All Blacks reign supreme at Halberg Awards

The All Blacks have continued their sporting sweep after their Rugby World Cup victory with several big prizes at the Westpac Halberg Awards tonight. Photo / Doug Sherring

It was a black victory at the 2012 Westpac Halberg Awards tonight - an All Black victory, as the Rugby World Cup winners took nearly all the top prizes at the annual sport honours.

Former All Blacks coach Graham Henry won the Sky Sport Coach of the Year Award, while All Blacks captain Richie McCaw won Westpac Sportsman of the Year and the All Blacks Westpac Team of the Year. The All Blacks also won the top prize, the Halberg Award, and New Zealand's Favourite Sporting Moment.

Winning the supreme award capped off the stellar night for the All Blacks. An overwhelmed skipper Richie McCaw said it showed the All Blacks huge effort during the world cup and throughout the build up to it, had touched everyone in New Zealand this year.

Other sports identities stayed in the game - shot putter Valerie Adams won Westpac Sportswoman of the Year honours for the sixth time, while swimmer Sophie Pascoe won the new Halbert Trust Disabled Sportsperson of the Year category.

According to organisers, it was the first time since the Silver Ferns netball team ran the table in 2003 that one team had won so many of the honours.

THE AWARDS

2012 Halberg Award:
Winner: World Cup All Blacks (rugby)
Finalists: Richie McCaw (Westpac Sportsman of the Year)
Valerie Adams (Westpac Sportswoman of the Year)
All Blacks (Westpac Sports Team of the Year)
Sophie Pascoe (Halberg Trust Disabled Sportsperson of the Year)

Westpac New Zealand Sportsman of the Year:
Winner: Richie McCaw (rugby)
Finalists: Richie McCaw (rugby)
Mahe Drysdale (rowing)
Jerome Kaino (rugby)
Mark Todd (equestrian)

Westpac New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year:
Winner: Valerie Adams (athletics)
Finalists: Valerie Adams (athletics)
Lisa Carrington (canoeing)
Jo Edwards (bowls)
Andrea Hewitt (triathlon)

Halberg Trust Disabled Sportsperson of the Year
Winner: Sophie Pascoe (para-swimming)
Finalists: Michael Johnson (para-shooting)
Sophie Pascoe (para-swimming)
Jayne Parsons (para-cycling)
Daniel Sharp (para-swimming)

Westpac New Zealand Team of the Year:
Winner: World Cup All Blacks (rugby)
All Blacks (rugby)
Men's Double Scull (rowing)
Women's Pair (rowing)
Men's Pair (rowing)

SKY Sport Coach of the Year:
Winner: Sir Graham Henry (rugby)
Finalists: Sir Graham Henry (rugby)
Dayle Cheatley (cycling)
Dick Tonks (rowing)
Gordon Tietjens (rugby)
Westpac Emerging Talent Award:
Winner: Jacko Gill (athletics)
Finalists: Jacko Gill (athletics)
Shaun Johnson (rugby league)
Sam Meech (yachting)
Byron Wells (freestyle skiing)

New Zealand's Favourite Sporting Moment:
Winner: All Blacks
Finalists: NZ Breakers - Win Australian National Basketball League Championship; ANBL Final, North Shore, New Zealand
Valerie Adams - Dominates the field to win Gold; IAAF World Championships, Daegu, Korea
Men's Pair - Hamish Bond and Eric Murray win Gold; World Rowing Championships, Bled, Slovenia
NZ Warriors - Lewis Brown's try sends Warriors to NRL Grand Final; Warriors v Storm, NRL Preliminary Final, Melbourne, Australia
All Blacks - The final whistle; All Blacks v France, Rugby World Cup Final, Auckland, New Zealand
Black Caps - Doug Bracewell bowls Nathan Lyon to win test match; Blackcaps v Australia, Hobart, Australia

Sports Hall of Fame Induction: John Kirwan (rugby), Philippa Baker and Brenda Lawson (rowing)

The Lion Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award: Bruce Cameron (weight-lifting, NZ Olympic selector)

Sport New Zealand Leadership Award: Sir Murray Halberg