All Blacks: Award a cheer-up for Guildford

Hawke's Bay All Black Zac Guildford needed some cheering up this morning and SportToday was happy to oblige.

"That's awesome. I hadn't heard ... I've been a bit hard to get hold of over the weekend," replied Guildford when told he had won the junior sportsman award for the second time in three years at the 2009 Maori Sports Awards function in Auckland on Saturday night.

His Taradale clubmate and New Zealand Maori team kaumatua Whetu Tipiwai accepted the award on Guildford's behalf.

"It's great Whetu was there for me," said Guildford who collected a hamstring injury in the All Blacks 25-18 loss to the Barbarians at Twickenham yesterday morning.

"I caught a kick off, went to run and ping. It's a hamstring tear and I'll be out of action for six to eight weeks," said Guildford as he recalled the 67th minute injury while awaiting the boarding call for the All Blacks flight from London.

"It's a bit of a bummer but at least it's happened at the end of the season and by the time I have to join the Crusaders in February I should be hundy again."

"It's a bit of a sad way to end the tour with an injury and a loss but overall the tour has been good," said Guildford who had earlier played in the wins against Wales and England.

"Now it's a case of keep building on my strengths and working on my weaknesses so I keep getting better and stay in the frame for the 2011 World Cup."

Before that process begins Guildford knows his priority once he returns home will be plenty of rehab work with Magpies physio Garry Sye. He said that he was disappointed he won't have the opportunity to play touch for his whanau team G-Force in the Taradale social competition.

"I was looking forward to playing with the whanau again," added Guildford.

Two other Ngati Kahungunu sports personalities were among the award winners on Saturday night. Auckland-based action pistol shooter Tiffany Piper won the junior sportswoman award as well as an award for being a world champion and Auckland-based rugby referee Sheldon Eden-Whaitiri won the umpire-referee award.

Last month Piper was a joint winner of the Ngati Kahungunu junior sportswoman award with world champion rugby league player Shaan Waru and the same award at the Tuwharetoa sports awards.

Captain of the world champion Kiwi rugby league side Benji Marshall won the 2009 Maori Sportsperson of the Year award.

Guildford has the opportunity to collect more awards before the end of the year as he is a finalist in three categories - Maori player, age grade player and Air New Zealand Cup player - at the annual Steinlager Rugby Awards in Auckland on December 17.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY