McMenamin nominated for Black Ferns player of the year

IN THE RUNNING: Charmaine McMenamin (pictured here on her way to scoring a try for the Black Ferns in a 37-8 win against Australia at Eden Park in August) has been nominated for Black Ferns player of the year. The awards dinner is in Auckland on Thursday next week. Picture by David Rowland/AAP

RUGBY

GISBORNE’S Charmaine McMenamin has been nominated for Black Ferns player of the year.

McMenamin, a loose forward for the Auckland Storm and New Zealand Black Ferns, is up against Kendra Cocksedge (Canterbury) and Ayesha Leti-I’iga (Wellington) in the hotly contested category at the 2019 ASB Rugby Awards.

McMenamin was named the Tairawhiti sportswoman of the year at the Bronwyn Kay Agency Sporting Excellence Awards last month.

Stuart Leach, from Rotorua Boys’ High School, is a contender for try of the year at the rugby awards.

Leach was a standout performer in the Tairawhiti rugby league competition this year, playing for the Paikea Whalers.

The other two tries in the final three were scored by Otago Spirit’s Sheree Hume and All Black TJ Perenara.

Public voting for try of the year has closed.

The awards dinner is in Auckland on Thursday next week.