KEY POINTS:
The dominance of the All Blacks and Black Ferns last year has ensured rugby is represented in all four categories in the Halberg Awards.
A total of 13 finalists were named yesterday in the three categories eligible for the Supreme Halberg Award - sportsman (5), sportswoman (4), sports
team (4).
A further five finalists were named in the coach of the year section and another four in the new Westpac Emerging Talent category.
The All Blacks won 12 of 13 internationals last year and with coach Graham Henry and captain Richie McCaw scooped the IRB and International Players Association awards.
The Black Ferns were unbeaten in the Women's Rugby World Cup, scoring the most points by any team (202) and conceding only 34 to win their third consecutive title.
McCaw is a finalist in sportsman of the year, Henry in the coach of the year while the All Blacks and Black Ferns are in the team category.
Black Ferns captain Farah Palmer is a finalist in the sportswoman of the year. Only rugby has finalists in all four categories.
Commonwealth Games success has also been rewarded with gold medallists Moss Burmester (swimming) and Nick Willis (athletics) among the sportsman finalists and Valerie Vili, Sam Warriner and Hannah McLean among the sportswoman finalists.
Joining McCaw and Burmester in the sportsman of the year category are world speed skating champion Kalon Dobbin and world single sculls rowing champion Mahe Drysdale.
Commonwealth Games gold medallists the Silver Ferns and Star yachting world champions Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams join the two rugby sides in the teams section.
Four finalists have been named in the new emerging talent category, which is limited to individuals who have not yet achieved international success at elite senior level. The award comes with a $25,000 scholarship from Westpac.
The finalists are: Rebecca Spence (multisports), winner of the time trial at the world junior cycling championships and the world junior duathlon; Graham Oberlin-Brown (rowing), in the winning lightweight double sculls at the world rowing champs; Katherine Prumm (motocross), world motocross title winner and Nathan Cohen (rowing), winner of the single scull at the World University Games and the Commonwealth Regatta.
The winners will be announced on February 15.
Halberg finalists
* Sportsman
Moss Burmester (swimming), Kalon Dobbin (speed skating), Mahe Drysdale (rowing), Richie McCaw (rugby), Nick Willis (athletics)
* Sportswoman
Hannah McLean (swimming), Farah Palmer (rugby), Valerie Vili (athletics), Sam Warriner (triathlon)
* Team
All Blacks (rugby), Black Ferns (rugby), Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams (yachting), Silver Ferns (netball)
* Coach
Ruth Aitken (netball), Kirsten Hellier (athletics), Jan Cameron (swimming), Graham Henry (rugby)