RUGBY AWARDS - Earning a praising for being amazing

Robbie Ball is much more comfortable in a T-shirt and jeans than a "penguin suit" tuxedo.
But when the Kaeo Rugby Club president was asked to go to Auckland on Thursday to be named as the New Zealand Rugby Volunteer of the Year at the Steinlager Rugby Awards, he had to hire a suit and shine his shoes for the big event.
"I was a bit out of my depth, to be honest," Ball said.
"But it was such a privilege to be there among the high-flyers."
The award came as a huge surprise to Ball, who said he certainly wasn't expecting it.
He got a few words with referee Steve Walsh, rugby sevens coach Gordon Tietjens and rugby great Ron Don, and said the "big-wigs" were generally pretty impressed with the effort put in by the volunteers.
"I think they realised that without the work of volunteers, the players can't go on and continue in the big leagues," Ball said. "It's where it all starts."
He has been instrumental in getting the Kaeo Rugby Club back up and running after it was destroyed twice by floods this year.
The March 29 flood washed through the clubrooms, which are on swampland near the river and, only three days after it was refurbished, the July 10 storm hit, destroying it once again.
The "Swampies", as club members are known, gave hundreds of hours of their time to fix the damage left by the March flood.
Being hit twice in a year led Ball and other club members to embark on an ambitious project to raise the building.
The public could help with materials by donating $5 to "sponsor" a brick.
The work is still going on and another $50,000-$60,000 is required in funding. Plans have had to be re-drafted after realising they wouldn't work on the swampy land.
The club hopes to be open in time for Easter and the start of the rugby season.
Meanwhile, Ball is thrilled with his award but insists it is not just for him.
"It's for all the volunteers in all sports in Northland. The award is a huge bonus for me and I was happy to accept it, but I want it to represent all the volunteers, no matter what sport."
Last night, Ball was to celebrate his win again, this time with his mates from the club at his local watering-hole, with a few glasses of his favourite tipple.
"They didn't have rum at the awards because it was all the sponsor's product, Steinlager. So celebrating with a rum or two and the guys at the local will be great."