NZ Rugby glory: Magpies duo Fakatava and Dixon earn player of year awards

Folau Fakatava, left, and Ash Dixon leave the field to a standing ovation from the Hawke's Bay crowd in the Mitre 10 Cup semifinal against Taranaki. Photo / Photosport

Two of the Hawke's Bay Magpies' finest were rewarded for their outstanding seasons at the New Zealand Rugby Awards on Thursday night.

Halfback Folau Fakatava won the Duane Monkley Medal for being the Mitre 10 Cup Player of the Year, and Magpies captain Ash Dixon won the Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year award.

Hawke's Bay head coach Mark Ozich said Fakatava is obviously very talented, but the real advancement in the 20-year-old's game has coincided with more consistent off-field professionalism.

Part of that comes from the mentorship of his skipper Dixon, who like Fakatava plays for the Highlanders in Super Rugby.

The 32-year-old hooker won the Māori Player of the Year award after scoring 15 tries in 2020 for the Highlanders, Magpies and Māori All Blacks, while captaining all three sides.

Ozich said Dixon is always looking to get better as an individual player and a leader.

"He wants to know how people are going, he wants to know what makes them tick and how he can get the best out of them," the coach said.

Ozich said while Dixon empowers players by giving them the freedom to back themselves on the field, he is not shy in holding people accountable if they're not doing their job either.

"Just like if he's not doing his job, he wants to know," the coach said.

"There's a real balance, and I think he gets it pretty right with strong leadership."

Ozich said that makes Dixon a great extension of the coaching group: "I don't ever have to talk to Ash about standards or work ethic, he brings that every day. It helps me do my job for sure."

Mark Ozich was nominated for the ASB National Coach of the Year award but missed out to Scott Robertson of the Crusaders.

Mitre 10 Cup Premiership winners Tasman won Adidas National Team of the Year over the Magpies, who were nominated along with the Crusaders and Canterbury's Farah Palmer Cup team.

And the other nominated Magpie, Neria Fomai, missed out on the Sky TV Fans Try of the Year award to Jack Jones of Christ's College.

NZ Rugby Award Winners:

Kelvin R Tremain Memorial Player of the Year: Sam Cane
Black Ferns Player of the Year: Chelsea Alley
All Blacks Player of the Year: Sam Cane
New Zealand Team of the Year: Black Ferns Sevens
Super Rugby Player of the Year: Richie Mo'unga
Tom French Memorial Maori Player of the Year: Ash Dixon
Steinlager Salver: Sir Bryan Williams
Duane Monkley Medal (Mitre 10 Cup Player of the Year): Folau Fakatava
Fiao'o Faamausili Medal (Farah Palmer Cup Player of the Year): Kendra Cocksedge
National Coach of the Year: Scott Robertson
New Zealand Coach of the Year: Allan Bunting and Cory Sweeney
Richard Crawshaw Memorial All Blacks Sevens Player of the Year: Scott Curry
Black Ferns Sevens Player of the Year: Stacey Fluhler
National Team of the Year: Tasman
Sky TV Fans Try of the Year: Jack Jones
Referee of the Year: Paul Williams
Charles Monro Volunteer of the Year: Jane Chamberlain
NZRPA Kirk Award: Andy Ellis