Sydney Roosters rugby league star-cum-enforcer Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Football Fern Kristy Hill (pictured below and above) have been named Te Arawa Senior Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year.
The 2012 Te Arawa Awards ceremony at the Holiday Inn, Whakarewarewa, last night recognised and celebrated the outstanding achievements over the past year of the top Maori athletes in the Te Arawa rohe.
Waerea-Hargreaves, 23, made his NRL debut for Manly-Warringah in 2009 and played his Kiwis debut the same year before signing a three-year deal with the Roosters in 2010. He has played 11 games for New Zealand and was considered by many unlucky to miss out on the Kiwis team to play Australia tonight.
He held off the challenge of extreme kayaker Sam Sutton, who last week won his third straight extreme world title in Austria.
Hill, 33, was a member of the New Zealand women's football team that competed at this year's London Olympics - her second Games. A lawyer, the defender has played 20 matches for the Football Ferns.
Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic netball defender Erena Mikaere was a finalist for the sportswoman award after a year in which the Magic claimed the ANZ Championship title.
She also captained the Bay of Plenty Gold side that narrowly avoided relegation to the second division at last week's Lion Foundation Championships.
Rallying brother and sister team Sloan and Tarryn Cox picked up the team of the year award while waka ama paralympic world champion George Thomas was rewarded with two awards.
The rangatahi award section last night also recognised the achievements of Te Arawa young people with 29 primary, intermediate and high school students recognised for excellence in sport, academia, the arts and service to the community.
2012 Te Arawa Awards winners:
The Southern Trust Team of the Year: Cox Motorsport (rallying).
Te Arawa Lakes Trust Service to Sport: George Thomas (waka ama).
First Sovereign Trust Coach of the Year: Pauline Craven (netball). Finalist: Charlie Hurihanganui (rugby).
Waiariki Institute of Technology Sportsperson with a Disability: George Thomas (waka ama).
Lakes District Health Board Junior Sportswoman of the Year: Te Kirikauri Pene (basketball). Finalist: Krista Taylor (gymnastics).
Lions Foundation Junior Sportsman of the Year: Dylan Taute-Hohepa (waka ama). Finalist: Connor Herewini (hockey).
New Zealand Community Trust Senior Sportswoman of the Year: Kristy Hill (football). Finalist: Erena Mikaere (netball).
Sport New Zealand Senior Sportsman of the Year: Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (rugby league). Finalist: Sam Sutton (extreme white water kayaking).
Te Arawa Rangatahi Achievers Award 2012 recipients:
Ngahina Pene, Awatea Rikirangi Pene, Kataraina Fredricksen, Krista Taylor, Marina Tahana-Beazley, Te Marie Van der Leden, Tuhoto-Ariki Pene, Waiwhakaata Emery-Raerino, Andre Tupara Morrison, Georgia Grace, Ihakara Pene, Jimi Leigh McLean, Kahu Bennett, Kate Bennett, Kate Walker, Mamaeroa Merito, Tairoa Morrison, Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi, Whanarua Edmonds, Wiremu Keepa, Ereuera Bidois, Jaedon Fredricksen, Kayla Pene, Ngahuia Hona-Paku, Renee Ngatai, Stella Grant, Whare Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Bidois, Kahikatia Edwards, Shaquille Graham, Te Arawa Rangatahi.
Teams of the Year included: Raukura Waka Ama team, Raukura touch team, Rotorua under-13 girls basketball team and the Rotorua Intermediate Aims netball team.