)

Michelle Montague (mixed martial arts)

Phillis Meti (golf)

Ruby Tui (rugby)

Sarah Hirini (rugby)

Tyla Nathan-Wong (rugby)

Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snowboarding)

Sportsman of the Year

Campbell Stewart (cycling)

Israel Adesanya (mixed martial arts)

Kane Williamson (cricket)

Kieran Read (rugby)

Lewis Clareburt (swimming)

Michael Venus (tennis)

Nico Porteous (freeskiing)

Paul Coll (squash)

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (rugby league)

Scott McLaughlin (motorsport)

Tom Sexton (cycling)

Tom Walsh (athletics)

Para athlete/team of the year

Cameron Leslie (Para swimming and wheelchair rugby)

Eltje Malzbender (Para cycling)

Emma Foy and Hannah van Kampen (Para cycling)

Lisa Adams (Para athletics)

Sophie Pascoe (Para swimming)

Wheel Blacks (wheelchair rugby)

Team of the Year

BLACKCAPS (cricket)

Black Ferns Sevens (sevens rugby)

Kiwi Ferns (rugby league)

Grace Prendergast and Kerri Gowler (rowing)

Zoe McBride and Jackie Kiddle (rowing)

Silver Ferns (netball)

Olivia Loe and Brooke Donoghue (rowing)

Women's Eight (rowing)

Women's Team Pursuit - Holly Edmondston, Bryony Botha, Kirstie James, Rushlee Buchanan and Michaela Drummond (cycling)

Coach of the Year

Allan Bunting (rugby)

Cory Sweeney (rugby)

Dale Stevenson (athletics)

Dame Valerie Adams (athletics)

Damian Wiseman (Para cycling)

Eugene Bareman (mixed martial arts)

Gary Hay (rowing)

Gary Hollywood (swimming)

Gary Stead (cricket)

Gordon Walker (canoe racing)

Michael Bland (Para cycling)

Noeline Taurua (netball)

Roly Crichton (Para swimming)

Ross Machejefski (cycling)

Shane McLeod (hockey)

Simon Mayne (Para swimming)

Steve Hansen (rugby)

Emerging Talent

Alice Robinson (ski racing)

Celyn Edwards (Para swimming)

Erika Fairweather (swimming)

Hamish Macdonald (motorcycling)

Jessie Smith (BMX cycling)

Kanah Andrews-Nahu (weightlifting)

Kyle Glogoski (baseball)

Laurence Pithie (cycling)

Liberato Cacace (football)

Marcus Armstrong (motorsport)

Seb Menzies and Blake McGlashan (yachting)

Robinson is currently ranked fifth in the world in the giant slalom event.