New Year Honours: Campbell heads lineup of honoured sports people

He's the frontrunner for the Halberg Supreme Award, so it's appropriate that golfer Michael Campbell receives the highest accolade among sports people in the New Year Honours list.

Campbell becomes a companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit after a stellar year topped by winning the US Open in North Carolina in June, becoming only the second New Zealander after Sir Bob Charles to win one of golf's four major tournaments.

The 36-year-old from Wellington followed that with a win in the world matchplay championship and top 10 placings at both the British Open and US PGA Championship.

Campbell, a supporter of the New Zealand Junior Golf Foundation and Ronald McDonald House, has racked up wins at the New Zealand Open, Heineken Classic, Australian and German Masters in his career, having achieved early prominence as a member of the four-man New Zealand amateur men's team which won the Eisenhower Trophy in 1992.

He began the year slumped down in the 80s, and finished it ranked 15th in the world. "It's been a wonderful journey so far. I just want to ride this rocket as long as I can," Campbell said.

Stacey Jones is having a final family holiday in the Far North before setting off for his new league career at Les Catalans club in France in the New Year. Jones, a key figure in the Kiwis' winning the Tri-Nations series this year, was an integral and influential player in the Warriors from their inception in 1995.

Jones, 29, becomes an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to rugby league, and says he is thrilled.

"It's a huge honour, one that makes me feel very humble. But I also see it as recognition for rugby league and all the great players and coaches I've been involved with."

In 40 tests, Jones scored 16 tries, one shy of the New Zealand record, but, re-invigorated by the success of Brian McClennan's Kiwis this year, isn't ruling out deferring his retirement from the international arena.

"We'll have to see how things work out once I get to France. The club was great helping out the Kiwis during the Tri-Nations and, who knows, I might be able to be considered for selection again next year."

* Former New Zealand captain Emily Drumm is made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to women's cricket.

Drumm was a national rep for 14 years and captain for four. She played 96 ODIs and five tests, and a highlight was leading New Zealand to victory in the women's World Cup at Lincoln, near Christchurch, in 2000.

"It [the royal honour] is not something you play for, and I was very pleasantly surprised," Drumm said, acknowledging it's good for women's cricket to be recognised.

* Former All Black star Andrew Mehrtens becomes a member of the order for services to rugby. The first five-eighths, who played 70 tests from 1995 until 2004, holds the record of 967 points for the All Blacks in tests.

Mehrtens, a rock in the five-times Super 12-winning Crusaders team, joined Harlequins in England this year.

* Longtime New Zealand Maori coach Matt Te Pou is also made an MNZM for services to rugby.

Te Pou, who coached the Maori team from 1995, stepped down after guiding them to a courageous 19-13 win over the Lions in Hamilton in June. Under him, the team won 33 of 38 matches, including 26 in succession.

* Former All Black captain Tane Norton becomes a MNZM, also for services to rugby.

Norton, who led the All Blacks in four tests against the Lions in 1977, played 27 tests and became New Zealand Rugby Union president in 2003.

Other recipients of awards in the honours list include:

* Former Olympic Games selector Bruce Cameron, who becomes an officer of the NZ Order of Merit for services to sport. Cameron, a member of the national Olympic committee for 30 years, was an Olympic and Commonwealth Games selector for almost two decades until this year. He was awarded the International Olympic Committee's Olympic Order in 1995 and the parallel New Zealand order this year.

* Dr Matt Marshall, who becomes an ONZM for services to sports medicine. Whangarei-based Marshall was director of medical services at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, served on the Sports Drug Agency and filled roles with a variety of sports teams.

* Boardsailing and yachting coach Grant Beck, who has guided Olympic medal winners Barbara and Bruce Kendall and Aaron McIntosh and is a member of the Yachting New Zealand high-performance committee. He becomes an MNZM.

* Jenny Hair of Blenheim, who is made an MNZM for services to hockey, particularly related to umpiring. She was technical judge to the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998.

* Former All Black Matthew Cooper, who becomes an MNZM for services to rugby and sports administration. Cooper was an All Black for seven years until 1994, playing eight tests. He holds the Waikato scoring record and is currently chief executive of Sports Waikato.